Marx and Money

Last evening, I had a very lengthy, rather back-bracking session with Durai. Durai Arasu, works for a Tamil business magazine as Editor-in-charge and my Bhavans classmate. A man with strong village values, aspirations for a city-based opportunities and communist leanings, Durai is a typical village-city conflict personality you'll meet anywhere in India. As an outsider, I presume that the poverty must be really starking in these villages for most city-bound people siding with communism.

But that's not what I wanted to write here. Interestingly, Durai was shocked at the urban realities and he, once thought Rs.5000 would be decent salary to live with, was spellbound at the five figure marks boasted by twenty-somethings in IT-BPO-fuelled urban pockets. He is confused about his idealogies now. Someone who wanted to join theatre to promote socialism, now wants to do an IT course to join these BPOs. To make things worse, his girl ditched him because he wasn't earning well.

I adivsed him to stick to journalism. I advised him because he seeked. I told him to go after what he loved rather than what the rest boasted of. Personally, that's what I intend doing.

I don't know if he is convinced. That's inconsequential. For me, Durai as a personality was someone strange and someone with conflicting interests and values. As usual, I measure myself with him to see where I do well or falter. As a friend, his fiery aspirations and commentaries feed the socialist side of mine.

As an end note, I hope and pray that he gets over his failed love.