 Hello and welcome to Newsclick. We are at Jantar Mantar today where thousands of bankers from across the country have come to protest against the merger of the bank and with other demands as well, to shed light more on the kind of protest that is being seen today. We have with us Rebha Shish sir who is the all India president of iBok. Sir thank you for taking out the time to speak to us. So to begin with we are seeing splendid representation from protesters across multiple banks who have come to Delhi today to raise their demands. So what is this merger and what kind of impacts does it have on the life of the bankers? Today's program this is in just continuation of our agitation since long. It is not mere that we are fighting for our own cause. We are fighting for the country for the people who are downtrodden fighting for the equalities. The most glaring feature is the public sector bank that's the growth engine of the economy. They are holding 70 percent of the business and we are for the mass banking as because government has given us the dictum that you have to do for the masses. When we are doing it naturally my profits are not the same as who are only serving the classes. One dichotomy in the system is this one. The second dichotomy in the system is public sector bank boards are already represented by the government from the finance ministry people from the RBI. So whatever policy they are making we are only implementing. So creation of colloquial NPA and all other things. Banker who are working the up to general manager they are not responsible. It is a system fault. It is the aberrations of the rules and regulations. And we are trying to recover. We have several times told to the ministry as well as the policy makers. Our contention is whosoever is not paying the banks dues. If it is a willful default why don't you release the names so that public also at large should know which are the industrial houses they are just galloping the colloquial money of the common people. They are not doing. We have requested government another thing that why don't you change in the company law one fact willful default should be in criminal offense and they should be behind the bar. They are not doing it. But another part of the story is now bankers they are toiling their life for the society for the government and everybody. We are being blamed for no reasons and we are we are defamed. We are defamed for no valid cogent reason. So this kind of things if it is a question of dignity of the banker that is the first and foremost. We are the direct recruited officer. We are manning this financial forte of the India from Cape Kumar into Kashmir. And we are we are like army. Our pensions are the worst. Our salary structures are worst. They are not paying. And another another anomaly in the system is bankers are being paid from their profit. Our operating profit is still huge. Whereas the government employees, our salaries are not at par with the government and government they are you people are paying the tax and you people are everything that revenue that their salaries are being given. So why there is a big hitch and there is a dichotomy about the banker salary they are not giving. That is our main question. That's why we have come on the road. It is not only the bank officers as an eyebop. We are holding 93% of the total officers committed and it is the largest organization. Not only in India. It is in the world. It is the officers community. We are having the in our fold. But today farmers they have come as because Green Revolution has done not by the private banks, not by the foreign banks. It is done by the public sector banks. Then our our Janan then demonetization, other seeding, everything we are doing such a Bharat. It is it is the government who is asking for the help from the public sector bank and we are giving when we are giving everything why the level playing ground is not been provided to the public sector bank, why they are trying to demoralize the banking fraternity who are working in nationalized bank. That's why this Mahareli is there. It is only a public awareness program and it is a we have taken the leave and then in the street. The bigger question here is the merger of the banks that is being done and a lot of protesters today have pointed out that it is it is an attempt to privatize the banks and there there will be a lot of harassment that the workers will face because of the merger. So what is this merger and what kind of problems will it create for the employees? Like a merger out of 10 mergers in any financial sector. Seven mergers are failure, proved failure, even in US, even in France, even in Britain, they are most advanced economy, but this financial sector mergers, it is failure. Don't go beyond the Indian territory. State bank, state bank mergers are there and after the merger, 10 lakhs, 10,000 crores are lost, colossal loss they have booked and they're booking next two, three quarters they will book. Then previously, Panyar National Bank and this new bank of India, there was a merger seven years long years it has been pleaded. Our question is if big is beautiful, that is the logic they are giving, why they are giving the small private sector banks the licenses. That means they are having some different thing in their mind. We we are only protesting on one count. If we are inefficient, prove it. If you are you are giving them some benefit to others, tell to the world that I want to give to the public sector or private sector. See, our MDs are being only called if there is an any case against them. It is not yet been proved. Only the people of from a local, they can go and ask our CMD to come to the police station. What about Chandakochir? Why so much of time has been given? It is one of the poorest case. Apart from that, the finance minister, he never stole anything. Now, the on Chandakochir, Jetlisab is so sympathized about about her that she is he's protesting. The CBI should not do from there. We can make out this government is only for the few, not for the masses. And today's protest is against that, that why they are not doing doing the merger? Why they are doing the mergers? Mergers is not the answer for any problem. Second, our salary revision is already due bankers, the talent pool, you will not get it will not get a good salary. So taking the talent pool, you have to pay according to the risk appetite. The third portion is more important. You are not recruiting the people against the this bigger business. Then customer service will be one of the greatest casualty. Third one, our pensions are very, very poor. Even our CMDs, EDs and GMs, their family pension is it is only 8000 to 12000 per month. From there, you can make out how much bankers flight is there. And it is today's protest is it is John Ockross rally. Everybody can express and vent out, but it must be always in the we want that it should be a peaceful. It is in democracy. Everybody has the right to express their legitimacy, prove their legitimacy through that nonviolent way. And we are doing it. We are responsible Indians. And we know what we are doing for India. And the society at large how much it will be affected if there will be no nationalized bank as because particularly for the downtrodden people, for the unorganized sector, for the farmers who are the marginal farmers, only we are providing infrastructure. We are we are giving the loans. So the role of public sector employees must be glorified. There should not be taken granted taken for granted by the policymakers that by defaming them, they can achieve anything. And last one, which is the most important public sector bank is a business entity. It is not a politicalization or a conduct that anything and everything they can do through the public money through public sector banks. We are opposing that. There are only three months to go for the general election to come. And I spoke to a lot of people who've come here today, and they were clearly very angry with the double standards of the Modi government. So what is the message being sent out ahead of the elections from at least the banking community? The political establishment in India, irrespective of color and creed, they only know one thing that boards, bankers are 10 lakhs. And we can influence more than 100 crores as because we are the developmental agents. We are in the street. We have to tell to the government, don't play with the bankers as because we know we always the bankers know business and we are the people who are really that architect of the development of this country, great country, if you will play with us, if you will try to diminish our importance, if try to defend the political vagaries will be much more. And that's that is the message through common man, through my our customers, through the NGOs, through the bank officers, every, every part of the segment of the society is with us. And we are transmitting that message. We are not political and ibok is not a political organization. We are the one of the top most political organization in the world. So our message is very clear. We are working for the society and for India. We are not the personal servant of any of the public leader or political leader or a political party. On that note, thank you so much, sir. There's a clear warning that is being given to the Modi government to take the bankers very, very seriously. Thank you so much for speaking to us and shedding light on all these issues. Thank you for watching.