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Our Banking Bureau
Mumbai, Nov 17: If the name reflects the spirit behind an enterprise, then none will beat urban co-operative banks in India. The first directory of urban co-operative banks throws up names as extravagant and promising as `Needs of Life Co-operative Bank' in Fort, Mumbai and Shree Paisafund Shetkari of Kolhapur to the minimalist `Rupee Co-operative Bank' of Pune and `Business' of Nashik.
The number of urban co-operative banks have multiplied manifold during the past one decade, with an impressive deposit base of Rs 40,000 crore and advances of around Rs 30,000 crore. There are about 1,811 urban co-operative banks as of March 31, 1998, of which, only 1,416 are reporting to the Reserve Bank of India. Now the first directory on the urban co-operative banks provides some fascinating and sociologically revealing array of names.
"The plethora of names that confronted us ranged from the ordinary to the bizzare, the disarmingly simple to the highly convoluted. While compiling Urban Banks All India Directory wediscerned a fine combination of self-interest and social interest," said the editor of the directory and a pioneer in the co-operative movement, John D'Silva. The longest name for a Urban Bank in the directory is `Amritsar Muncipal Emloyeees General Department Co-operative Thrift & Credit Society Ltd' at Mandi, Punjab. Close behind it was `Sheth Bhagwandas Brijbhushandas Shroff Bulsar Peoples Co-operative Bank Ltd, Valsad in Gujarat. The shortest name really took the cake - just `Co-operative Bank Ltd,' at Chikanayakana Halli in Tumkur district of Karnataka. The most matter of fact were `Rupee Co-operative Bank' of Pune, `Safe' of Mumbai, `Guardian' of Bangalore, `Business' of Nashik, `Liberal' of Belgaum, `General', `Standard' and `General Merchantile' of Ahmedabad.
The names without any frills, probably seeking to identify with people's expectations, were the ones that came in bunches -Janata, Citizens, Nagarik, Peoples, Pragati, Progressive, Abhivruddhi, Social, Humdard, National, Samata, Abhyudaya,Bhagyodhaya, Sadbhav and Sarvoday.
A Delhi bank styled itself `Innovative', while a Pune Bank eched out to `Cosmos'. Another Pune bank heralded `Suvarnyug', whereas a Surat bank straight away entered `Diamond Jublee'. Another bank at Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu was born in 1904 `Big'. Some amusing ones were `Paramatma Ek Sevak' at Golibar Chowk, Nagpur and `Poornawadi' at Beed, Maharashtra. An interesting reincarnation was `SK Goldsmiths' of Mangalore turning into `Vishwakarma'.Heroes and saints also feature prominently among urban banks. This include a clutch of banks in Karnataka named after Kittur Rani Channamma and Rani Laxmibhai Co-operative Bank at Jhansi. The people of Chitradurga boast of a bank named after Onake Obawa, a doughter of the soil who slew her enemies with a mallet used to pound grains. Kannadigas lead in naming their banks after saints and heroes. Quite a few banks in Dharwad, Gulburga, Shimoga, Haveri and Raichur are named after Shaiva saint Basaveshwara. His contemporary, Akkamadevi toois fondly remembered through a bank in Belgaum.Surprisingly, Mahatma Gandhi is no favourite for bankers, `Bapuji' of Davangere, Karnataka, being one of the rare exceptions. On the other hand, `Priyadarshini' is a big favourite, though `Indira' is comparatively less. Other bank names include Jayaprakash Narayan in Ahmedabad, `Dr Balasaheb Ambedkar' in Nagpur. Maharashtra has the maximum number of banks named after politicans, which includes SK Patil, Vasantdada Patil, Shakarrao Mohite Patil, Shivajirao Bhosale and Shivajirao Patil.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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This story was printed from Net Express located at http://www.expressindia.com. Net Express provides a portal to India, with news from The Indian Express and The Financial Express along with sites on travel and tourism, the entertainment industry, the power sector, the environment and much more.
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