Digital Banking and Bank strike

Banking operations in the entire country was hit due to strike called for consecutive two days by approximately around ten lakhs bank employee primarily from PSU Banks  under the common banner of United forum.The strike also supported by unions of some old private sector banks and foreign banks .

The heat was endured by majority of citizens if the country since only 25% of meagre skeleton service was rendered by some new age private sector banks and of course the most helpful DIGITAL Banking. Although it is widely believed that only 5% of total population under the umbrella of banking industry is covered by digital banking service. Although government is trying hard to increase this percentage at all levels, but  most of the public servants still depend on regular banking.

Interestingly, unions of banking industry intentionally choose these dates two trouble employees of all sectors whose salary as well as pensions of retired employees is credited to their respective account on last working day of the month.

To some extent they could succeed since a large chunk of senior citizens and people from lower strata, who find it more comfortable and friendly to withdraw cash from branch. People residing in remote rural areas are also part of this branch banking.But,the entire scenario has gradually taken a paradigm shift in semi-urban and all urban areas including metro cities. The change has come silently and not overnight rather it took year to step out from conventional arena to digital world.Of course the central government and its demonetisation in recent past has added roller coaster to the feet of this fast forward. But till that time most of the countrymen were already acquainted with ATM service of banking at least and that was the first leap towards Digital Banking,

Now, we will go for an emphasis on digital banking step by step and try to earmark that how it helped the population to go for carefree banking during last two days.

1) All bank ATM were functioning throughout the country more or less except West Bengal, Kerala, Bihar and Jharkhand states where militant union rolled down the shutter of ATM also. Cash was loaded in its fullest capacity in all ATM under strict instructions of management on the eve of first strike day.So,at least first day of the strike could not make much impact on transactions for ordinary citizens.Moreover., salary was not credited on 30th obviously amount of withdrawals were not very large. 

2) Business class people were not effected much due to two reasons. Firstly, RTGS and NEFT centres under  supervision  of RBI functioned normally and fund clearance was done smoothly. Secondly e-banking platform is always open for customers 24 x 7 and most of business houses transacted their funds through e-banking platform without any hindrances. 

3) Plenty of e-wallets are available in the monetary domain and people could make payments towards any type of purchase they did right from groceries and provisions to drink and dine with movie buffs did not require any cash at all.

4) All payment gateways of all major credit and debit cards rendered services to holders relentlessly for any type of purchase from alpine to elephant or payment of all all utility bills digitally even on the last date also.

These examples are illustrative and not exhaustive.

In this context I am afraid that employees of banking industry is slowly and gradually losing its ground for compelling Indian Banking Association (IBA) or Labour commissioner to move for their cause since the strike has lost much of impact towards paralysing the monetary system as well as central government for a day or two as they used to do in earlier days. 

Are Bengalis in Assam facing reverse dhimmitude ?

Bengali Hindus are perennially treated as stateless modern day Jews in this part of the globe specially in entire North East India.The origin of inhibition of this race in North East India dates back about 150 years, but till present day they are looked upon by others more precisely so called indigenous communities as intruders and diaspora of there home land. This aspect I have discussed elaborately in my previous book " Log Out North East India- an untold story of reverse racism". 

But if we go back deep in this issue we find Bengali Hindus settled  in North East India since the days of Imperial Raj and they were brought by the then masters as clerks to run the administrations. Many were brought for expansion of railways and thus concentration of Bengali Hindus will be found in major rail area like Guwahati, Lumding, Tinsukia ,Bongaigoan, Dhubri( since this was an important rail station till 1947) etc. 

These are facts that known to all. On this pretext,I have few questions:

1) What is the definition of original inhabitants? Probably it defines a group people or race staying at a place continuously for an unspecified long time and inculcate all socio cultural systems of the place and embrace the same as their own may be defined as original inhabitants.In this category Ahom of Assam, Khasi and Jaintia of Meghalaya falls in same category of Bengali inhabitants. All those races came to settle in vast North east in different time and different circumstances.What about tea tribes of Assam ? Are they not brought by Britishers from outside? Koch came from Coochbehar of West Bengal to settle in fertile land of Assam and so on.

2) They embraced all local culture and social bonding at per with Assamese speaking people except their language which is their birth right. Moreover all children of Bengali Hindu read and write Assamese correctly and each one of them speak local language fluently. What more is required to prove their identity? Do they need to speak in Assamese to their mother and wife in their home? This is next to impossible and everyone know why? 

3) A large chunk of Bengali migrated from Erstwhile Sylhet district of Assam when the district merged with Pakistan during infamous partition of the country.Are those people not original inhabitants of Assam?They simple shifted from one part of Assam to another part after 18/07/1947.Are they  diaspora? 

4) After bifurcation of erstwhile K&J Hills district and Garo Hills district of Assam for formation of new state Meghalaya Lakhs of Bengali Hindu employees from erstwhile capital of Shillong  and Tura permanently migrated to Assam with their family. Are they not original inhabitants of Assam? Under same circumstances thousands of Bengali Hindus came back to Silchar after erstwhile Lusai Hills bifurcated from Assam. They are definitely original inhabitants of Assam. 

Last year one gentleman from Assamese speaking community adversely commented in a TV talk show that wherever Bengali Hindus will settle they would construct a Kali temple and go for one Netaji commune. My question is this a crime? Lots of Assamese speaking people are settled in different parts of world are celebrating BIHU under a banner of Bihutali. Are they doing activities against their rights? Moreover, Assamese speaking people should inculcate history to know that it was Netaji Subhash only proposed the name of Gopinath Bordoloi as president of APCC during British Raj instead Sadullah was ready to be sworn in as president of APCC They should instead thank Netaji who saved the hegemony of indigenous Assamese people during the material time.

Last but not the least , I personally do not reside in Assam, so my comments in this regard to be impartially taken.