Is Bangalore an Eldorado of IT Sector.?

Bangalore city has attracted international attention as the hub of Indian information technology sector. In western countries "I am Bangalored" for losing one's job to someone else in India has entered the daily jargon. The leading IT firm "Infosys" recently celebrated its silver jubilee. Many of the leading Indian and Multinational IT companies opted for Bangalore, because of its "salubrious climate", first used by sir Winston Churchill in his autobiography. He spent two years in Bangalore during the last decade of the nineteenth century as a Lieutenant in the British army. He appears to have enjoyed himself immensely in such activities as Horse-riding and drinking whiskey in Bangalore Union and Services club to which he still owes thirteen annas (Sixteen annas make a rupee). This venerated club still exists and the register, which has Winston Churchill's signature is a prized possession of the club. The IT companies also preferred the western ambiance, which still prevails in the old British cantonment area. The state of Karnataka today boasts of more than one hundred and fifty engineering colleges, which supply cheap labour to these modern day "Factories". According to the IT sector every year 50,000 new jobs are created in Bangalore city alone. So the city has been attracting young men and women from all over India and in some cases a few thousand Europeans from western countries.

Like all boom towns Bangalore has enjoyed unprecedented growth and is also facing complex social problems. According to census in 1971 the population of Bangalore was 1.2 million and today (2006) it has a population of 7 million. Today Bangalore city is criticised by the captains of the IT industry for its poor infrastructure. Most of the roads are in bad shape full of pot holes and traffic jams and high rate of pollution is the daily feature of the city life. The Karnataka government has failed to supply continuous electric power and drinking water. The underprivileged class spend a lot of time in commuting from one part of city to another in congested city buses, which move at snail pace. In most of the suburbs drinking water has become a scarce commodity. As it usually happens the five-star hotels, exclusive clubs and resorts and luxury flats co-exist next to slums. The moneyed class move around in Bentleys, Mercedes-Benzes and Maybachs. In the huge supermarkets one can buy the best French wine, Swiss cheese, Omega watches and designer clothes from international fashion houses. Of course, Kentucky fried chicken outlets and Mac-Donalds have arrived in city. The poor man's wayside restaurants called as "Darshinis", which serve south Indian delicacies such as Idlis and vadas, Masala dosas and hot South Indian coffee also co-exist.

There are some well kept secrets about the Bangalore IT sector. On the face of it the salaries paid to software engineers appear to be very high going by Indian standards. A senior IAS officer in Bangalore will be earning Rs.35,000/-per month after 25 years of service. Whereas a software engineer with three years of experience earns Rs.50,000/-per month. The so called the high salaries have led to a consumerism not seen before in India. The youngsters are buying more cars, Flats and jewellery, often on credit. According to the recent newspaper reports the IT industry in India has employed 4.5 Lakhs workers. The IT industry has also provided employment to the personnel in Food catering sector and transportation. But compared to the wages paid in U.S.A or U.K, what the software engineers in India are earnings can be described at best as "peanuts". Most of the Multi-national companies are here because labour is cheap. The satellite communication has bridged the distance and also the time factor, which has given India an advantage over other countries as technical education is imparted in English language. Whereas China has not been able to catch up with India in software technology as it lags behind in having an English language speaking labour force. But China is way ahead of India in Hardware technology.

It is interesting to study the life style of an average software engineer. An engineering graduate aged 21 takes up a job in one of these IT companies and starts on salary of Rupees 17,000/-per month (370 $). The employee leaves home at 7:30 A.M and spends two hours to reach the work place by the transportation provided by the company. The working hours are supposed to be 9:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. A subsided lunch is also provided on the company premises. Most of the companies boast of such things as gymnasium, golf course, basketball court and swimming pool. But this is hardly used by software engineers because they have no time for that. All this clubs and multi-cuisine restaurants are meant as show pieces for foreign visitors. The average software engineer cannot finish his work before 8:00 P.M. Then he or she spends two hours commuting in a company bus back home. The employee reaches home at 10:00 or 11:00 P.M. Most of the Indians are not used to the western concept of a leisurely weekend, which usually begins on Friday evening and ends on Sunday nights. Most of the Indian work force do attend to work on Saturdays and Sundays. All of them are given short deadlines to complete their project. This is done deliberately to extract a lot of work from the cheap labour force. Most of the big companies violate Indian labour laws with impunity as there are no trade unions in the IT sector. The policy of hire and fire is a Damocles sword over one's head. Nobody ever thinks of paying extra bonus for the extra time put in by the employee. Even the high attrition rate of employees does not demoralise a company in India. It is because India has a large educated and trained labour force, in the words of Maynard Keynes "Capitalism requires a standing army of unemployed people". In India, the exact percentage of unemployed people could be around 30%. In America, if the unemployment figures cross 8%, it is treated as a national scandal.

The psychological and social pressure, stress and tension experienced by an average software engineer is rarely taken into account by the big companies. These individuals have no private time and no leisure to pursue such things as attending concerts, plays or even reading a good book. Most of the software engineers suffer from vacuity of mind as their own general reading in literature, history, science or philosophy is usually abysmal. The intellectual shallowness coupled with a high degree of complacency fuelled by a high-income breeds insensitivity towards the rest of society. Most of these people literally live in ivory towers and going to a foreign country is a big event in their lives. They may go to Italy in connection with their work and without knowing anything about the rich heritage of Italy. They don't care for Roman history, Christian art, Italian opera or the Neo-realistic films of Italy. So, Italy becomes another country to be added to their itinerary.

Most of these software engineers hardly know anything about their own country. They do not give a damn about it's history, culture, literature and philosophy. They seem to have missed the best of the west and also the best of the east. If this is not a modern tragedy, what else is? In the American context, Arthur Miller's "Death of a salesman" and Tennessee William's "A Street car named desire" embody the tragic side of American dream. If there is an Indian dream, it's flip side appears to be the Indian IT work force. The Spaniards went in search of Eldorado, which they never found. For all the glamour and the hype surrounding the Indian IT sector it's dark side cannot be ignored. It has created islands of wealth amidst an ocean of poverty. To the Bangalore criminal world software engineers are a soft target. The crime rate has increased and this privileged class has become an eye-sore to the dispossessed and the unemployed people. The natural envy turns into greed and leads to crime. Most of these companies have shown very little social responsibility. A little bit of charity work they do is of the cosmetic kind. Most of these captains have done precious little for their Alma-maters and universities. For them Bill Gates and his charitable work is a anathema to them. They all look eagerly every year whether their names appear in the Forbes List of World's Rich people. They are the first people to complain about poor infrastructure and the last ones to contribute towards its creation. Isn't it Hypocrisy?

Surpur: History and it's legends

Indian history is very rich, varied and hoary. In other parts of the world a historical monument, say, 1000 years old becomes an eighth wonder of the world. But, not so in India, where a 2000 or 2500 year old site is taken in our stride for granted. In Karnataka we find pre-historic sites of megalithic age going back to 1500 B.C. Some of these sites are found in Vibhuthihalli (Shahapur taluk) and Hunasagi, Yadgir district. Near Surpur, a skirmish which was a part of India’s first war of independence took place in 1858. So, Surpur has been a witness to historical incidents from 1500 B.C. to the present day. 

In the winter of 2010, we received a gracious invitation to visit these places from Sri Bhaskar Rao Mudbole, Director of Surpur historical research centre, Bhimarayangudi, Yadgir district. I wish to sum up my impressions of these historical places.

When I went through the annals of Surpur history after the fall of Vijayanagar Empire between 1656 to 1858 A.D., I was reminded of the famous cartoon character of Asterix and Obelix who lived in a small region of France called Gaul during the reign of Julius Caesar. He had conquered Europe including Great Britain, Asia and Africa. But throughout the reign of Julius Caesar, Gaul refused to surrender to the will of the Roman Emperor. Gaul remained fiercely independent, rebellious and defiant of Roman ambitions of conquest. Similarly, Surpur, a tiny postage stamp state defied the mighty Mughal ruler – Emperor Aurangzeb who ruled most of North, Central, Western & Eastern India along with defying the Maratha’s and Nizam’s army. Surpur remained independent, rebellious and a thorn in the flesh of Aurangzeb. His great dream of conquering South India and becoming a true Alamgir remained unfulfilled, because of the tiny state of Surpur and the Shia state of Bijapur. The guerrilla warfare expert Chatrapati Shivaji through his conquests of North West India and his empire extended up to Tanjore in South India gave sleepless nights to Emperor Aurangzeb.

Sannati:

The historical importance of Sannati near Yadgir situated on the left bank of river Bhima was first recognised as a Buddhist site by Kapartal Krishna Rao in the year 1954. Earlier it was an important Shakti place of worship dedicated to Goddess Chandralamba. The roof of the Kali temple in Chandralamba temple complex collapsed damaging the idol. The temple committee decided to install a new statue in its place. But the base of the statute held a surprise to the archaeologists. It was discovered to be a new Ashokan Edict discovered in Karnataka going back to 2300 years and later three more edicts were discovered. The mounds which we were close to Ramamandala site proved a veritable goldmine. At present the excavation of most of the stupa has been done. We are informed that an earthquake in 3rd century A.D. brought about its ruin. What is most interesting is that the only known pictorial depiction of emperor Ashoka (274 – 232 B.C.) has been discovered here and he is mentioned here by name in the edict. One is sure that the stupa definitely contains the relics of Gautama Buddha. The remains of the excavation site at Kanaganahalli can be dated to between 1st century B.C. to the 3rd century A.D. The Shatavahana rulers Simuka and Pulamavi are immortalised by their portraits depicted at Kanaganahalli.

Sirivala:

It is situated 15 kms from Shahpur taluk headquarters and close to Sannati. One can find 20 temples of Rashtrakuta period on the right bank of Bhima river. The famous temples are Sujnyaneshvara, Nannaiah and Nagaiah temples. The Pushkarni at Sujnyaneshvara temple has narrative panels of Panchatantra.

Yevor:

It was a famous trading centre from 9th to 12th century. The mighty Emperor Vikramaditya VI (1076 – 1127 A.D.) belonging to Kalyani Chalukya built the temple of Sawayambu Someshwara which has an important inscription giving the genealogy of the King. The historians have discovered 24 important inscriptions in this village. There are also some Jaina basadis. This was a university town during this period.

Wagangera Fort:

This is an important ancient fort near Surpur, which witnessed the last battle of Aurangzeb in his 87th year. The famous historian Jadunath Sircar in his book “A Short History of Aurangzeb” writes

“In July Maratha activity near Wagingera forced the Emperor to detach Tarbiyat Khan to that region to punish them. Pidia Berad (Beda) in alliance with Hindu Rao, gained Penukonda” - Jadunath Sarkar         

Aurangzeb could not take the fort easily. He laid siege to the fort (8 February – 27 April 1705) and fought a continuous battle for three months. At the end, when he entered the fort, he found an empty ghost town. The brave berards (bedas) and the citizens had been evacuated from the fort. The dispirited emperor decided to go back to Ahmednagar. He has given a firman (pictured) to the rulers of Surpur admiring their courage and valour. This can still be seen in palace archives. At Devapur, where he halted during the return journey (May – Oct, 1705) he captured the Devapur fort. However, a severe illness seized him and he died a year later at Ahmednagar on 20 January 1706.

As tourists, we visited the old palace and the new palace at Surpur. The present Maharaja of Surpur was kind enough to show us the crown jewels and the hereditary swords of the royal family. The new palace was built by Philip Meadows Taylor. This fortune hunter came to India from England and finally lived in Surpur for 9 eventful years. He was a representative of the East India Company. His multi-faceted genius includes great achievements in the following fields – Archaeology, Geology, Agriculture, Public Administration & Revenue and also fiction writing. He also groomed the young prince Venkatappa Nayak, who met a tragic end at Secunderabad. Whether it was a murder or a suicide is still debated? His role in the first war of Independence remains on the records. This is how Meadows Taylor describes the confrontation between the Surpur army and the East India Army –

“Col. Hughes arrived early on the morning of the 8th and he captain Wyndham, with their united troops, drove the Beydurs and others from the hills into the town with severe loss. Unfortunately Captain Newberry, Madras Cavalry, in a charge against a body of Rohillas and his subaltern Lieutenant Stewart badly wounded”.

Even today, the visitors can see the graves of Capt. Newbury and Lt. Stewart in this field. This gives a lie to the commonly held belief that there was no uprising in Karnataka in 1858. The words of the Meadows Taylor on the Bedas is definitely a great tribute –“As a body the Shorapoor Beydurs had been free from crime. They were not dishonest, and there was no pretty thieving or roguery among them; they used to say they were too proud for that sort of thing”(Autobiography – “My Story” by Meadows Taylor)

Taylor built the first schooner in India for the Prince Venkatappa Nayak. He also built a spacious bungalow on the hill, which is even today called as Taylor Manzil. According to historians, in mid 19th century, he built the first Tennis court here in South India. The other places of interest to the tourists are the Bonal lake and Sri Venugopalaswamy Temple.

           

One unforgettable information we collected from Sri Bhaskar Rao Mudbole was the Kohinoor diamond was discovered in a village called Kollur, in Shahapur taluk, Yadgir district on the banks of the river Krishna by the mine owner – Mir jumla in 1556. At the time the diamond weighed 756 carats and it was as big as an egg. Now, this precious diamond is in the British crown at London tower. Karnataka state has so much to offer to a curious tourist. So, I recommend these places to a prospective tourist. 

Where have all the great visionary statesmen gone?

Till early 70's the world saw some great politicians, who could be called statesman. It is said a politician implements a policy with an eye on the next elections. But a statesman frames a policy for the coming decades. Often a policy decision of a great statesman bears fruit after 25 years. In America Franklin. D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" implemented during depression years not only solved the immediate unemployment problem but also paved way for the future super express highways of America. Similarly in India the first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's obsession with huge dams and steel mills paid dividends after 25 years. The green revolution of the 70's is a direct result of buiding huge dams across our major rivers. It solved the hunger of millions of people and today India is exporting food products to other countries. Nehru's faith in education, science and technology saw to the founding of Indian Institute of Technologies and other Research establishments. Today our IIT's and IIM's (Business Schools) are of world standard and the alumni find placement anywhere in the globe.

The small country of Cuba under Castro implemented a public health scheme which became a model to the rest of the world. If not for Mao, China would not have become a modern super power. It is destined to become Number one super power by the middle of twenty first century. The present day Russia managed to raise out of the ashes of Soviet Union like the mythical bird Phoenix only because of President Putin. We are told the country which takes maximum number of patents happens to be Japan. They are still leaders in the field of automobiles, Electronis goods, Cameras and robotics. Till yesterday Australia was known for it's marinowool and minerals. Today it has become a vibrant modern scientific country, because of rapid industrialisation.

In the monopolar world, the U.S.A which is enjoying the position of Numero uno appears to be suffering from a dearth of good leaders. The previous presidents Roosevelt, Eisenhower, JFK, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter had a global vision. From Ronald Reagan onwards it has been a down hill ride for American Foreign policy. The incumbent president George.W.Bush is more lampooned than respected. He is as much confused about Iraq as Nixon was about Vietnam. It is easy to go to war, but difficult to make a honourable withdrawal. The U.S.A is no longer loved or respected by the comity of nations. The British prime minister Tony blair has become a card board cut-out figure. Apart from Castro, who has been at the helm of affairs for more than four decades and Putin, who is serving his third term there appears to be no worthwhile statesman on the international stage.

A great leader must possess integrity and honesty to implement economic and foreign policies, which benefit one and all. Today very few political leaders subscribe to the moto "Sarvo Jano Sukhino Bhavanthu"(Let everyone be happy) and "Vasudhaiava Kutumbam"(The world is one big family). All the vedic hymns begin with a shanthi mantra(A peace incantation) and ends with "Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.". The world needs more than anything else peace, which inturn ushers in happiness. The materialistic prosperity does not bring about mental peace or happiness. A well lived life dedicated to the well being of others as envisaged in the saying "Paropakaram midam shariram" (This body is meant for serving others) is the need of the hour. Swami Vivekananda said all selfishness is evil and all selflessness is good. Today the world leaders lack idealism and human values. What we need today is people like Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela. Will America throw up a great leader in the coming days?

The Ramifications of Corruption

India is considered as one of the most corrupt countries in the developing world. The post- independent India saw the gradual increase in corruption and decline in moral standards. The former prime-minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi justified corruption by saying it is a global phenomena. Now it is accepted by all economists that corruption became institutionalised during Mrs.Indira Gandhi's rule. There may be a few more corrupt countries than India either in Africa or in Asia. But India considers itself a technological and economic behemoth. Such a country cannot take pride in rampant corruption that prevails all over the country and in all spheres of life.

The average citizen of India cannot really afford the luxury of corruption. Whether one is a villager or an urbanite, no one can escape from the clutches of corruption. From conception to cremation, one's life is embroiled in corruption. A pregnant mother will not get adequate medical care if she cannot bribe the government doctor in the primary health centre. After the birth of the child the nurse demands huge sums of money especially from the father of a male child to show the baby. The father has to bribe the government clerk to obtain a birth certificate for the child. A good school education in India is prohibitively expensive. There is plenty of corruption in government schools, colleges and universities. In some universities one can buy a first class degree certificate for a price.

The traffic on Indian roads can at best be described as chaotic. Most of the drivers buy their driving license over the counter by bribing the road transport officers. How can one expect these drivers to be aware of traffic rules and regulations.

Then the average citizen wants to acquire a ration card and it is impossible to obtain without greasing the palms of the petty government officials. If the citizen decides to acquire a plot of land through any of the government agencies it will take decades and several thousands of rupees as bribe. The registration of the site is another expensive complex procedure. Of course, one's house plan will not be approved without payment of parallel and unofficial fees. Obtaining electricity and water connection involves additional bribes. Finally the house owner has to obtain a completion certificate and annual house tax, the fixation of which is usually done after sufficient number of officials are bribed.

Most of the city roads and highways are in a bad condition and they are full of pot-holes. Millions of vehicles ply on these bad roads and vehicular break downs are quite common. The vehicle owners are forced to spend thousands of crores of rupees on the upkeep of vehicles. The bad roads are a direct reflection of the degree of corruption that plagues the society. Even if a road is laid, it will not last even six months. Hence this wide spread corruption has not spared any one. If the hapless citizen has to go to a police station in connection with some theft, loss of vehicle, road accident, petty quarrel or passport verification, he will not be allowed to come out without paying a bribe. Nowadays, the police officers unabashedly accept bribes in front of the public.

If an average citizen gets involved in a court litigation, he would go through hell of an experience. He must be able to afford a good counsel's exorbitant fees, but also he should be prepared for a long expensive legal battle, which involves bribing of court officials. According to the former Chief Justice of Supreme court at least 50% of the judiciary is corrupt. In India, income tax officials are prohibited from prosecuting Judges and religious heads. No one can question them about the source of their wealth. Now, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wants to bring about a legislation in the parliament to check corruption in Judiciary. Perhaps it is too little coming too late.

How can an average honest citizen survive in this shark infested ocean? Obviously, he gets sick and dies young. His life will be one of woe and sorrow. No one can be happy in such a society. The Right to Information Act gives very little consolation. A large number of talented young men and women emigrate to western countries to escape from this sordid corruption. The politicians, bureaucrats, bank officials, policemen and judicial officers possess neither conscience nor a sense of shame. All of them believe in the proverb, "Make hay while the sun shines". They also subscribe to the philosophy of grab and run culture. How can we ever even compare ourselves to such second world countries as Russia and China. India's image on the international stage is an image of rag tag nation with dishonest politicians. Only a proper value-based education and a pride in one's own country can bring about a change. No one utters the word "Patriotism" even by mistake anymore.

The Death of Two Dictators

The year 2006 witnessed the death of two dictators, who had many unique similarities. All dictators completely subscribe to the famous quotation of Lord Acton that "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely". No dictator in the history of mankind is an exception to this. The twentieth century saw such great dictators as Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Mussolini, Idi Amin, Polpot, Gaddafi, Franco, Saddam Hussein and Pinochet. You can pick your favourite dictator from this short list. All of them were egoistical megalomaniacs, who had scant regard for human life. According to one estimate Stalin is supposed to have disposed of 10 million Russians and many of them died in Gulags in Siberia. Idi Amin preserved the innards of his enemies in his kitchen refrigerator and ate them at leisure.

Many Chileans, who lost their Kith and Kin wanted Pinochet to be tried and hanged for human rights violations. He dropped from air many dissenting teenagers into the sea, who died a horrible death even before reaching the surface of the sea. If human beings are dropped from a height of 30,000 feet the skin covering the body simply peels off. The eyes pop out of the socket and the person dies due to shock. The crimes of Pinochet, a military dictator is as ignominious as Saddam Hussein's. Pinochet by all reckoning killed more number of people than Saddam. But Pinochet lived a comfortable life in his villa and when he suffered a heart attack he was admitted to an expensive private hospital. No one dared to hang him. The moot question is, is it because he was of Spanish origin and whereas poor Saddam was a swarthy Arab? The Big brother America loves to flirt with dictators of different nations and races. At any given time, they have been courting dictators in Vietnam, in Pakistan, in Nigeria, in Chile, in Peru and in Columbia. Both Pinochet and Saddam were patronised by America. They were armed and politically supported with American dollars.

The American foreign policy in the post second world-war period has been marked by altruism and economic factors. U.S.A is considered by many as the first bastion of democracy. America instead of championing democracy opts to nurture military dictatorship. Between India and Pakistan, the choice has always been of Pakistan, a country ruled by military dictators most of the time. The dictators all around the world have been rewarded for their unbounded loyalty to America with such largesse as arms, weapons, aircrafts and plenty of financial aid to prop up such regimes. America in return expects cheap oil, military bases and unlimited exploitation of mineral resources.

Some dictators at the end of their term are hounded out of the country and they seek safe asylum abroad. From Shah of Iran to Marcos of Philippines the story is same. Only a very few dictators either commit suicide or killed in an army coup. Some of them do die a natural death while asleep like Stalin or Pinochet. America can suddenly become vengeful, if the dictator becomes too independent. A dictator, who becomes disloyal ought to be punished. The American enemy number 1 Osama bin laden is a slippery customer difficult to catch. Saddam was hiding in Tikrit like a rat in a hole and was caught easily, because a close confidant of Saddam betrayed him for a few million dollars and U.S. citizenship to all the family members of this betrayer. He has found a safe heaven for himself in America. A defiant Saddam preferred to be hanged without a hood and departed from this world in the glare of T.V. lights. Immediately, this brief footage became an important news breakthrough for T.V. Channels. Undoubtedly, Saddam has millions of followers and admirers in his native Iraq. The war of revenge will go on for a few more years killing at least a few thousand American and British soldiers. They may even target innocent citizens of these countries. It is a difficult question to answer why a cruel dictator like Pinochet dies in bed of old age and why another dictator aged 69 must get hanged for similar crimes?

The long arm of Justice of America can definitely reach nooks and corners of South America. Both Pinochet and Franco are Spanish. Should we spare them because they are Europeans and Caucasians? If Idi Amin had not found political Asylum in Saudi Arabia, either Britain or America would have loved to see him hanged. What guarantee is there Iraq will not produce another lovable Islamic dictator, who may declare jihad on the west. Nobody ever found weapons of Mass destruction or biological weapons or chemical weapons in Iraq. Iran has been a difficult customer of America. But unfortunately, there is no single entity representing Iran like Saddam or Gaddafi. Iran conducts election once in five years and elects different leaders every time. If there were to be a dictator, worth hating America would have declared war on Iran. A democratically elected university professor Alande in Chile was brought down by America. Will Gaddafi be the next target of America?