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Vashi2Panvel.com: Navi Mumbai: April 25: Nina Dasgupta, a native of Nashik works for a BPO of Navi Mumbai. She stays in a rented apartment in Belapur with three of her friends who also work for a call centre. She earns 20,000 per month. Ask her what she does with that much money and she firmly replies, “Weekdays are hectic while working fluctuating shifts, while weekends are fun partying and splurging money for shopping.”

Like Nina, there are so many others youngsters who come from far places like Nashik, Pune etc and live in Navi Mumbai and working in call centers. They rent places at Kharghar, Belapur and Vashi and share their apartments with their friends or colleagues.

One such group of two guys and three girls reside in Belapur. Like others, they also earn huge amount of 20 to 25,000 per month, depending on their designation. Since they are away from parents, they have the liberty to do anything and spend as per their wish. “It gets very stressful after working night shift for the entire week. So on the weekends, we call over friends and party. We play some fantastic music - mostly hard rock and trance, have hard drinks and some of them also consume drugs,” reveals one of the group members.

A new culture is slowly emerging. Perhaps it would be wrong pin the blame solely on the BPOs. But the fact is there is suddenly a huge amount of money in the hands of youngsters. And often with so much money and very few responsibilities, they think of novel ways of blowing up the money. Also, unlike other jobs, a BPO job has its own tensions. Erratic timings and endless customer pacification can get a bit weary on the nerves.

But its not just ordinary partying. These are rave parties, strip parties, etc. A hip culture of the west, it has duplicated intself in an Indian avatar in Navi Mumbai.

Says Ramesh Manohar (name changed) “No, it’s not exactly following the western culture. It’s about trend. Everyone wants to follow the trend and be the part of the group. In a call centre, almost everyone is frustrated taking calls. We are mentally drained and being away from family makes it worse. So partying and drinking becomes normal. Some people also have strip parties. But these parties are not only restricted to call centres. No one drags you forcefully into these things; you get in only when you want to. Its matter of your own choice,” he added.

But why would you make choices that are not worthwhile in the long run? Says Dr. Rakesh Ghildiyal, a psychiatrist, H.O.D at M.G.M Hospital (Vashi), and a professor, “Since youngsters work night shift at call centres, their circadian rhythm is disturbed. Due to this routine they find it difficult to get good sleep at night, when they have an off. Therefore they tend to seek these things as an element of recreation. Plus, once they step into the gateway of smoking, they incline to graduate on addictions like alcohol, cannalis, opicids and dope.”

He also added, “Youth are rebellious and oppositional by nature. Working in BPO fetches them superfluous amount which they can out of impulse spend on wrong things. And since they are away from their parents, they take advantage of the additional liberty they get.” However, he also clarified that gradually Indian society is getting liberal and open to such things and a big hue and cry is not made out of it. Many college students work and do part time/full time job are becoming financially independent.

So does the police know anything about such parties? Says Mr. Ghugule, a constable with Nerul police “We haven’t received any complaint about such parties happening in Navi Mumbai. So we are not aware about it.”

However, blame it on western culture or a latest trend; youngsters are definitely getting high on BPOs.

Manali H. Shah