Two days back, I went to visit my friend working in one of the companies located in one of the IT parks in Bangalore, Bagmane Tech Park. As his office was closer to the so called back entrance, I was waiting near that. It took him sometime to come, which gave me enough time to feel the place. There were some handheld carts selling some snacks. A little further, there were a few shops. A restaurant, a bakery and a small shop selling tea, biscuits and cigarettes and still further where the road takes a turn, on the opposite corner was a small house, which opens into a quite large settlement of people below poverty line and lower middle-class. Also there was a very small open terrace temple with three idols underneath a big tree, which is a common sight in India. 
The entire region was crowded by the grownup IT kids, I mean it. While a few people were going back home, most of them were in front of the bakery, drinking tea or smoking out their easy money. Most of them were using a plastic 'use and throw' tea cup for convenience of taking it with them, as they move. I realised the actual meaning of 'use and throw' just within a few minutes, as wind blew heavily. The first thing any idle person there, would notice was the tea cups. There were hundreds of them lying around the area and moved by the heavy winds. Now and then some popcorn sound, as vehicles crush these cups lying on the roads. I wonder if those IT kids ever notice this nasty sight and worry about it. The worst part, which touched my heart was that all these cups were getting collected in front of the doorstep of the small house in the opposite corner. I am sure, it would be a headache of those living there. Immediately, a media report of few years back flashed in my mind. It talked about the class divide in Bangalore as one of the reasons for riots which happened during one of the veteran film actor's funeral. Lot of IT companies and other establishments were targeted in some stone throwing incidents.
Now, I understood that media report in its real sense. One class, which works and lives most of its time inside that air-conditioned, highly decorated, posh buildings, coming out for a few minutes to drink tea, pollute the region and create aversion in the minds of locals. The other class, which lives most of the time in the region polluted by the previous class, still managing to clean and survive, accumulating everyday aversion in their minds, though those posh buildings are a stone throw away from their homes. I wonder how these IT kids, change their perspective immediately after entering their office or their home. So, Is it carelessness for the other class and a place where they are not going to spend time or just the lack of attitude?
Information Technology, Reebok, Nike and Puma had percolated from the west. Every kid was westernised in that sense. But the cleanliness and attitude towards the society are still finding its way to the so called Silicon Valley of India.
I wonder how will the change come to this society when most of the population either contributes to such problems or does not care about it. A very few people are moved by it, but do nothing but write columns and blogs (like me, I am sorry). Only a meagre part of the population really think and do something for it.
Hey kids, The Van Heusen, Allen Solly and Red Tape does not make you a man. Its the attitude.
The entire region was crowded by the grownup IT kids, I mean it. While a few people were going back home, most of them were in front of the bakery, drinking tea or smoking out their easy money. Most of them were using a plastic 'use and throw' tea cup for convenience of taking it with them, as they move. I realised the actual meaning of 'use and throw' just within a few minutes, as wind blew heavily. The first thing any idle person there, would notice was the tea cups. There were hundreds of them lying around the area and moved by the heavy winds. Now and then some popcorn sound, as vehicles crush these cups lying on the roads. I wonder if those IT kids ever notice this nasty sight and worry about it. The worst part, which touched my heart was that all these cups were getting collected in front of the doorstep of the small house in the opposite corner. I am sure, it would be a headache of those living there. Immediately, a media report of few years back flashed in my mind. It talked about the class divide in Bangalore as one of the reasons for riots which happened during one of the veteran film actor's funeral. Lot of IT companies and other establishments were targeted in some stone throwing incidents.
Now, I understood that media report in its real sense. One class, which works and lives most of its time inside that air-conditioned, highly decorated, posh buildings, coming out for a few minutes to drink tea, pollute the region and create aversion in the minds of locals. The other class, which lives most of the time in the region polluted by the previous class, still managing to clean and survive, accumulating everyday aversion in their minds, though those posh buildings are a stone throw away from their homes. I wonder how these IT kids, change their perspective immediately after entering their office or their home. So, Is it carelessness for the other class and a place where they are not going to spend time or just the lack of attitude?
Information Technology, Reebok, Nike and Puma had percolated from the west. Every kid was westernised in that sense. But the cleanliness and attitude towards the society are still finding its way to the so called Silicon Valley of India.
I wonder how will the change come to this society when most of the population either contributes to such problems or does not care about it. A very few people are moved by it, but do nothing but write columns and blogs (like me, I am sorry). Only a meagre part of the population really think and do something for it.
Hey kids, The Van Heusen, Allen Solly and Red Tape does not make you a man. Its the attitude.
1 comment:
Well Said..I appreciate your thoughts..
Post a Comment