Anand welcomes humiliated farmer into M&M family

Bengaluru: Business tycoon and Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra has welcomed the Karnataka farmer, who faced humiliation at one of the company's SUV showrooms recently, into the Mahindra and Mahindra family.

"Let me add my welcome to Mr Kempe Gowda...," Anand Mahindra stated on Friday night. After being humiliated by the showroom staff, the Bolero Pick-up vehicle was finally delivered to the farmer, Kempe Gowda, on January 28.

Mahindra Automotive reacted on Twitter saying, "We regret the inconvenience caused to Mr Kempe Gowda and his friends during their visit to our dealership on 21st of Jan. As promised, we have taken appropriate measures and the matter is now resolved. We would like to thank Mr Kempe Gowda for choosing to be with us and we welcome him into the Mahindra family."

A field officer had humiliated Kempe Gowda, saying that when the latter did not have even Rs 10, how would he purchase a vehicle.

Earlier, Anand Mahindra had taken to Twitter to make his stand clear with reference to the incident.

"The Core Purpose of @MahindraRise is to enable our communities & all stakeholders to Rise. And a key Core Value is to uphold the Dignity of the Individual. Any aberration from this philosophy will be addressed with great urgency," he had tweeted, quoting a tweet by Mahindra and Mahindra CEO Veejay Nakra.

The Mahindra Automotive Company also stated on Twitter, "Dealers are the front face of our company. It is our responsibility to ensure that they behave in the most customer centric manner and ensure the dignity of all our customers. We will investigate the episode and if there is any transgression, we will take appropriate action which includes counselling and training of our frontline staff."

On January 21, Gowda, a farmer from Ramanapalya near Hebbur town in Karnataka, had taught the employees of the showroom a lesson as to never to judge a person by his clothes or appearance.

Gowda was insulted by the staff when he went to the showroom located in Tumakuru city to purchase a car. After being insulted, he arranged Rs 10 lakh in 30 minutes and demanded delivery on the same day. The showroom staff had apologised for their mistake at a local police station. Gowda's quick action and vigour has been appreciated by people all over the state and his photos and videos have gone viral on social media.

"I had gone to the Mahindra showroom to purchase a Bolero Pick Up goods vehicle along with my seven friends and uncle. But the company's field officer mocked me saying that when I am not carrying even Rs 10, how will I purchase such an expensive vehicle. The officer also said that no one comes to purchase a vehicle in a group," Gowda had said.

"My uncle asked him, if we bring money will he be able to deliver the vehicle. To which, the field officer challenged that if we managed to bring the money, he would deliver the vehicle immediately and he again challenged us to bring the money within half an hour," he said.

"I arranged Rs 10 lakh in 30 minutes and placed it in front of the field officer. I managed to arrange it with my friends. I had approached the police about the insult caused by the showroom employees. I am an educated man. I have studied till Class 10. What will these people do to farmers from villages," he had asked.

The matter was resolved after the intervention of the police. After Gowda arranged the money and demanded immediate delivery of the vehicle, the showroom staff sought three days' time for the same.