Leaves cancelled, bankers working on a war-footing

New Delhi: It was a “sea of emotions” for bank employees who witnessed raising tempers, weeping colleagues, security scare, flexing of muscle power by a few, people involved in verbal clash and assaults. While elderly citizens went out with tears rolling down their cheeks with little cash in hand, the bank staffers said that they will never forget the days corresponding to the night of November 8 after all hell broke loose for lakhs of bank employees after an overnight move by the Central government to ban the most circulated high valued currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1, 000.     

“It was like a battlefield for all of us where managing the huge crowd became a daunting task for us. While people came gushing in huge numbers demanding the exchange, there were others who even attempted to show their muscle power. It was when we had to call the police to help us manage the few miscreants who tried to misbehave with us,” said Amit Garg, branch manager of IDBI retail bank branch at Indirapuram.

Still recuperating from a viral infection, Amit’s voice cracked as he continued, “People who came to our branch thought that it was only they who were marred by the demonetisation move and raised their voices at us. Some even threatened, following which, law and order issues surfaced,” added Amit, who had to stall his holiday plans and sit in the office for over 14 to 15 hours.  

While Amit got all the support from his team members, Shilpa Agrawal, an employee with the same bank, couldn’t take her 5-year-old son to the doctor after he sustained burn injuries on his leg. Not being able to see her son for nearly 15 hours broke the mother inside her but not the working professional. “After working for 15 hours when I reached home and practically barged inside the house to take a look at my 5-year-old son, who has been living at my neighbour’s house due to my extended shift timings, my eyes were moist. Tears rolled down as I hugged him tight. Looking at me, my son said, ‘I know mamma, you and papa have been working hard,” says a determined Shilpa.