Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Impressions of Cochin - 1

I'm standing in the lobby of the Taj Residency in Cochin when this poster catches my eye. The Last Friday promises 'blinding lights, intoxicating sounds' from 12 noon to 6 pm. As it's nearing 2.30 I head in the direction of the dull thumping sound where the young people of this fine city appear to have gathered to let their hair down.

Well, there were lights alright - excellent sound too. But a total of 8 people, two couples huddled on a sofa and a gang of boys staring at the empty dancefloor. In the adjoining bar, I finally spot a girl who looks like she's dressed up for the party. Slinky heels, danglers, orange halter top.

"No sweetie.. I'm a model from Bangalore," she drawls. Uh huh. A friend of the organiser - a dude looking young man who plays it cool when I ask him where the crowd is. "They're coming.. ," he says vaguely.

Simon's family is in the icecream business - they make the stuff that's sold under various local brand names like 'Lazza' and 'Uncle John'. The guy is obviously loaded and has taken upon himself the responsibility of making Cochin more 'happening'. "I plan to open up a cafe on Marine Drive where the youth can hang out... a really cool place."

'The Last Friday' has been advertised on billboards and in the local papers. Entry is just Rs 300 per couple. So why isn't anyone coming? Could it just be one of those freak flop events, or does it say something about the party culture of the city? Rather, the lack of it...

Of course, 'afternoon discos' are not peculiar to Cochin. Not at all. All over India, afternoon jam sessions are the answer to parental restriction on 'staying out late'. Especially for girls.

But Cochin - from the half a dozen young people I spoke with - seems to be a step ahead of most other cities in the restriction department. The girls hostel in a local college closes its gates at 6.30 pm. The swanky new mall on the one and only 'Marine Drive' is deserted on Friday night at 8 pm. And that's a week before Onam - when you would think it would be crowded with festival shoppers!

Where are the jobs?
With Bangalore and Mumbai also applying the brakes on nightlife (although partially lifted - the spirit remains crushed) I'd say parties - or the lack of them - does not define how happening a city is for its young people.

What worries me more is the lack of job opportunities.

Of course, Kerala is known to be a 'Gulf economy'. But the new generation hardly seems as keen to go that way. Devin is a twentysomething with an M A in History and a love of photography. He briefly worked in a call centre in Mumbai before dumping the job and heading back home.

"It was very hard," he says."No proper food, no friends... " But lady luck smiled on him. He's now got a job with Carnival cruiselines. How, I wonder, without a degree in hotel management? "A friend is working there already... so he gave my name," Devin grins.

The I-help-you, you-help-me culture seems particularly strong in Kerala. People really seem to go out of their way for their friends, relatives and neighbours.

But what will he do on the ship, I wonder. "I will be taking photos," says Devin. He demonstrates: "Hello madam! How are you today? You are looking very beautiful...Pose for photo, please?"

With his accent, smile and pleasing manner, Devin will easily pass off as Latin American.

Exporting vs outsourcing
While the rest of India - including Communist West Bengal - is trying to attract investment, the Kerala government is least concerned.

The only state in India that boasts 100% literacy must still export its human capital to the rest of India - and the world - because few want to take the risk of setting up shop here. The unions are just too much trouble.

But there's another problem when it comes to call centres: almost everyone has a thig agzent. It soundz very kwent but probbly nott to the years of ech aar maangers in BPO combanies.

Surely something training can and does tackle. But the point is you have to migrate to Bangalore, Chennai or Mumbai (Miami, in Devin's case) if you are serious about your career.

There is so much beauty in this state that rightly calls itself 'God's own country'. But sadness as well, for it could be so much... so much more.

16 comments:

  1. Yeah, Kerala seems to be taking a step back after being the most literate state in India. See they even banned colas while Buddha in Bengal sees no rationale for banning those just because they are MNCs.

    By the way this caught my eye...

    >> "No sweetie.. I'm a model from
    >> Bangalore," she drawls. Uh huh.

    I am surprised how many models are there in Bangalore. You can see new models in every issue of the TOI daily supplement Bangalore times.

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  2. hey nice blog dear.
    kerala is one of my favo holiday desination for its backwaters,landscapes and greenery.Away from the hustle bustle of city crowds.I run short of words to describe its ethnice beauty.Brings me nostalgia.

    will keep visiting your blog.
    cheers and greetz

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  3. Nice post. Kerala has been suffering from trade unionism from time immemorial. There will be a strike in the state every other day for flimsy reasons. Sabaramila, tourism and Gulf revenue are the three things that keep the coffers running. With a hardliner like VS Achutanandan at the helm, reforms will have to wait.

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  4. well, from the view of the place you have created that 1830 happens to be a limit of girls hostels and then malls get deserted by 9, looks like the place is more worse than ahmedabad :D
    anyways, i guess you missed out one more place where kerala contributes heavy - the hospitals - most nurses in indian towns n even places in south, happen to be keralites. some peculiar reason may be, but yes - its a fact.

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  5. bit too far Rashmi... bit too far...
    I agree 100% to Nehal's comment above.. and rather than the snobbish junta of the metros I pref: Kochi nyday..

    yep.. I'm a Kochiite alrite...

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  6. agree wholeheartedly... surprised that simon didnt have an 'immoral activity' chanting crowd outside.. sad, because given a chance theres nowhere else on earth i'd rather be.. having lived there for all but 6 years of my life..

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  7. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  8. Firstly, it's ok to be a different city. A happening night-life is not necessarily a indicator of growth and most malu gals don't prefer the kind of partying that's de rigueur in rest of cities. Even in other happenin cities like Bangalore or Mumbai u don't find much of malu gang hangin out. It's just reflective of a diffrnt laid back culture.

    Comin to the second part of it, it's said that the only place in the world where malus don't do any work is Kerala and there must be something to this truism. The only industry tht thrives is the elite kind of Tourism (unlike the hi-fi tourism of Goa & likes)....again due to the laid back culture. Kerala has often been termed as being retrograde in development, but then one thing u notice abt Kerala is that there is a uniformity in developmnt. For eg. in other cities like Bangalore u can find the duality of a swanky nightlife and the extreme backwardness of the villages at it's edges. In Kerala, u won't find such a disparity between cities & villages (though cities like Cochin are no way near other metros). Maybe Kerala has lessons to learn from other cities/states and others have things to learn from Kerala....what India needs is a hybrid of the two models.

    P.S: Myself a member of the tribe of the "Devil's own people", now moved out of "God's own country" to a more happenin city...so can make out the apparency

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  9. Hi Rashmi,

    The problem with the 'thig aksent', is there in most of South India. I haven't worked in a callcentre, but I have heard such accents before. But, it is surprising to know the job scenario there. Having 100% literacy, and top tourist attractions, one would assume, Kerala to be on fast-track growth. But, the government, truly disappoints. All this, when you keep hearing about Mauritius, Seychelles, Goa as international hotspots. Our leaders truly know how to make a mess of everything.

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  10. The only reason that Kerala is so beautiful is because it does not have the insane competition which is present wherever there is industry...If kerala had industry and ppl kept coming there to work in hordes, then there will be ppl like Rahejas and Hiranandanis spoiling the place with their 20 storeys so that they can get their crores and ultimately Kerala will look as shabby as Mumbai or Delhi.

    Anyway, I dont think any place needs industry to survive as long as the ppl of the place make money, either from that place itself or somewhere else...and absentee husbands also force the existence of a joint family which is another good thing.

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  11. Sometimes we have a very skewed image of growth and progress.Which is more progressive among the 2 states?A state which has the best literacy,the best sex ratio, best infant mortality ratio or a state which has the best malls, pubs, restaurants and other "modern symbols of development".We must learn to distinguish between development and blind market fundamentalism.The state from where the maximum number of software engineers emigrate - Andhra Pradesh, with its capital Hyderabad, now called Cyberabad, also has the lowest human development indicators for any southern state in India. It's about 30 percent below the literacy levels of Kerala, 20 percent below the literacy levels of Tamilnadu, and it has the worst infant mortality rates for a state in Southern India.Poverty is not there on the radar of the media generally and the only things that seem to reflect progress are talks on SEZs,India's IT story etc.Human indices have no story potential so they get sadly ignored in the midst of all the hype associated with market forces.Of course, Kerala has failed miserably in the employment market but it has scored socially.But then isn't Gulf inflows an example of globalisation - where labour migrates to better prospects and brings inflows into the state?

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  12. Hello all..

    I expect a reply for this comment in this platform or thru mail s.lajiraj@gmail.com

    Rashmi..If u have open heart, go to the villages, and see what is the difference between other villages in india and Kerala villages. Then you will know, what does 100% literacy mean. There are lot of workers from other states migrating to kerala, U know y ? Kerala is 'gulf' for them. People have better living standard, its safer place.Travel in taxies u ll know the warmth of literacy.Difference between village and Urban areas in Kerala is a very good sign of reforms spreading uniformly.Is bridging the gap between Urban and rural areas a big achivement for a place. There are lot of splendid things that you can observe in kerala, which you cannot see anywhere else. Look at the education policies implemented in Kerala. Look at the Free software movement by goverment in schools.

    I agree..a lot to be done. Slight attitude change is required.But Kerala is in right track. Just pumping money and making one group of people happy is not the right way of development. I dont have great faith in the leaders there, but I belive in people. They are the asset. That is already proved outside kerala. Some movements some steps, I am very much optimistic that will happen. I dream of that kind of development all over india. I dont like to see one class travelling in mercedez and other class in cycle. Hope you got my point. This long comment is only to say that, real keral lies in villages.

    About accent..some one has already said.I comepletely agree with that we all speak 'Indian' English.One Mumbai girl once asked me "Can u give me paaen". I heard it "pain". She just wanted a 'Pen'. :-). Rashmi dont miss the chance..visit some of the villages and blog about that also. Y cannt we have some positive notes..?

    For those who are with 'Save Kerala'..Do it what ever you can..

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  13. Reshmi,

    Don't you think so you are generalizing a bit here. Yes I do agree there is quite a bit of accent problem. But it is a lot better now a days. I am from Kerala and I do pride myself on my communication skills. I am very good and am proud of it (not being cocky...) :)

    I do agree that no one will dare open a company in Kerala if they want to make profit or better "break even"

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  14. We seem to have lost track of what Rashmi meant in the hurry to criticize her for perceived biases.

    @Soj Suitangi: This is Rashmi's blog. She can write what she wants. Don't forget that. If you feel most of her comments are related to MBAs and malls, that's because she knows that facet of life best, like, I suspect, you do. I agree with you when you say Kerala is a failed state for the reasons you mention. But I will also say that the lack of young people ready to enjoy themselves is also a symptom of that failure. Go to Pune and Chandigarh and see how dynamic the youth are. Kerala is comparatively nowhere. The youth represent the pulse of a state or a nation, everywhere.

    As for the accent, Rashmi was never passing value judgments on it. Merely mentioning a fact that because of the accent, it will be difficult for call centers to come up in Kerala.

    @Lajiraj: so you mean to say that low development of 100% of the people is preferable to high development of 10% of the people. You have a point, but your point crumbles when the low development of 100% does not bring enough revenue or prosperity to a state, compared to the high development of the 10% represented by the IT industry et al.

    Literacy matters little when it does not contribute to the welfare of a state. As for the free software movement, time will tell if that is a good move or not. Remember that if there is a problem with the software, there will be no vendor to run to. Nothing comes free in this world.

    But I wonder why you did not mention the arbitrary ban on soft drinks, thereby exposing the government's ignorance and populist posturing. I am sure you are happy because it will ensure the MNCs think twice before coming to Kerala. At least you can be satisfied that everyone is equally poor and some 10% people are not getting richer than the other 90%. What perfect Communism!

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  15. @shan - I dont understand what you mean by youth not willing to enjoy themselves. You seem to exhibit a narrow minded opinion that only those who go to discos and grind and those who go to malls and purchase for 2000 Rs every week are the ones who are enjoying life and the rest of the people are leading sad miserable lives. FYI, Kerala,TN, Bangalore and Kol have the max number of quizzes going on at any point of time and the level of entertainment which people derive from patricipating or watching these is much higher than what they derive out of a disco. Chandigarh is nowhere near any city in the quizzing scene. If I were narrow minded, I could easily say that Chandigarh guys have poor intellect and dont enjoy intellectual pursuits and only enjoy gaudy crass shows.
    Basically Mallus have other ways to enjoy themselves than pubs and
    discos. And I have found thousands of people in Kolkata and Mumbai as well who give a damn about discs and pubs and malls and multiplexes would rather enjoy a good weekend of intense quizzing.
    And I really dont know what you mean by dynamism - if that again means spending at malls, then I think you are once again pretty narrow minded in your views. As far as I know, mallus are the most dynamic in embracing new marketing concepts and new ways to make money and they are among the best performers in Amway and other such schemes even today...and ppl from Pune and Chandigarh are nowhere in the picture when it comes to that.

    Disclaimer: I am not a mallu.

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  16. Hey nice thought. Just wanted to inform you to visit Pen and Power Blog once.

    The Jouornalism students across Bangalore have started this Bilingual fortnightly newspaper.Your guidelines will help us a lot

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