Certainly, no one will believer when I’d say that private banks in India have crossed all limits of cruelty by pressuring borrowers to remove their kidneys in order to pay their loans. But it is a startling reality flourishing in many parts of Bihar.

Run by the local goons, these gunda banks have their own armed squads indulged in all kinds of illegal activities. The saga of their brutality doesn’t come to an end here; they even threaten to abduct the young women.

A victim was quoted as saying:

We were beaten up badly by these goons. They were trying to take my father to get his kidney removed so that they could sell it and get their money back, but he was rescued because some villagers happened to come and see what the commotion was all about.

These banks have their own style of operating; first, they force local dwellers to take loans on high rates and in case someone fails to repay the dept they opt every illegal way on the nose of gun to get their money back. It is more shocking to know that they get the money to operate banks from extortion and kidnappings.

Despite their aggressive advertising campaigns on local FM stations, Bihar police is completely unaware about the existence of such gunda banks. Police has its own arguments to counter their views.

Naugachiya, Deputy Superintendent of Police said:

Lenders and borrowers keep the matter between themselves and the police are never informed. This makes it very difficult for us to investigate the matter.

Apart from gundaraj in Bihar, which is the major root cause of this heartbreaking situation, there are some other causes that why these illegal banks are mushrooming despite the government claims that loans are being provided to farmers on cheaper interests.

The emergence of these banks shows that both private and public sectors’ nationalized banks are reluctant to give loans to poor farmers. The apathy of these banks has paved the way for illegal banks and has impelled farmers to knock the doors of these illegal moneylenders and become the victim of their malice.

Curbing the Gunda Raj is still a distant dream in Bihar but the government can at least encourage banks to set up their offices particularly in rural areas of Bihar so that farmers can mould their way towards nationalized banks.
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Via: IBN Live