“FROM MAILROOM to CORNER OFFICE: a banker’s journey:”
DR. R. SRINIVASAN: PUBLISHED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF MR CHINMAY DAS: PAGES 290: PRICE: NOT MENTIONED

Dr. Raghavachari Srinivasan is a renowned banker having served the banking industry for more than four decades. He retired as Chairman and Managing Director of Bank of India. He started his banking career as a clerk at National Bank of India, Chennai in 1949. Later in 1960, he joined Andhra Bank to set up their foreign exchange department and worked at Hyderabad and Chennai. While in Andhra Bank, he was sent for specialized training in foreign exchange to Deutsch Bank, West Germany and West Minister Bank, UK. In 1971, he joined New Bank of India, New Delhi, as Controller of foreign exchange and rose to be their Chairman in 1981. He took over as Chairman and MD of Allahabad Bank, Kolkata in 1982 and in 1987 he was appointed CMD of Bank of India. He retired in 1991. He was also Chairman of the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) during the years during this period. His spectacular rise in the banking industry was literally from the Log Cabin to the White House.

Urged by his son Srikant Vasan in 2005 to write his autobiography, Dr. Srinivasan agreed to embark on this journey to record his fascinating life from humble beginnings in a remote village in Tamil Nadu to the apex of power in the country’s banking industry. In his mid-seventies then, aided by his remarkable memory, he started writing this book primarily for the benefit of his large family of multi-generational members and dear friends from a wide circle in the banking industry and outside. He joined a Facebook group of present and past employees of Bank of India called “Galaxy of Bank of India Stars”. Over a year, he had posted in Facebook about his various experiences during his illustrious banking career which added the right “masala” to his writings on his early life to make his book a very delightful read.

What emerge from the book are the characteristics of a person of great integrity, honesty, a dear family man, a thorough professional and an outstanding leader and banker. He excelled in indoor games both carom and chess. A role-model for the old and younger generation in general and aspiring professionals in the banking industry in particular- an industry which he led with remarkable success. Current and potential leaders of the banking industry can learn many lessons from Dr. Srinivasan’s accounts of his wide ranging experience as a specialist in foreign exchange and his interactions with the topmost echelon of different banks in which he worked as well as with colleagues and Union leaders and Unionized staff. The way he handled militant Unions is an object lesson for all professional managers.

Dr. Srinivasan’s writing is candid, transparent and his views brutally frank. He had his early education in nondescript schools in Vembanoor and Ohai villages, in Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu. Over the years, he studied while working and obtained graduate and post graduate degrees. Post- retirement, he obtained a Doctorate from Bombay University in 1992 on “Priority Sector Advances- An Overview”  at the age of 73. This thesis was later published as a book and dedicated to Late Sri C Rajagopalachari, the first and only Indian Governor General of India for whom he has described his unabashed respect.

After covering his early days in his village and giving a glimpse of his personal life to the readers, Dr. Srinivasan narrates his various roles in the banks that he worked with. To begin with, he was an active member of the Bank’s employees’ union in National Bank and participated from the front in a 13 days first-ever bank strike. Undoubtedly, these experiences helped him to play an effective role in handling Union intransigency as CEO of the Allahabad Bank and later as CMD of Bank of India. He established a personal rapport with many of his staff and Union leaders who respected him for his humane approach. He took the Unions head-on when required and demonstrated his courage, tenacity, persuasive ability and conviction and found satisfactory solutions to difficult problems. Needless to say, the staff found in him a person of extraordinary qualities of head and heart. A leader who was just and fair in his dealings with one and all. They demonstrated their respect to him in many ways.

Sadly, there was an aberration in Dr. Srinivasan’s life post retirement. False charges were foisted on him by CBI in 1994 and he had to suffer the ignominy for many years. Justice system in India moves at snail’s pace. As it is said, justice delayed is justice denied. Dr. Srinivasan was put through severe mental torture and trauma till he finally obtained relief in 2007 and was acquitted by the Court of all charges. He covers this phase of his stressful life under the chapter “Challenging Times”.

The book is extremely readable and appealing. It is written in a simple style (the author has a reputation for an excellent handwriting) with interesting incidents and episodes and charming anecdotes including innumerable colour photographs taken during the many foreign and domestic holidays that he enjoyed with his family members after retirement. The accounts of his short meetings with political bigwigs are a treat to read.  The last chapter on his meeting with Col Rai, Vir Chakra, of the Indian Army brings out the author’s love for his motherland and admiration for the unflinching battles that the soldiers fight for preventing any intrusion into the country’s borders and for the safety of our people.

There are many pages in the book that should be read by the younger generation to understand and imbibe the basic values of life and how integrity, conscientiousness, honesty, hard work and discipline can take one to the pinnacle of one’s career. Equally, there are object lessons for elders who can learn the art of productive ageing in their twilight years from octogenarian Dr. Srinivasan. Besides, his steadfast support for his wife Sulochana during thick and thin and who he considers as his conscience keeper and pillar of support, his graceful acceptance of different cultures in his large family and integrating every one as an important unit exemplifies Dr. Srinivasan’s tolerance, magnanimity and farsightedness.

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