I too, had made a group of my own. Many things, worth describing happened within that short span of time with my small group. Some other time I shall narrate how a girl, who had undertaken a strange train journey to Ahmedabad and was declared as missing in her locality in Odisha was restored to her parents. Thanks to this small group of ours.
Today I am confining to briefly say how banking was influenced by Rail and Rail was influencing banking. Banking hours in Gujarat were 10.45 am to 5.45 pm. The train which I was using was a meter gauge train. Gauge actually means (for those who are interested to know) distance between two parallel rails. Narrow gauge is where this distance is less than 1 meter. Many of you would have seen the narrow gauge train between New Jalpaigudi and Darjeeling. You can perhaps run along with the train This is an example of a narrow gauge train, 0.76 m gauge. Meter gauge train in Italy is 50 mm narrower than in most of the other countries. That is because you measure the distance from inner edge of the Rails. Now-a-days, a standard gauge is 4 ft 8.5 inches or 1435 mm. Below this is narrow. Above this is broad. Broad gauge in India refers to 5 feet 6 inches or 1676 mm. A metre gauge train, therefore, in most of the countries is considered as a narrow gauge train. At the time I was travelling, It had all the parameters of a Broad gauge train minus the seriousness of running it. It was even viewed by public as a kind of goodwill gesture of the government not to last very long.
So the entire locality near my Bank Branch new that the Manager is coming by this train. Therefore they can come to the bank only after the train arrives. So you see, People kept track of me. No one even bothered to raise an eyelid to look at me when I was heading the International Banking Division with a turnover of about Rs. 250 crores. Here it was so different even though the total turnover is less than one crore. I carried the keys of the vaults. Therefore on the days when the Meter gauge spent a little more time on the track, my staff, local boys, would accept cash from a local kerosene depot to pay the local depositors against withdrawal slips. Initially, I was worried. I had never witnessed banking in this way linked to a train. At other instances where I had the keys I had even abandoned my troubling vehicles on the roads to reach the bank counters on time. But here everyone, the Sarpanch, the local Police Sub-Inspector, other important leaders of the village, all were very sympathetic. When I used to be late, they would provide comfort "what could you have done. The train was late in reaching".
Similarly, while returning, the railway staff who all had their accounts in the bank, would inquire whether the Manager had reached. Sometimes I was informed in the office that the train was waiting on the platform and I had to hurry. Sometimes someone will tell the railway staff that the Manager is on his way and the train has to wait for sometime, so on and so forth. I had never witnessed this goodwill gesture myself till one day when I was on time and I had ordered a cup of tea on the platform.
The tea vendor took out ginger, tulsi some masala and he was making a good tea by putting pure buffalo milk. In Gujarat people jokingly say, while making tea "Kanda lasun chhodi ne baki vadhu masala nakhi didhu chhe" (have put all the masalas except onion and garlic). After all he was making tea for the Manager, he had to be careful. He was in no hurry. The train had arrived. He was busy in stirring and stirring. This stirring and checking the texture of tea in the countryside of Gujarat is a specialty. One has to see to believe. I was tense. "When will he serve and how will I drink the hot tea" were troubling me. Finally the bell rang for leaving. Yes there used to be a bell those days. The Station Master authorized ringing of the bell to leave. There used to be various bell codes to convey messages to Railway staff and to public. After the public announcement system was implemented the bell system was discontinued. I understand in some places it is still there.
While the bell was ringing, he handed over the glass of tea along with a saucer which they called "rakabi". He told me don't worry have the tea. He even inquired if I wanted Khari, a delicacy of Gujarat served as a good accompaniment of tea. I simply said "No, Thank you" and hurried to finish the tea while constantly watching if the train was leaving. I was sweating and apparently, the tension was visible. Suddenly I heard someone calling from above - from the pole nearby where the signal man was sitting with one hand on the lever of the signal. He simply told me "Pio Saheb, Pio. Aa ne ( showing to the lever) hun niche paadish to train jase na" (only when I pull this lever down, the train can go). My God! I was ashamed of my knowledge of them. That was too much for me. I did not know that all of the Railway staff were taking such a good care of the Bank Manager. Belated, but thank you Railways.
Disclaimer: The pictures shown in this article are only to be treated as symbols. Nothing more than that. Not intended to show anyone or anything in bad light.
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