Udupi: Several labour unions jointly organised a torch procession against the merger of ten banks by the Union Government on Thursday, September 26.
The procession commenced after well-known social activist Nithyananda Olakadu handed over the torch to the labour union leaders at Jodukatte, near Big Bazaar in Udupi.
The procession moved towards Court Road, KM Marg, Service Bus Station, City Bus station, Kansanka Road and culminated at the Corporation Bank Regional Office near Juma Mosque.
A large number of protesters participated in the procession by chanting slogans against the Union Government for its decision to amalgamate ten Indian banks.
Labour Unions’ Join Committee Udupi district Convener K Shankar, Corporation Bank Officers’ Union General Secretary Sathish Shetty, Corporation Bank Workers Union General Secretary Vincent D’Souza, Haji Abdulla Charitable Trust’s Dr P V Bhandary and Syed Siraz spoke during the protest-meet at the Corporation Bank Regional Office.
Addressing the protesters, the union leaders spoke about the failure of bank mergers, especially the merger of the country’s leading Corporation Bank. Condemning the bank mergers, they said that murdering the banks would mean murdering the country’s economy as well. “A large number of banks are going to close their branches and this will lead to major unemployment problems in the country,” they added.
Udupi District Bank Workers’ Association President Rammohan, Officers’ Union leader Ashok Kotian, Hemanth U Kanth, Udupi district Bank Unions’ United Committee Convener Herald D’Souza, Bank Workers’ Federation official Ravindra, leaders Jayan Malpe, Raghuram Krishna Ballal, Yogish Sheth, Kasim Saheb, Sudeendra Balakrishna Shetty, Shashider Golla, Kaviraj, K V Bhat, Vishwanath, Premnath, Shankar, Nagesh Nayak, bank officers, workers, customers and others were present during the protest-meet.
