Bank ….. The Real Life - Line Poem by santhana louis

fifteenth October, 84 was my reporting day
as officer at Jaridih Bazar, in Giridih, Bihar
very remote, open cast mines, ‘kutcha' roads
under CCL in Bermo coal fields

make-shift hutments, on the
leveled, mined out over-burden
when a coal well dries up,
the settlement moves to a new site

Russian know-how, high efficiency drillers,
and serial blasts, water is very scarce,
one biscuit tin water rupees two
dust particles pervade everywhere

Coal washeries, noisy conveyers, cable buckets
BEML monster trucks, smoky stock yards
Red TATA 1210 SEs, open trukkers, poor safety standards
Sardarjis abound, reminding a Punjabi hamlet

Miners, mostly from Jabalpur or Raipur
Pollution is the very business, high salary compensation
For risking all aspects of decent peaceful living
Money rules supreme - lawlessness is general law

All these features, were quite new to me
and I instantly decided of taking reversion
but, the shocking news came by 31st Oct.,
that Smt. Indira Gandhi was shot at.

Next four five days were violence torn
All shutters down, rumours afloat
Life stood stand still and unsafe - taste of Bihar

Far, at my hometown, my wife
delivered a girl- child on 10th Nov
the telegram reached me after 20 odd days
In Jaridih, only petro-max, no telephone or STD

In January, we have christened the baby
as Annie Priyadarshini, in fond remembrance
of the departed Indiraji,

whose vision caused banks' nationalization,
where I have had a role to play
as an employee for over thirty seven years -
braving all kind of situations, good, bad & ugly alike

giving me our daily bread and a brilliant life
thickly woven around, benefitting every member
inseparable force driving our living all through,


Louis Santhana