CHAKDE! Babudom Looks On Techies As The New-Age Milch Cows. On Wednesday, They Hit Back In Their Own Way
CHAIN REACTION
7,000 Techies. 17 Km. United Colours Of Bangalore.
On any other day, they would be developing software programs. On Wednesday, they decided to come on to the streets and support Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement.
Shouting slogans which reflected their anger against corruption, the 7,000-odd techies stood hand in hand on the stretch from Sarjapur junction to Information Technology Park Bangalore (ITPB), Whitefield, the software hub of the city. Their message to the Centre was loud and clear: Don’t drag your feet in introducing the Jan Lokpal bill. The human chain spanned several tech parks and prominent IT companies, residential apartments and a college. The companies included biggies located in IT parks, like Eco Space, Intel, Cisco, Salarpuria Tech Park, Global Tech Park, Nokia,Symphony, Oracle, JP Morgan, International Tech Park, Accenture and many smaller start-ups too. If you thought these were the young and fiery lot of employees, there was a small surprise in store as senior executives came out in equal numbers to raise this serious issue. The chain started from ITPB, crossing Vaidehi Hospital, Sap Labs, CMR, Kundanahalli, Innovative Multiplex, JP Morgan, Cisco, Eco Space, and ending at Sarjapur junction. Around 11.30am, the employees started walking out of their offices and lining up right beside Outer Ring Road. Most had pamphlets, placards and the tricolour in their hands. The activity gained momentum around 12.30pm, when many young ones started sloganeering and moving on bikes with huge flags. Many others were on open trucks, tractors, buses and cars. They waved at the people forming the chain and cheered them. By 1pm, the chain was fully formed but intersected due to various construction works along the route. The volunteers took ample care that the protest did not hamper traffic. However, traffic movement was slow. They began returning to their workstations post lunch. 
ANGER FEEDS ANGER
Namita, a techie with Accenture, was reminded of the angst that freedom fighters had expressed. “After the freedom struggle, this is a huge movement. We want to show the nation that the youth of India will not tolerate corruption anymore.”
Her colleague Chhavi said: “We needed just one leader. The leadership was missing. Now that we have Anna, we don’t want to miss this opportunity to fight the government.”
Rajpal Fogawat, a quality assurance engineer with Synergise, stood with a huge portrait of Anna Hazare. Fogawat, who had taken leave for a week to support the cause at Freedom Park, said the anger in the common man was obvious. “Even a layperson like me understands the difference between the Lokpal bill and the Jan Lokpal bill. The bill should be passed in the same format as given by us. Almost 100 employees from our small company have come out to express their anger,” he said.
Raja Venugopal Rao, a software engineer with Honeywell, said corruption is a common problem. If politicians are really concerned about the problems of our country, why are they so hesitant in implementing the Jan Lokpal bill? “Politicians have thousands of crores and here we have people struggling to earn Rs 1,000. Hope they aren’t interested in creating a Libya-like situation here,” he said.
The techies filled the air with slogans like ‘Vande Mataram, Sarkar Besharam’, ‘Bhrashtachar Bhagayenge, Garibi Hatayenge’.Chain mail, FB alert did the trick
It didn’t take any effort to bring these 7,000-plus techies onto Outer Ring Road from their offices. All it took was a chain email in the IT fraternity and an alert on Facebook, and techies poured out for the cause on Wednesday.
Technical head of an IT company and a volunteer for India Against Corruption, Raghuvir Desai said it took hardly any effort by the organizers to get the techies to join the human chain. “On Saturday at Freedom Park we decided we would organize this human chain. It was followed by chain mails and updates on a social networking site. A profile was created called ‘Anti-Corruption Outer Ring Road Movement’. We didn’t follow up with any companies. Everyone just came,” he said.
Sujata, a technical writer and supporter of the movement, said: “I inspired all my young colleagues and also those of my age to come out and protest against corruption.” She also fasted on Wednesday to support Anna Hazare.
“If a 74-year-old man can take up the task of implementing this law, then why can’t we come out in support? I think our employees came in large numbers because of him,” said Aruna Kambatla, referring to Hazare. Pradeep Kaimal and Nishi P from Cadence got mails and alerted all their colleagues. Most techies enjoyed being together and said their companies don’t mind them taking a few hours’ break from work for this cause
