Resist Soulless Acts by Indian Overseas Bank Authorities

Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) is a public sector bank. When mega mergers of banks took place in 2022, IOB was not included in the consolidation exercise. This indicates that, in the perception of the proponents of new economic policies, IOB does not fall under the category of banks considered too big to fail. In other words, IOB is a relatively small bank facing the threat of privatisation under the central government’s agenda. This brief description of IOB is necessary to understand the cruel and inhuman incidents that have taken place in IOB offices in Kerala over the past few months.

Management Pressure and Workplace Harassment

In Kerala, many top positions at IOB, a predominantly South India-based public sector bank, are now occupied by officials from North India. One such official is at the helm of the Thiruvananthapuram regional office. The Regional Manager of this region recently issued a diktat during a video conference, instructing clerical employees to secure gold loan customers worth at least ₹5 lakh during office hours, failing which they were warned not to return to their respective branches. A video clip of this arrogant speech went viral on social media, sparking widespread controversy.

Caste Domination Raises Its Ugly Head in IOB

Another shocking incident has come to light involving the Ernakulam regional head of the bank. It has been revealed that Jithin(name changed to protect anonymity), a junior-level officer belonging to a scheduled caste, was repeatedly humiliated by an upper-caste officer, Nitish Kumar Sinha, the Chief Regional Manager, along with his subordinate, Kashmir Singh, Assistant General Manager. 

Jithin was forced to perform personal tasks for these senior officers during office hours, such as bringing tea and medicines, carrying out banking transactions for their spouses, and watering office plants. Initially, he complied with these orders. However, on 07 August 2024, when Kashmir Singh once again asked him to bring tea for the Deputy General Manager and himself, Jithin refused, asserting that such tasks were not part of his duties. This enraged Kashmir Singh, who then physically assaulted Jithin and used casteist slurs, including calling him a "man of low class" and a "son of a footwear maker." This blatant act of caste-based discrimination occurred openly in a public sector bank in Kerala. Following the attack, Jithin was admitted to a hospital, and a case was registered at the local police station.

More Incidents of Harassment

In September 2024, a meeting of IOB managers was convened by Nitish Kumar. During the meeting, he threatened that IOB would be privatised if maximum new customers were not attracted and business volumes did not increase. A manager from Kozhikode pointed out that urgent software issues needed resolution to successfully attract more customers. Nitish Kumar abruptly ended the meeting, warning participants that they should simply follow his instructions and that no suggestions would be entertained.

The next day, the officer who raised the software issue was summoned to the Ernakulam regional office. In an act reminiscent of school punishment, he was made to sit outside the Deputy General Manager’s cabin from morning to evening. When two managers from Palakkad and Thrissur commented on social media about this harsh treatment, it was interpreted as questioning senior officials. As a result, the three officers were transferred to North India. This injustice occurred in a public sector bank in a progressive state like Kerala. The affected officers approached the Kerala High Court, which revoked the arbitrary transfer orders. This was a major embarrassment for Nitish Kumar, who later sought legal advice through Kashmir Singh to reissue the transfer orders. However, the legal advice was sent through the bank’s official email without marking it as confidential, making it accessible to all.

Attempts to Humiliate on the Basis of Caste

This email was forwarded to two recipients, and Jithin was accused of leaking the document. He was subsequently issued a charge sheet and a suspension order. Nitish Kumar personally handed over the charge sheet to Jithin in his office. During this meeting, he once again used casteist slurs and allegedly forced Jithin to touch his feet. CCTV footage from the bank has captured this shocking incident.

Following an inquiry, the charges against Jithin were not upheld to the extent of dismissal. However, severe punitive measures were taken against him, including a salary increment cut for 11 years and an additional four-year block on further increments—effectively a 15-year financial penalty for an officer with just 11 years of service. In addition, he was given a punitive transfer to Ahmedabad. While delivering the transfer order, Nitish Kumar reportedly mocked Jithin, stating that he would "receive training in Ahmedabad on how to behave properly with upper-caste people."

It has been reported that the Kerala Police have seized the CCTV footage after a case was filed based on Jithin’s complaint. The matter has also drawn the attention of the Chief Minister of Kerala. However, in an apparent attempt to shield Kashmir Singh, the bank transferred him to Chennai. Nitish Kumar is also expected to leave Kerala soon with the backing of the bank’s senior authorities.

Moves to Rejuvenate Casteism Should Be Resisted

These incidents are not isolated. In a country governed by a constitution that guarantees equality for all, upper-caste dominance by individuals like Nitish Kumar cannot be tolerated. The exploitation of workers in the Coir Board, another central government public sector institution, was recently exposed following the tragic death of Jolly Madhu. 

It is important to understand that if trade unions become complacent and fail to protest, management’s attacks on employees will only intensify. Even in the modern era, attempts to revive caste-based discrimination are resurfacing across the country. What happened at IOB is not just an issue affecting Jithin—it is a systemic problem perpetuated by officials blinded by upper-caste privilege and neoliberal policies that protect them. 

All trade unions and mass organisations must come together to resist these injustices and organise strong protests and agitations against such atrocities.

[Disclaimer:  This article is an opinion piece written by S S Anil and does not necessarily reflect the views or editorial stance of Kanal Media. The views expressed are solely those of the author.]