Hi,

If you are a techie then Bangalore would have been a very big part of your life, no? If not then you are one of the lucky ones.

I came to Bangalore in 2018 during my first job in corporate, and my hatred for this city has been growing since then. Not a single day has passed when I didn’t loathe this city. This is not a city one should live in.

This is not a rant but an observation regarding the condition of our lives and how we are forced to play by the rules dictated by these corporations and how they ruin not only a city but the entire profession.

Bangalore used to be a beautiful city, full of lakes and an amazing weather. But then came the IT boom. It started off good, with the vision of SM Krishna turning this city into the Silicon Valley of India. But due to short term thinking of Indians and corrupt politicians, the plans were thrown into disarray. Thus, started the saga of corruption and systematic destruction of the city.

With the scores of IT companies coming to Bangalore, bringing with itself a large number of immigrants from other states, the city started to buckle under the pressure. Within a decade, prices started to skyrocket and resources started to get scarce. Greedy landowners sold their lands to uncaring IT corporations to build large buildings and tech parks, at the cost of the natural landscape. Some even built these parks on good ol lakes, thus giving birth to water scarcity. As techies were forced to relocate to this city, prices for all commodities started to rise and where there is money there will be corruption. The city started to swallow itself and everyone within it.

Recently we saw how to city craved for water and during the monsoon how the roads vanish under the endless layer of water. Over the years, the only infrastructure that grew were PGs and flats for rent. No roads, metros, public transport, public spaces grew to match up with the rise in population and demand.

Don’t even get me started on the transportation. Local autowalas are just roadside goons who will harass and cheat you to make you pay up. No proper public buses and those that are there only cater to a specific set of commuters who get free rides. Due to this people buy vehicles in hoard and choke all the roads. And still no one is safe. With potholes every meter on roads, riding in Bangalore is a death-trap. With  unregulated driving of water tankers, accidents keep happening but no one cares. What is one life in this city of millions.

There are no places to stay. Home-Owners jack up the prices and make the life of renters hell. With their team of goons and armed with the support of local police, they can ruin the lives of renters, who have come here by leaving their homes and families.

IT companies are to be blamed for this. With their short term thinking and their tendency to exploit Indian IT workers, they take the easiest route to set up companies and disregard the lives of their employees. Only the rich ones are able to live comfortably and the rest keep suffering silently unless they find a remote job.

This will continue until the city completely devours itself and then these IT companied will move on to newer pastures. These are like parasites, wherever they step foot they leave a trail of destruction. Once they have their fill of this city, it will be left in ruins and the people of Bangalore will blame us immigrants.

Bangalore is what happens when IT firms have FOMO. It's time they listen to the people and stop exploiting everything and everyone. Why do we have to make it so easy for them to walk all over us.