What does it take to prove the death of a person? In cases of claiming a family member’s money in a Bank, what exactly has to be shown? For 50-year-old Jeetu Munda, the only option was to show the mortal remains of his sister, to claim her savings.
This might sound ridiculous. But have we ever thought what might have caused this man to take this extreme decision?
Recently, the video of an elderly man carrying partially covered skeletal remains of a person on his shoulder surfaced online. He was Jitu Munda, a 50-year-old tribal man from Dianali village in Odisha's Keonjhar district. He dug the grave of his sister, who died earlier this year, and carried her to the bank to prove her death. When inquired, he replied that he was denied money and that the officer asked him how he would believe that his sister was actually dead. "I went several times, but they wouldn't give me the money. They said, ‘Let the owner come,’ ” he stated. Hence, he took the desperate step of bringing the physical evidence itself to the bank.
Kalra Munda, his sister, had lost her husband and her only son. She returned to her parental home and worked as a daily wage labourer. There she opened a savings account in which she managed to deposit her savings of Rs. 19,402. She had no legal heirs, and Jitu, her brother, was her only living relative. As per the bank’s procedures, to withdraw funds from a deceased person’s account, official documents such as a death certificate, a certificate of legal heirship, etc., are required. Such complex procedures were beyond Jitu’s understanding. The bank officials neither made sure if he actually understood the procedure nor clearly explained it to him.
This is the dual reality of India. On one hand, India sprints towards digital progress and technological advancements. But, on the other hand, innocent people like Jitu are left to struggle, unable to understand official procedures, with no one to help. What could have been solved through a simple explanation was balled up into a huge bureaucratic failure.
However, the bank officials denied demanding the physical presence of the account holder. They clarified that they only asked for the documents as was the general procedure of the bank. Though this requirement is well understandable, the expectations of the bank officials are not. Functional and institutional literacy cannot be assumed to be universal. Even formally educated people struggle to complete documentation and comprehend institutional requirements. To be more precise, the so-called educated generation still depends on AI to navigate through their basic needs. That being said, the ridicule lies in the official’s expectations that an illiterate, poor man should independently fulfil banking procedures.
Therefore, the public criticism sharply aimed at the officials is less about the enforcement of official rules and regulations and more about the apparent gap in clear communication. The support mechanism, bound in empathy that the officials are obliged to provide, is visibly missing in this case.
Even when procedural guidance is delivered, obtaining the required documents is a mountain to climb. In rural areas, multiple visits to the respective offices are required. Dependence on local officials will also rise. For an elderly daily wage labourer like Jitu, it could assume greater significance. This would have definitely been a pain in the neck with respect to the unceasing waiting periods, frequent travel, exhaustion and more importantly, the absence of proper assistance mechanisms. It might cost days of wages, health and other unprecedented expenses. In places where exposure to good health care itself is rare, obtaining such documents with ease remains questionable.
But all thanks to social media, things were sorted out in an instant, soon after the video went viral and sparked controversy nationwide. As mentioned earlier, what could have taken days of sweat and blood was resolved within just a day. The honourable CM, along with Odisha’s Revenue Minister, swiftly intervened and looked into the case. Police and local officials quickly began sorting out things. The Tahsildar’s intervention resulted in the issuance of the required documents within 24 hours. Following this, Jitu received Rs. 19,402, the principal amount including the interest. In addition, he received a sum of Rs. 20,000 from the Indian Red Cross Society.
Now this rapid resolution inevitably leads us to the next question. Does fulfilling a responsibility require a situation to be extraordinary? Do resolutions depend on public attention and social media? If the existing systems are capable of providing instant solutions in the presence of public scrutiny, what stops them from doing so otherwise?
This is not the story of Jitu alone. He only represented the mass of people who remain unnoticed and unheard throughout their lives. The huge gap in communication, literacy and administrative procedures never comes to light and often remains the same forever. Therefore, our nation has a long way to go to claim ‘financial inclusiveness’ in its truest sense. Though justice was delivered at the end in this case, let us hope no man ever faces such a situation in life.
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