Reality Of Trade Union Leader

 फोरम आफ बैंक पेंशनर एक्टिविस्टस्

    Forum of Bank Pensioner Activists

                        PRAYAGRAJ

      न त्वहं कामये राज्यं  न स्वर्गं नापुनर्भवम्।

      कामये दुःखतप्तानां प्रणिनामार्तिनाशनम्॥

                हिमालयं समारभ्य, यायव हिन्दुसरोवरं।

              आतं देवनिर्मितं देशं, हिन्दुस्तानं प्रचक्षेत।।

TO: ALL BANKMEN/ACTIVISTS

The whole lot is rotten, incompetent & corrupt. Worst part this is: Bankers & bank men, both, know well about Union Leaders.

Prabhatkar was not a mythological character, but real prophet of bank employees movement of India. Bank employees movement and he grew together. Prabhatkar started his career as Bank Officer, was dismissed for trade Union activities. 

While leading the bank employees movement, the man who was unwanted  by his Bank, rose to highest office of peoples' representative to Lower House of our Parliament. He successfully steered the 'Carvan' of bank employees movement and surpassed and surmounted all hurdles and obstructions in his way forward. 

One day, this movement changed the course of Banking history, 14 big commercial Banks were freed from capital houses & nationalized. 

It paved the way of transformation of class banking to mass banking and uncorked the flood gate of potentials of expansion, extension and growth. He marched on, brought changes in credit policy, fought for reorganization of PSBs and conceptualized the Pension as best post retirement social security. His organization, AIBEA emerged with laurel of sole bargaining agent of Banking industry in his time.

Prabhatkar was unquestioned leader-a king size character, but this did not mean he had no opponents. In fact, nobody wanted to  dethrone him from AIBEA, because of his ability. But, he knew it was wrong and it amounted to over dependence on single person. He saw, somewhere bankmen taking him larger than the organization. 

He perceived it as his duty to give next generation an effective leadership. Thus, he conceived & doctrinaired the idea that AIBEA should no more have a retired person as it's General Secretary. 

He professed and propounded that AIBEA should be headed by working person. He didn't mean, retiree leaders should be thrown out. His view point was limited to General Secretary of AIBEA.

He himself worked it out sincerely and seriously in AIBEA's Conference held in 1980 at Allahabad. He relinquished GS seat, crowned Tarkeshwar Chakraborty as General Secretary, who was then in service. Tarkeshwar had 6 long years of Bank service when he was made GS in 1980. 

But,  Prabhatkar's successor Tarkeshwar forgot the doctrinaire set by his predecessor Prabhatkar. Ignoring the guiding principle, set by Prabhatkar in 1980, Tarakeshwar didn't quiet GS seat on or after his retirement in 1986 and continued till his death on 3rd May, 2003 at 77. 

Decision of Nature in leadership matter proves fatal. Any organization, be it political, social or of any esteem, can't remain all time vibrant with old order and without young blood. Succession is most important aspect to keep organizations/ institutions live and effective. See the fate of such organizations, where such old order works. Worst sufferers are Communists. 

Trade Unions without defined succession policy met the same fate. In Banking there is very wide trench between grass roote and policy making level of Unions. Earlier it was not. Now leaders have become monarch. Bank Unions are 'professionalized' trade now, people at the helm of affairs are taken as greedy, unscrupulous and dishonest in their intent by their followers. Bank employees movement had incredible leaders, but now the whole lot is rotten, incompetent and corrupt. 

(J. N. Shukla)

National Convener

11.2.2021