A Letter in the Times of India by Nalini Malini of Bombay starkly illustrates the prevalent Hindu Chavunism in India.
BOMBAY: “While visiting the Breach Candy branch of the Indian Overseas Bank, where I have an account, I was shocked to see a large red sticker, saying “Garva se kaho, hum Hindu hain” (proudly announce we are Hindus) at the cash counter.
Tasked the cashier to remove it, as I found it offensive, frightened, he told me he had nothing to do with it and that it was the manager who had put it there. As the manager was away at the time.
I met the assistant manager, demanding that the sticker be removed. He was angry with me and said that “as a daughter of Hindu parents” I should not talk like that. Other members of the bank staff also joined him and one of them said that Hindus were being chucked out from all fields, and it was their duty to stick together. None: of my arguments were even heard.
The JOB management, I feel must explain this. Is it part of its Official policy to flaunt such blatantly fundamentalist propaganda in their branches? Nationalized banks, which should reflect the secular nature of their government, would appear instead to have: turned communalist.”
Article extracted from this publication >> February 17, 1989
