Shocking! Retired government doctor's bank loan rejected in Tamil Nadu for not knowing Hindi

A retired Doctor from Gangaikondacholapuram in Tamil Nadu’s Ariyalur district alleged that he and an accompanying engineer were treated disrespectfully, denied a loan by the manager of an Indian Overseas Bank branch, for not knowing Hindi. Subsequently, it has been learned that the manager in question has been transferred with immediate effect, to the regional Office in Trichy district. 

Dr C Balasubramanian says he and a friend had approached the Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) branch in Gangaikondacholapuram for availing a loan for a construction-related work. However, the Manager at the branch, who was not a native of Tamil Nadu is said to have dealt with the senior citizen and his accomplice for over 10 minutes without even asking them to sit. 

On seeing the loan application documents, the manager is said to have rejected them on the grounds that it was out of his jurisdiction, thus prompting the senior citizen to show the documents, records and explain. He alleges that when the records were shown and they were conversing in English, the manager had asked him if he knew Hindi. “We were having a conversation in English and he asked if we knew Hindi (in English) and added that there was a language problem. I told him that I knew English and Tamil and assured that I would explain everything in English. That’s when he flatly rejected the loan application” Dr Balasubramanian alleges. 

The senior citizen feels hurt that the manner in which the manager had behaved was inappropriate and saddening because the loan was not rejected on any technical grounds or under a valid reason. “He could have rejected the loan for any valid reason, but the way he said it was not right. He asserted that he was from Maharashtra and this isn’t the right way to interact with the public. We didn’t like the way he behaved” the retired Doctor adds, showing his loan application documents. 

This issue has added to the simmering debate of language-politics in the state, which is to face elections early next year.