Hundreds of employees of public sector banks in Dakshina Kannada district staged a protest against the proposal to privatise nationalised banks under the banner of United Forum of Bank Unions in Mangaluru on Monday and Tuesday.
While the employees held a demonstration in front of the Mini Vidhana Soudha on Monday, they staged a demonstration in front of the Circle Office of Canara Bank on Tuesday.
Various leaders, including T.R. Bhat, former Joint General Secretary of All India Bank Officers Confederation and former Chairman of Corporation Bank Officers Organisation, H.V. Rao, Convener of Joint Action Committee of Trade Unions, Vincent D’Souza, UFBU Dakshina Kannada Convener, and others addressed the protesting employees during the demonstrations.
The leaders said that privatisation of public sector banks would be disastrous to the economy as they were working more towards discharging social obligations. Opening of a bank branch in a remote village had always improved the economic status of residents, particularly farmers, not only in that village but also surrounding villages. If the trend continues, the government might privatise even jails and other government departments too, the leaders cautioned.
They pointed out that the BJP’s erstwhile Avatar, the Jan Sangh, had also opposed nationalisation of banks by the former Prime Minister Late Indira Gandhi. The BJP was continuing the same policy, the leaders said.
Mr. D’Souza said that privatisation would lead to loss of job opportunities to the youth; denial of reservation in employment to the oppressed classes; closure of bank branches; denial of support to the agrarian economy; non-participation of banks in government policies aimed at providing basic banking services to the poor and many more.
The leaders said just as Dakshina Kannada heralded banking revolution earlier, the district should also be in the forefront of the fight to save nationalised banks.