On a fateful Wednesday, the officials and employees of the bank took a bold stand against the transfer of power into private hands under the guise of investment. Their protest took the form of a powerful demonstration outside the bank branches, where they unitedly tied black bands around their hands, a symbol of solidarity that would last until the end of the workday.
At the forefront of this resistance was Chandrashekhar Kanyal, the esteemed president of the Nainital Bank Officers Association. He voiced the collective sentiment of the employees, expressing their long-standing demand for a merger with the Bank of Baroda (BoB) instead of succumbing to private ownership. This fervent desire for a merger had been brewing within the hearts of the bank’s employees for several years.
In a significant turn of events, the Lok Sabha’s petition committee had given its approval for the merger of Nainital Bank with Bank of Baroda back in 2018. This approval was further emphasized in the committee’s fourth report in 2020, which urged the Ministry of Finance to take action and bring this merger to fruition. The wheels were set in motion.
Ever persistent in their pursuit, representatives from the Nainital Bank Officers Union, led by the influential parliamentary leader Anil Baluni, had sought an audience with none other than the esteemed Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, in January of the same year. The Finance Minister had assured them that their demands would be met, filling them with hope for a brighter future.
In an attempt to find a peaceful resolution amidst the mounting opposition from the employees, a town hall meeting was organized at the regional office of Nainital Bank in Noida on February 17. The purpose of this gathering was to foster open dialogue and seek an amicable solution to the pressing issue at hand. Kanyal shared that during this meeting, an agreement was reached between the bank management and the bank union. They decided that within ten days, a pivotal meeting would take place between the board of directors of Bank of Baroda and the esteemed organizations representing Nainital Bank. This meeting would serve as a platform to discuss investment prevention and address the demands and concerns surrounding the merger.
However, as the deadline came and went without any signs of progress or resolution, the employees grew increasingly frustrated. Their disappointment was compounded by the lack of response to their numerous correspondences. In the face of this mounting discontent, the Nainital Bank Officers Association has called for a strike on the ominous date of March 30, a powerful statement to convey their unwavering determination and their refusal to be silenced.
The battle lines have been drawn, and the fate of Nainital Bank hangs in the balance. Will the employees’ voices be heard, or will their pleas fall on deaf ears? Only time will reveal the outcome of this gripping struggle for the future of the bank.
