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IT, Employment and Socialism


Information Technology has been a boom in India. You can think of it as a sudden gift from God, which saved life of millions of Youth of India, who otherwise would have struggled hard for their survival. The period of 90’s changed economic scenario of India to a greater extent. Globalizations, new Investment policies, gradual end of license Raj, promotion of small industries were the key points. In the same period, cost of goods increased (almost two-three folds), average payment increased, the devaluation of rupee against dollar increased, social changes and ad world got sudden importance and while the decade ended a common conception of development (alias “India Shining”) came in picture. This all caused reformation of Indian Industries. 90s propelled the idea that most of Indian Public Sector Units are non-performing (it is a hard truth that they were among top of the world till 80s and they were called “temples of modern India”) and amid the situation that they are threat to development of Nation they were closed, sold or halted. This caused mass unemployment across the whole country, in addition to the normal unemployment that was there already. Interestingly, these all matter never got exhaustive discussion across media, and pain of common man was never entertained. In fact, news media (whose prime motive should be reporting and analyzing has largely concentrated on entertainment) attended this issue as if it is of remote importance and most of the authors concentrated on advantages of globalization only. So media, instead of providing mental food has become chutney provider only, thanks to writers like Shobha De.
IT is always compared with Industrial Revolution. Basically IT is service enabler and it works in conjugation with other Industries. This means it has certain dependency and group of IT companies will have switching importance according to type of work they are involved in. Like all Industries IT started with lot of hoopla and the claim was that, it produced more millionaires in India in last 10 years, what other Industries had produced in supplementary 40 years. This is inevitable because the working or labor class of IT is centered in India. Certainly those who are top guns of this labor class will have deep pockets. However, it can be seen that average payment across IT sector is gradually getting average out around of other sectors. In whole, payment scenario has not effectively changed from pre-90’s era. In fact as costs of good have increased marginally, the average living condition is as or more constrained as it was in pre-90’s era. However this time added factors like job insecurity, frequent changes in job nature, heavy job hours are getting predominant features. Other feature is that IT professionals are more or less somewhere not in touch with normal public, which makes them unaware of real issues.
Another scenario is that the terminology IT is getting multi meaning or aspects. In Indian context the IT industry section basically serves foreign needs – supporting foreign clients or becoming an Indian center for seamless entry in Indian market. My own view is that the technical environment present in Indian IT industry is way back compared to foreign ones, and most of the work involved there in is not for cutting edge technologies. This means it is just market that gets prime attention. The prime point is that IT industry is way remote to solve problems that are natural to a huge poor population that India comprises. In fact it will be senseless to provide those solution which work for countries like US.
The whole situation presents a great degree of instability. May be you can say that India will get some millionaires from Biotech, Polymer or IT industry pool, but at the same time gradual weakening of fundamental Industries needs serious concern. One of the problems of modern young generation is that it wants to leave in separation from society or it is destined to live in that way. This somehow eases life for some people, but our country so far has believed in social/community responsibilities. Formation of a creamy layer will make societies divided. It will further the problem of discontentment among mass public. The fact is that for normal public (youth) government jobs are shrinking, private Industry offer demanding pressure, less insurance and perk, education is getting costlier, so a large degree of dissatisfaction will evolve. Again, in present age it will be harder for government to address these problems (it can’t create employment at one go), so there is a need of some ulterior way to address the problem. What is that way?
First of all India should concentrate needs of its common public. The whole economic events that surmounted India in last 10-15 years seem to appease the upper class. The development that is reflecting from news paper pages is rather hollow. India will have to become stronger internally. This means it will have to revert back to the social values, harmony (which is not just in context of religions) and a culture of social responsibility of one peer to another peer needs to be generated. This means basic amenities like food, cloth, shelter and education (of good level) must be assured of. I know that for many people this will be impractical approach, but then living in bubbling chaos is of what worth? In the due process, India must also create an environment of brotherhood with neighbor countries and should refrain from diplomatic policy of playing the role of Big Brother. This will help it get closer to social concerns. The multicultural and multilayered paradigm of Indian society should have enough digestion power; otherwise it will create anarchists among us. I think aforementioned issues are as important as Black Noise Project or RDB wave. Think of it ... think of poverty in India. Feel the pain.

Anyways, my friend Naveen K Sharma, gmailed =>gtalked this small poem:-

Ek Trainee tha anjana sa.......... coding karne se woh darta tha........ Copy paste karke, idhar udhar se.............. pooch ke coding kiya karta tha.............. Choree choree........ chupke chupke.......... discussions mein soya karta tha... Jab delivery honee hotee thee raat raat bhar jagta tha... Kuch aata nahee tha usko............ jane kaise deliver karta tha.............. Jab bhee milta tha kisee doosre developer se, unse poocha karta tha... Coding kaisee hotee hai,.................. yeh coding kaisee hotee hai .............? Aur voh developers bas yahee kah paate the..... "Ankhe khulee ho ya ho band deedar code ka hota hai... kaise kahoo mai o yaro yeh code kaise hota hai..... tururururururururu ru

Comments

  1. Whoa whoa whoa...!!!
    Serious stuff happening here..huh..??
    But it was indeed an enriching read.
    The IT boom that we were seeing sometime back,I think it has toned down somewhat in today's times.It isnt what it was,though it has created a whole new era of mass employment and financial stability.
    And about the media,we better keep mum about that.The entire system has totally gone haywire and Shobha De...lord help her..dunno what she comes with on sundays offlate...bullshit..!!
    Completely agree with you one this one..."So media, instead of providing mental food has become chutney provider only, thanks to writers like Shobha De".
    God save us,God save our motherland.

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  2. True, IT has definitely given employment and created mass jobs but I feel it was only for the "AWARE" people. The key here is awareness. The question still haunts and wil continue to haunt---Can IT reallly do something for the peole who really need them the most-the poor and starving population of India.
    The example is Bangalore itself.True Bangalore has gown as an IT hub but with it has brought the "Living culture of RICH" only. Check out the cost of vegetables, rent of houses and etc. etc......? Can an ordinary man or an honest Indian govt. employee survive here without any trouble?Can a labourer think of getting a lunch here comfortably?

    I feel It has made rich peole more rich and taken the middle class a bit up but the major concern of India still remains there------the lower class of the society and the poor?

    India needs Entreprenuers, India needs people who know the importance of merging their dreams with the masses?

    And remember the saying from Rang de Basanti.."Koi desh perfect nahin hota...Use perfect banana padta hai" and who can do it???? It not GOD nor any govt rather it has to be us, us and youngsters like us......and only the right attitude and High Dreams can get it. Lets make our country a better place to live. Instead of blaming each other, we should explore opportunities to build future INDIA.....

    ReplyDelete
  3. It is an era of disconnecting state from what you need to get. Why do you elect a govt? Is it to fight a war? Is it to capture all the oil reserves in the world? To ass-lick, the big guns, to get things done. To open the markets and fill the malls with glistening products? I dont think so. There is a section of the society that gets marginalized in this chaos of opening up. Nobody is bothered about them, not even me. I cannot help it... I can only think about me, How to propel me to a safe situation. The marginalised remains marignialised. Those brouhaha about liberalization offer a "trickle down" theory. The marginalized ones fight for whatever that trickle down. Education and health care becomes almost inaccessible to them, if there is no education and health, how will they grow?
    The state needs to provide some basic needs to the mass, which according to the new way is not needed. It is the biggest fallacy.

    Great Post. Kudos to you, for thinking in an entirely different perspective.

    ReplyDelete
  4. @cinderella

    Thanks for the patience you kept while reading my post. "Serious stuff" -- I think I should. But then I will sandwich some cool stuff also. All of us know how media is leading towards, (you also supported), but then where is the solution ?

    @Deepak -- I completely agree with the points you have written. India needs many things, entreprenuersip is one of them. But then again we should not follow path of USA or any European country in this realm. Don't you think so ? A country of over 125 Crore population needs some petite, calm treatment. Aate rahna mere blog par ...

    @clash ...

    You got my point very clearly. Your point ...

    $The state needs to provide some basic needs to the mass, which according to the new way is not needed. It is the biggest fallacy.$

    completely summarises my point of view. Thanks for reading the post. Keep coming to my post.

    ReplyDelete

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