The BPO subculture - Why I love to hate it most often !!

They are young, hip and fashionable, modern, sharp, glib-tongued, netizens and wired to the times. Operating across geographical boundaries and time zones, the aspects of "time and space" which are usually philosophers preoccupations have almost become playthings for them. They incur the ire and hot displeasure of the West for being a contributing cause to their worsening employment statistics and for levelling the playing field with the rest of the business world. Yes !! The BPO Force as one can call them are here to stay for sure. And, I agree !! With 65% and above of India's 1 billion plus population under the age of 25, the BPOs are undoubtedly the lifeline of our buzzing youth.

However, though having many merits to laud about, I wanted to on the contrary vent my feelings over a thing or two about a new BPO Force promoted subculture that is evolving right before our very eyes..a culture that is catalyzing a gradual erosion of our cherished traditions and moral high ground. Well, I am no anti-feminist or anti-liberalist, but I choose to express my thoughts on the effect of this subculture on women for sheer change, though men are in no way spared.

Here goes. Seems to be gone are the days when women attired themselves with modest apparel and shame-facedness...courtesy women's liberation (read : degeneration). The foray of women into traditionally men's preferences like jeans, boy cut hair, cigarettes, alcoholic beverages etc. is evidence that the fight for gender equality has been won by tomboys. That does'nt mean that I personally hold a Talibanic and insane view of what should constitute women's attire either. It is about getting that balance just right.

With lines blurring between love and lust and with many a youth longing for a whole 364 days for the advent of the Valentine's Day, parental assistance in match-making and arranged marriages are soon becoming passe for our girls...and as if this immaculate matrimonial system has not been working all through our ancestry, it's now time to experience a cheap "i have a boy-friend too" thrill as they ape a rather strange borrowed culture of self-determined amorous befriending.

I am a reasonably seasoned communicator in English myself but I make concerted efforts to be at ease with both English or my native tongues as befits the environs or need of the hour. But I tell you, its a treat to your eyes and ears as you watch snobbish and giggly girl gangs attempting to slur their speech and making goofy use of oral English as if their birth in India was such an untimely quirk of fate. Trust me it is sheer fun to hear then speak Hinglish, Tanglish or Manglish when they can as well do with Hindi, Tamil or Malayalam. For once, can we not just be ourselves.

Now cap it with the ever growing preference for premarital relationships, swinging, lesbianism and sexual promiscuity in the name of sexual liberation, and we have a recipe for cultural disaster brewing. I similar argument about the conduct of the male species can be made word for word, but as I told you, I am not in any way attempting to be a misogynist.

In closing, the BPOs are no doubt a welcome relief to the Indian economy, but the BPO subculture and its' army of ill effects is certainly not. The youth of today who will embody the cultural heritage of the future Indian nation, are faced with the great responsibility of choosing between either what was bequeathed to them or what they embrace from strange lands. I urge you to choose wisely.