Wrong, but ask yourself why

"I hate software people"

By Murli

"I hate software people," a friend remarked the other day, without any warning. We were talking about the controversy surrounding Narayana Murthy and the non-singing of the national anthem at a function held at Infosys recently. The frightening thing about it was, that he said it with full conviction. "The "IT culture" that is sweeping across Bangalore is the worst thing to have happened to our city," he said, with eyes blazing and contempt written all over his face.

Granted, the "IT culture" is proving to be all-pervasive in its sweep, but how does this square up with one's differences and disagreements with Narayana Murthy, you ask him, somewhat guardedly. "He made millionaires out of no-hopers," he said, "and they are now making paupers out of us." How so? He didn't bother to clarify how, but it was clear that he was not talking about the economics side, but about the social cost of the "software people".

My friend works in the service industry and once had a bitter experience with a software engineer, when the 20-something jeans clad girl just out of college, abused him saying "What the f*** are you doing here anyways?" because he could not grant her request owing to systems failure at his bank.

From then on, the entire IT community is pariah in his eyes. His theory on the bad effects of "IT culture" is simple and, one suspects, shared by many fellow Bangaloreans. So what is this IT culture all about, how is it changing the cultural mores and matrix of Bangalore, and why do many people go to the extent of demonizing the IT community?

"Because jealousy is inevitable. In many middle class families, the son working in an IT/ITeS company earns more, much more than his father. By itself, it is not a bad thing. But the question is, how many youngsters can handle their "success"? Soon, they begin to think that they are "better" than their peers, that they fully deserve their "achievements". And if their parents/peers cannot match up with their achievements, it is their own fault. This breeds jealousy in society, with the bricks and mortar generation, the oldies, if you like, harbouring a dislike for the IT community in general.

"Because money talks. When you are marginalized, life is hard on you, more than you accept it. It's the 20-somethings who rule the market, who crowd the shopping malls, who throng the cinemas, who have cash to spare, and who spend like there's no tomorrow. It is they who can buy what they fancy, off the shelf, and indulge their whims. Unlike you who have to budget now for your future purchases, even the essential purchases, and not just fancy items. While you earn to pay off your EMIs, the software guys have a life beyond the restricted world of EMIs.

"Because you can't argue with the power of disposable income. When was the last time you took that holiday you have been craving for? For how long are you going to postpone that treat you deserve the most? There are a lot of tantalizing desires like these that you push under the mental carpet, for want of money or time. But when you are earning 20-plus as a 20-year-old, you can see 20 of your small desires happening. Wish fulfillment, quality of life, is so much easier for the big paycheck earning techie. For the suffering aam aadmi, all this adds up to a welter of angst against the IT culture.

So, what does this all add up to? The fact is, you have no alternative than to accept the "IT culture" that has become integral to the way of life in Bangalore. For the IT community in general, given their "higher status", they have to make a little extra effort to earn their spurs with their peers who feel "challenged". They need to be a little bit more sensitive to people around them.