Public Sector Banks in India has taken upon itself a mission of being a Common Man’s Bank. A large majority of our 20 billion plus customers belong to this category. It is our bounden duty to uplift them. They are willing to improve as is seen in the orderly conduct of elections in the world’s largest democracy.
When I was in Delhi I used to get my pan from a panwallah from Bihar. One day, as he was making my pan, two children one 4 years and another slightly bigger, 6 years – came running. The smaller child wearing a new pair of shoes fell down and the bigger child tried to lift the smaller one by holding its shoe.
As an educated man with a lot of exposure I was immediately led to think that the bigger child was out to grab the new shoes of the little one, started the chase and in the melee made the little child fall down. But the so-called unlettered Bihari panwallah started laughing . I was a bit irritated by his not empathising with the fallen child . I asked the panwallah why he laughed. The simple Bihari explained to me that he was laughing because of the foolish act of the bigger child, as it was trying to lift the little one by holding the leg instead of giving a helping hand.
Extending the helping hand – it is a mantra that struck me as far as financial inclusion is concerned. We officials more often than not try to lift the BPL people by lifting them by their leg. A change of our mental perception is what is needed in emphatising with these people.
It is not uncommon to find that that people from lesser privileged backgrounds like the ghettos, jhuggi- jhopdis etc are more prone to violence than others from better and cleaner environments; the operative word being “cleaner, more attractive, well organized and kept and maintained surroundings.
This article aims to answer the question “why”. Why do they behave this way?
Let’s try and understand these actions more in the spirit of starting a discussion than deep psychological unraveling to prove anything. Let me take up a few:
There is all the open space on the road.. But the other guy still does not find enough space and bumps into you.
This is the way they feel comfortable and justify their individuality.
These unfortunate people have known only cramped surroundings that accord them no pride or individuality with little or no space of their own. They have never been alone. Living in cramped and often dirty surroundings with no respite in sight and with an underlying subconscious thought that life has dealt them a miserable hand.
There is a lot of empty space to park the car but the guy still double parks and blocks the road for everybody.
Self importance makes them want to be seen always in a hurry. They take the shortest rout from one point to another, even overtake at curves and from the left or go over the other half of the road; so importantly they have to park right opposite the gate and subconsciously the only way they can attract attention is by being a bit of nuisance.
There is a Q at the milk booth but he still tries to push his hand over others to be served first.
He is supremely comfortable in his own persona. Nobody else exists. He does not see anyone else. I was at the booth and this young lad came and tried to go over everybody, specially a small servant girl. I stopped him and told him flatly that he shall have to wait his turn; his answered saying that he did not see the girl. They live so much in a world where they are the single most important person that they automatically become blind to everyone else. Then cheating is part of life; is it not?
He sees the well kept courtyard and the first thing he does is spit in front of the front door before entering.
The poor guy is really showing off his good manners; that before entering the house he was clearing his throat and all. It is not his fault that he has never known a clean “front” as part of one’s image. The street where he lives is the principal common drain too of the locality. A beautiful front as part of character of the home is too far away from his conception of things. He has only learnt to see his smashing handsome self in the mirror and he is very impressed by his image.
The whole sleeping compartment is asleep in the train and two people wake up in the morning and start talking and guffawing.
In their common life nobody has ever respected their privacy. The concept simply does not exist in their personas. They have known dirt, neglect and are acutely aware that for a few minutes of romp their parents have endowed them a life-time of misery. If they manage to get out of their abject surroundings, they have to let the world know it and it never occurred to them that what they are so loudly announcing to the world is not of interest to anybody or very commonplace too..
In Financial inclusion what is required is “Extend a helping hand .. Don’t try to lift them by their legs”. After all, it is specifically these people who have brought wonderful changes through a vibrant democracy and elected 15 Lok Sabhas so far!
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