Hosur-Mysore: A contrast in IT thrust

Date: Oct 3, 2006

Hosur-Mysore: A contrast in IT thrust

Date: Oct 3, 2006

Good that GVK put this comparsion between Hosur and Mysore in such stark terms.

When some city develops we think it happened just like that. It is never the case. There are some facts behind it and one does not usaully try to find them.

MGP has been repeatedly saying for the last 15 years there is no single body either private or government looking at the overall growth of the city. It was my hope that MGP itself would itself develop into such an NGO to give such a leadership position. But it did not. I has more or less in a holding position at best.

MATF was a welcome change. Unfortuntaely because of its composition and weak leader it never took off.

Mysore has singularly failed to produe a leader of any caliber in recent years to take up this kind of challenge.

Mysore has so many advanatges , becoming IT capital of Karanataka even taking over Banagore is not difficult if we plan for it. But we need leaders with vision, dynamism and competence. IT is better than environmentally hazardous industries for Mysore. With potentially better manageable educational system, high productivity of IT, Mysore should be able to keep up the old charm. But how shall we do? Who will bell the cat? Even at this stage we can save Mysore and make it the real IT Capital of India.

Date: Oct 3, 2006

I am not going to complain if Mysore does not become another Hosur. As a matter of fact I will be glad if Mysore grows much more slowly than Bangalore, Hosur or NOIDA. Mysore is one of very few urban areas in our country, which is more habitable than Bangalore, Hosur or NOIDA. Shall we not keep it that way?

Dozens of Industries in a small geographical area does not necessarily mean sustainable develoment of all sections of the society. The natural environment in a given place should be able to sustain the human activities associated with that place including all sorts of pollution. The scientific terminology for this ability of the local environment is "Carrying Capacity".

Now, has any study been conducted objectively to determine as to how many more industries OR how many more people/vehicles OR construction activities can a place like Mysore take without becoming a polluted place and unfit for healthy living? I wonder as to how many urban areas in our country can pass this test of "Carrying Capacity".

My humble submission is that let us ask for an objective assessment of "Carrying Capacity" of Mysore by a competent organisation. There are many sustainable ways of finding employment opportunties for our young. Let is consider suitable alternatives to mad rush for industrialisation.

Date: Oct 3, 2006

I have been working in the IT sector long before IT outsource company started mushrooming all over Indi, and particularly in Karanataka, and wondered whether the IT bubble will last. I have been worrying about the skewed effects of IT training and education have on youngsters in relation to other studies which are equally important and necessary to make them rounded human beings. What Mysore needs is less IT fever, opportunities for creativity in other areas like arts, literature etc.. for which it was famous for centuries.

Date: Oct 3, 2006

I have something else to add. Those at the helm of affairs have chosen Devanahalli as the next international airport to satisfy their personal interests. They do not realise that they are only helping Andhra Pradesh by their (mis)deeds. Andhra has already geared up to meet the challenge. Had the airport been located somewhere between Ramanagaram and Kanakapura, all these places including Mandya and Mysore would have been immensely benefitted. Alas! our so called selfish and greedy leaders have no vision at all and no concern for their own states persons. We will pay a heavy price in the long run for their misdeeds. Any comments?

Date: Oct 3, 2006

It is high time somebody raised this topic, which was nagging my mind, since some time. There are two sets of people, living in different environments. Some cities or places, the growth of which is jest natural and it simply happens. So many factors converge to make it possible. Say, the climatic condition, educational facilities available in the particular place, a leadership with a vision in their eyes, managers with a mission, easy availability of trained work force, approachability, and lastly the Governance. Some time back, all and other such factors converged in case of Bangalore. Particularly it was true in the development of IT sector. The second set of people, (read it as city or place) lacks such environment. They will have to depend on and become a parasite to the nearest city. But the leadership available there have a set mind to develop such places, with an attitude of “what may come”. When the leaders of the first set of city is gloating over the success, the second set will be silently head hunting the development of the former. They lure and provide all facility for development at the cost of other places. Some sort of importance is given to the place. The city, which falls to the second category, is incidentally Hosur. The leadership in Tamil Nadu is always one-step ahead in snatching the development of Bangalore. Hosur is ideally located for such action.

In case of Mysore, such forceful act of ‘snatching the development from Bangalore’ is not there. There is no leadership with a vision. One leader who became a second in command of our state twice, was repeatedly elected by the people, but he sits idle for his own reason, resigning from his responsibility. With the available facility in Mysore, in spite of having all other factors converging, the city has to wake up from a 50+ year old slumber of a peaceful rule of the erstwhile Maharaja. Our representatives still hesitate to press for the doubling of Bangalore-Mysore Railway line, fearing the wrath of Madam. BMIC will not be permitted to start work from Mysore side, and God only knows (of course every body knows) why?

The infrastructural carrying capacity as referred to by Mr. Sharma is already full to the brim and it can sustain no more. We are carrying on with a water supply system, designed for a population of 3 to 4 lakhs, in spite of an increasing many folds.

Mr. GVK, how can you compare Hosur and Mysore? No sir, we don’t want a Noida here. We want to retain the city as it is. But the developmental work should be a little away from the present city. We do not want the repeats of M & M factory or the Karnataka Ball bearings. What we require is a self sustained, self contained, independent entities, of IT establishments, without becoming a burden to the already stretching infrastructure of old city. (‘a la’ Infosys).

Date: Oct 3, 2006

What Mysore needs urgently is a master plan, not drawn by our Town Planning Authority, but by town planning experts. It should plan to retain the old part of the city and develop it further as a heritage, cultural and educational centre, restore some of the old heritage buildings which are badly maintained and some others which are in a dilapidated condition. It should also plan to have service industries like IT etc. away from the city in self-sustained satellite towns. The ring road has already diverted heavy vehicles like lorries from the city roads. They now pass through the ring road without entering the city. We need more such roads. The NICE corridor express can definitely help further ease this traffic. So also the doubling and electrification of the Mysore-Bangalore track. The Maharaja's had such a vision. A population of 12 lakh is still dependent on infrastructural facilities the farsighted Maharajas created for a population of 1-2 lakhs, like the K.R.Hospital, Cheluvamba Hospital, Devaraja Market etc. We have added very little to what they had created with a vision. However much we may clamour Mysore's growth is inevitable, because of various benefits it offers, be for those who want to lead a retired life or for those who want to make investments. What we urgently need to overcome the burden of this growth is a master plan, drawn up by experts, and a committed initiative to execute it. That alone can save Mysore, at least in its present form.

Date: Oct 4, 2006

India and China are predicted to be the two most polluted countries in this planet within quarter of a century. In the 50s and 60s , it was steel plants, coal (lignite), machine tools, electricals and electronics (but India still imported tools,steel, electronic and electrical equipments for decades despite expansion in these industries). A city like Bangalore paid a heavy price of various sorts when machine tool and electronic industries were located there. Bangaloreans were given pep talks about putting the city on the industrial map of the world. A few civil engineering contractors made millions and politicians gladly pushed their kith and kin into highly paid positions in these industries, all in the name of industrial progress. Then came the IT wave bringing with it software outsourcing which is providing healthy profit margins ( derived from cheap labour) for the likes of Microsoft, SUN, Google etc.., creating a few rupee millionaires in vast packets of poverty and destroying the eco systems at the same time. The state and central governments are going berserk as before , and Bangalore has become the victim once again, and is now dragging Mysore with it on the road to the choking world yonder.