As a Bank staff 1976 to 1985

Started my career as a clerk in Syndicate Bank Pollachi Coimbatore District on Nov 12 , 1976, had the pre joining Training at Gun Foundry, Nampalli Hyderabad. During Probation, I was exploited to the maximum and humiliated by the immediate superior. Slavery is an unknown word in my dictionary. On confirmation, I decided to raise my voice against exploitation. Sooner than later I realised that I am born to fight and joined the Trade Union Movement AIBEA (All India Bank Employees Association). I became the General Secretary of Pollachi Taluk Bank Employees within 9 months of my joining the Bank. Yes, I was proud to be known as a COMRADE. Thus my fist decade in may career was devoted to Union life

As an officer 1985 to 2000

Having become Assistant Manager, I had to shift home to Kerala in 1985. My 3 years experience as Asst Managers, occasionally as Branch Manager of Syndicate Bank Amaravila was indeed nostalgic and I did enjoy my tenure in Neyyatinkara, just 18 KMs from Trivandrum. Neyyatinkara. I used to travel 5 KMs by bike from home to Bank and was really enjoying my stay though everything was new, say, food, culture, terrain and people. I had a good landlord, the family of which is still in touch with me. 1988, I was transferred back to Erode, Tamilnadu, which was a turning point. Erode moulded me as an environmentalist. In Bank, I still continued to be attached to AIBEA. I became a stanch member of AIBOA, an officers wing of AIBEA. I was the lone officer in AIBOA and that was the simple reason why the recognised powerful Union members ignored and harassed me. Everybody was against me while the 25 plus strong employees were supportive. The Branch Secretary of AIBEA, Arunagiri is worth mentioning here. He fully supported me as a family friend. He stood steadfast with me and that made me having a soft corner for him. Later on I came to know that he was related to my wife but we never knew that he would become my ‘In law’. Yes, his daughter had become my daughter in law much later. That is history. My interest was not in Banking but in Birding. G Paramasivan, teacher in Senkunther Higher Secondary School, became my close friend and we both actively involved ourselves in Environmental activities. Later on I was transferred to Delhi in 1993 which changed my career totally. 1993 to 2000 was mostly devoted to Banking career with little time for Birding or nature activities. But I kept my hobby alive by writing and visiting places.

As Manager, Training 2001- 2008

I was promoted to Scale 2 officer in 2000 and prompt came the transfer to remote area in Haryana. With great difficulty I got a better placement in Pataudi Haryana which was connected by train. 2 years I travelled by train daily and worked under my Junior voluntarily. Though I did perform my duties as second officer, I was literally taking care of the entire branch management and loans especially. This is where I met Muralidhar, who was posted to my nearby branch and travelled with me always. He was a trekker, mountaineer and photographer. This was enough for me to start a nature organisation called Green Circle. From then, both Murali and Green Circle are part of life. I was posted to Staff training College, Delhi as Faculty member in 2002 and that was another milestone in my career. It opened many vistas and I had a self discovery of who am I. I never imagined that I would become a permanent Banking Trainer even after leaving the Bank in 2008 voluntarily. In 2007, I was posted to Corporate Credit wing as Group Head of Credit appraisal. That short tenure was hectic which made me take the final decision to step out of the Bank. To pursue my interest in teaching, I joined as a freelancer in a company which was offering training classes to foreign Banks. I was becoming more confident to deal with Banking of any country then.

As a Training Consultant 2008-till date

Started my Academy called Diligence Academy Pvt Ltd and started experimenting various avenues of Training. 15 years after voluntary retirement in 2008, I can say that my career as a freelance trainer is amazing. By God’s grace I am still busy with my online classes. My experience as a faculty member has crossed 2 decades and about a lac trainees, I have come across both offline and online. By and large it is a satisfactory career though everyday is a learning…