The Hindu rate of growth has been a term applied to the Indian economy since Independence till the early 1990’s. A slow but steady economic growth. Hindu rate of growth simply becaus economic planners predicted that it will happen in the next cycle.

Now comes the Guardian with an article that claims that not only is economic growth Hindu, Economic History is Karmic – with the Brits of today reaping what the East India Company (and then the Raj) sowed over a 300 year period in India.

The article says that the Brits wiped out employement in India – by dumping cheap factory made mass produced stuff, and taxing local produce. Today India – with its large pool of English speakers is doing much the same to the Brits – cheap mass produced “stuff”

except that the mass produced stuff this time around is people. People who may live in Gurgaon and speak like a Geordie. Make conversation about Eastenders, and Top of the Pops (does that still run?). 22 year old who try to talk with a Brit accent, and know more about football league matches, than about what’s up in their own neighbourhoods. People are churned out of “finishing schools” that prepare them for the accent, the monitoring, the polite conversation, and the inane platitutes.

A friend of mine who heads HR at one of the largest call centres in India – talks about recruiting 24*7 – the drop out rate from the industry is huge. It is the cyber equivalent of tossing burgers at a fast food place – deskilled, and depersonalised.