No one should be looked down upon or judged by the clothes they wear: Farmer after apology from Mahindra staffer

Bengaluru: “I didn’t want anyone to go through what I did,” said the farmer from Tumakuru district in Karnataka, who shot to fame for arranging Rs 10 lakh in 30 minutes after being insulted by staff of Mahindra showroom.

Kempe Gowda was insulted by Mahindra showroon staff after the latter told the former that despite not having Rs 10 in pocket, he had come to the showroom to purchase a vehicle.

After Gowda expressed his happiness over the turn of events, business tycoon and Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra, himself reacted and the company apologised for the incident.

The staff of the Mahindra Group visited the house of the farmer apologising for the incident and invited him to buy the Bolero Pick-up goods vehicle.

“The showroom staff had come to my house and apologised. They invited me to buy the vehicle. I happily got the vehicle delivered. I paid Rs 9.4 lakh. They didn’t give any concession and I also didn’t ask for a discount,” he said.

“No one should be looked down upon or judged by the clothes they wear,” he added.

Earlier, Anand Mahindra had welcomed the farmer into the Mahindra family and the company has said the matter of the incident of humiliation of a farmer at a Mahindra showroom in Tumakuru district of Karnataka got resolved.

“Let me add my welcome to Kempe Gowda..,” Mahindra said on Friday evening. The Bolero Pick-up goods vehicle was delivered to the farmer on January 28.

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

The field officer had chided the farmer when he visited the Mahindra showroom to purchase a vehicle, saying that the latter didn’t have Rs 10 in his pocket. Kempe Gowda then had arranged Rs 10 lakh in 30 minutes and slammed the showroom staffers for making differential treatment by his appearance.

Anand Mahindra, earlier took to Twitter to make his stand clear with reference to the incident of Mahindra showroom staff insulting a farmer who came to buy a Bolero Pick-up goods vehicle.

“The core purpose of @MahindraRise is to enable our communities and 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,” Mahindra tweeted, quoting a tweet by Mahindra and Mahindra CEO Veejay Nakra.

The Mahindra automotive company on Twitter said, “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 incident and if there is any transgression, we will take appropriate action which includes counseling and training of our frontline staff.”

Kempe Gowda, a farmer from Ramanapalya near Hebbur town, has taught employees of Mahindra car showroom a lesson of courtesy that they should not judge a person by his clothes on January 21. Gowda was insulted by staff when he came 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 in the 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 came to make a purchase of a Bolero Pick-up goods vehicle. I had come to the showroom along with my seven friends and uncle. Company field officer mocked and chided me that I don’t not even have Rs 10 with me and how could I have the capacity to purchase the vehicle. The officer also said that no one comes to purchase a car in such a group,” the farmer added.

“My uncle asked him if we bring the money, will he be able to deliver the vehicle. The field officer challenged that if we managed to bring the money, he would deliver the vehicle immediately and he again challenged that if we will be able to bring the money in 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 questioned.

The matter was resolved after the intervention of police. After Kempe Gowda arranged the money and demanded immediate delivery of the vehicle, the showroom staff had sought three days’ time for the same. Kempe Gowda later gave them a lesson that they should never judge a person by his clothes and looks.

(With inputs from IANS)