Statesman Murthy averts boycott but govt must keep its promises

Statesman Murthy averts boycott but govt must keep its promises
H.S. Balram
The Times of India


After days of accusations, counter-accusations, mudslinging, mutual suspicion, threats and boycotts, there is ceasefire at last, to be followed by confidence building measures. No, we aren’t talking of India and Pakistan, but the Karnataka government and IT industry. Both waged an ugly war of words over the crumbling infrastructure in IT city Bangalore, before sitting across the table, looking at the ground realities and arriving at some concrete measures. And, IT czar Narayana Murthy not only played the referee but also put some sense into the heads of those in authority as well as IT honchos. No winners, no losers in this battle. But the citizens can look forward to better living conditions.

Murthy was clear in whatever he said, practical in his approach, and didn’t mince words in calling a spade a spade. A lesson for all those who were engaged in a verbal duel all these days. In fact, it was chief minister Dharam Singh who ensured that he was present at the meeting. He even delayed it by two days to ensure he would be present. He knew Murthy’s words carried weight. And he was right. His presence did add value to the meeting and helped end it on a positive note. No wonder he is respected and admired the world over.

Three observations of Murthy deserve special mention:

To IT companies: When we become impatient (on poor infrastructure), we express our feelings. But at the end of the day, we realise we have to work with the government to solve such issues. Problems are inevitable. But we have to create an environment where we can come together and discuss. There is need for cooperation between the two sectors. We cannot compromise on the economic advantage that Bangalore enjoys today. We should not resort to boycotting Bangalore IT.in. We cannot be harsh on the government. It conducts this event for the benefit of the IT industry.

To the government: You must resurrect public-private-partnership (PPP) that was abandoned when it was working wonderfully. We should not destroy that institution. Make us partners in your task. You represent the people more than us. If we start contradicting, it’s not going to help. If you have any concerns, please speak to us in private and not in public. We fully understand the kind of efforts you are making towards developing infrastructure, given the circumstances under which you operate. But the need of the day is action. Our agitation is because we have become ambitious, and want to develop Bangalore on the lines of Shanghai and Singapore. To achieve that we must move much faster.

On jobs for locals: No other industry has provided jobs like the IT sector. We fully understand that we have to work hard towards creating employment for local people. But it cannot be done at the cost of merit, simply because all our customers are from First World countries and they do not understand our compulsions, while I appreciate the difficulties we are going through. If this is done, the only solution is to lose out.

Murthy has done his job. Rather, he has helped seal the deal between the government and IT companies. Now it is for the review committee, with three members each from the government and the IT sector, to monitor ongoing projects. Several timebound short, medium and long-term projects are in the pipeline. Involvement of resident welfare associations (RWAs) may help speed up things.

What next? Public-private-partnership must extend to other cities of the state as well. Mysore is fast growing into another IT hub. Mangalore and Hubli are next in the line. Before they go the Bangalore way, efforts must be made to put infrastructure projects on the fast track. It will have a two-way effect. One, IT firms will help decongest Bangalore by shifting their expansion plans and some of their units. Two, these cities too will prosper and living conditions improve. Many more cities in the state are crying for such attention.

The state generates a lot of revenue from Bangalore. With more cities joining the ranks, it will jump manifold. Part of the earnings should be diverted towards uplift of the rural populace. They too need good roads, 24x7 power and drinking water supply, adequate water for irrigation, good transport and communication links, etc. Ministers, MPs and MLAs, who pay lip sympathy to rural needs, with a view to garnering votes, must spend time among them, look into their problems, and help improve their living conditions. Cities and villages must prosper together for the good of the state.