I'd read in one of the Malayalam newspapers that the banks were going to remain closed for a comparatively long period after 26 Mar, on account of a string of holidays like the Mahavira Jayanti, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and also due to the flurry of activity connected with the end of the financial year on 31 Mar!
I'd made up my mind to go to my bank and withdraw money to make some important transactions that would be falling due during the course of the long break. But what made me uneasy was the call for 'hartal' by a political party - in Thrissur district - because one of its party workers was brutally hacked to death last evening. So, after seeing off Ninakka and finishing up my morning chores, I'd headed for my bank where a smiling Jayakumar, the Manager was too happy to receive me. (He'd said that his spirits are generally pepped after his interactions with me and I've taken the complement a darn too seriously!)
It was his explanation that finally calmed me down, though I'd pulled out the money anyways, because of the trip that I'd made! The following are being highlighted just to enlighten us about these so-called bunched up holidays:-
(a) the Saturday-Sunday holidays for the banks as per the latest government-bankers discussions
is yet to be promulgated as a law and hence is not applicable currently. The Banks will continue
to work on Saturdays till the promulgation.
(b) Mahavira Jayanti is applicable for the banks of northern India and not for their southern
counterparts.
(c) Maundy Thursday is a holiday for the offices of the state government and hence not applicable
to the banks!
(d) Regarding the 'hartal', everything went normal and no disruptions were encountered on two
counts:-
(i) the people took to the streets against the hartal saying that they wouldn't let their
lives be disrupted by frequent calls for closures.
(ii) the political party that had called for the hartal wasn't too strong enough(?) to enforce its
will.
Thus, the so called 'spate of holidays' was a press report that lacked understanding of the basic issues and published, obviously without adequate home work. Imagine the tremendous agony that it must have caused to many, many people like me!?
Tailpiece.
(a) Thankfully, the very same newspaper was gracious enough to publish their 'error' in today's edition though I'd come to see it only after returning from my trip!
(b) While expressing my anguish over the death of the political worker, it's my fond hope that the culprits are brought to book at the earliest.
I'd made up my mind to go to my bank and withdraw money to make some important transactions that would be falling due during the course of the long break. But what made me uneasy was the call for 'hartal' by a political party - in Thrissur district - because one of its party workers was brutally hacked to death last evening. So, after seeing off Ninakka and finishing up my morning chores, I'd headed for my bank where a smiling Jayakumar, the Manager was too happy to receive me. (He'd said that his spirits are generally pepped after his interactions with me and I've taken the complement a darn too seriously!)
It was his explanation that finally calmed me down, though I'd pulled out the money anyways, because of the trip that I'd made! The following are being highlighted just to enlighten us about these so-called bunched up holidays:-
(a) the Saturday-Sunday holidays for the banks as per the latest government-bankers discussions
is yet to be promulgated as a law and hence is not applicable currently. The Banks will continue
to work on Saturdays till the promulgation.
(b) Mahavira Jayanti is applicable for the banks of northern India and not for their southern
counterparts.
(c) Maundy Thursday is a holiday for the offices of the state government and hence not applicable
to the banks!
(d) Regarding the 'hartal', everything went normal and no disruptions were encountered on two
counts:-
(i) the people took to the streets against the hartal saying that they wouldn't let their
lives be disrupted by frequent calls for closures.
(ii) the political party that had called for the hartal wasn't too strong enough(?) to enforce its
will.
Thus, the so called 'spate of holidays' was a press report that lacked understanding of the basic issues and published, obviously without adequate home work. Imagine the tremendous agony that it must have caused to many, many people like me!?
Tailpiece.
(a) Thankfully, the very same newspaper was gracious enough to publish their 'error' in today's edition though I'd come to see it only after returning from my trip!
(b) While expressing my anguish over the death of the political worker, it's my fond hope that the culprits are brought to book at the earliest.
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