I have almost forgotten the way to the bank or even the record of transactions called-"
Passbook " exists ever since I got my first salary and anywhere, anytime, easy to use "card".
When I was less than ten year old, I used to visit the bank with my father. At that age, I never understood why people considered the money to be safe at bank and how the bankers were gaining profit without charging any money for safeguarding ours! When I was in high school, my father considered I was old enough and taught me how to fill up the pay-in-slips, the
cheques should never be signed in advance, the importance of
crossed cheque , the entries made in the passbook should always be cross verified, etc...
Yesterday, I had some work at the bank near by which I had been visiting since my childhood with my father. I was given a token and had been waiting for them to call the token no. While I sat there at the counter and filled up some form, a lady in her middle age came to me and requested me to fill up the pay-in slip for Rs10,000/- handing over the passbook to me for referring the account no and her name. Though, the pay-in slips are printed in the three languages,
Kannada ,
English and
Hindi , for the ease of all people, the lady neither knew how to read or write any of the three languages except
sign write her name in Kannada. After I filled up the form, I pointed at "
Depositor's Signature" and asked her to sign. As I finished, another lady in her thirties approached and requested me to fill the form to withdraw the money from her account. She, too, handed her passbook to me to refer the correct spelling of her name and the account no. This lady also just knew how to sign her name in Kannada. The
signature was more like written words rather than an actual scribbled signature like we do; which can be misused by anyone just by writing the name. When I handed over her book and the pay-slip, another aged woman was waiting for me to write hers. The token number was called and I ran to the counter.
When people who can't read or write request the clerks at banks, they are literally pissed off due to the work pressure and the mistakes that are made in the cheques... I was sad sighting these people who had to request others for each and every paper work involving money and blindly trust what others write on their behalf. Few of them even use the thumb impression on cheques :(
Can't we do anything about it?
I thank my parents for providing me the best thing in life-the best education, the ability to read, write and communicate with others. I need not depend on others in such cases.
© Manasa. All rights reserved.
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