Nationalism or real social concern ?

Mr. Mishra (Mishra Babu as we call) is a childhood friend. We went to school together. He also had a lucrative software career like us in USA.

Mishra babu is a strong follower and spokes person for traditional values, local culture and tradition, local language etc.

So much so, that he quit his comfortable job in Boston 7 years ago, and returned to his village to bring about some change. Or lets say, to stop some changes that was already happening and eroding all the stuff he was passionate about.

Unlike rest of us, who left USA and came to Bangalore and effectively changed nothing in our life, his life kind of changed completely.

He built a library, a computer lab in village. Started coaching the young people on some vocational skills.

But, nothing really helped. When he helped someone, they just wanted him to give him a job and a monthly paycheck. No one really wanted to work or learn.

He built libraries, no one really cared to study.

All this time he himself doing software project development as an individual consultant with a few companies, to sustain his family.

The recent "Kandhamala" caste and religion war in Orissa has shaken him up. He was explaining me the root cause of it through the evening.

Then kids wanted Pizza. When he called up Pizza Hut, the person responded in Hindi and English. Even after Mishrajee kept giving order in Oriya.

Th girl at the other side knew Oriya. But she has been told by the employer only to speak in English or Hindi. What would one expect if they call Pizza Hut in a small eastern town of India ? The fact that there is a Pizza Hut, already is telling a lot about where the real change is heading.

He was a disturbed man. I never give him my views, which are ultra liberal.

He is currently trying to start a news paper in local language to promote local language, culture and stop the westernization movement.