Friday, July 28, 2006

CALL CENTERED

"Another BPO Employee Murdered", "Call Centre Girl Killed" scream newspapers. Such a big deal is made out of the murder of Tania Banerjee. Agreed that murder is ghastly. And that the woman's end is pitiful. But why link this to the call centre industry?

The media seems to want to play up the "night shifts are unsafe for girls" tune rather loudly. At least when Pratibha Murthy was raped and killed last year by her company's cab driver, there was genuine concern about security. Several constructive discussions took place, and measures taken to tighten security for women. But in Tania's case, there was no reason to have pulled up her company's name, as she was murdered by a deranged colleague (full story here) and this could've happened to anyone working in any industry.

Night shifts are not a new phenomenon. There have been doctors, nurses, airline staff, and several other professionals who have been working in unearthly shifts much before the acronym BPO was even coined! Why no brouhaha then?

Would it then be fair to say that the media is jealous of the money and employment opportunities that outsourcing companies are bringing to India?

22 comments:

Narayanan Venkitu said...

Interesting angle Vinesh..Well done.

I read about it yesterday but his thought didn't occur to me.

Whatever - Its a sad end for that Girl.

Question - Have any men been murdered like this ..I mean from call centers? returning from work??

Vinesh said...

@narayanan venkitu: the problem is if a man gets murdered it is a common thing. but a woman's murder creates sensation.

if you notice, even in news coverage of major disasters - there is special mention only for women and children, not men and children

Jeevan said...

She was a girl worked in BPO, who killed by her colleague, sure their is no link with BPO and this incident, i have understood wrong this issue, that BPO has failed to give secure. i dont know if the media will took this matter to headlines if it was a man.

Has to be me said...

It is terrible to see ppl being slaugtered to death for no fault of theirs. The whole act is so barbaric.

Now coming to ur topic for discussion, it is true that it is not related to BPO. However since no other person in the recent past has been muderered from another industry, they just wanna hype out this whole issue. Not only that like u;ve mentioned Pratibha's murder is still fresh in most ppl's mind & hence the two are being correlated!

enjoyed ur version of the vaazhameen song! Well done!

யாத்ரீகன் said...

Hm.. just when the Adultery Murders by Women gets the dust off... Media wanted something to sell themselves.. no else great intention behind..

Karthik Srinivasan said...

Hee hee.. I was just laughing when I saw today morning that press is so much concerned about BPO personnel’s security that too after this incident.. Even a lady washing dishes at a household might face the same thing if she has a killer boyfriend :P So its not a matter to be personalized with BPO employees…

Hmm.. ultimately it’s the females who become victims of all evil.. me getting reminded of Kalpana Asin’s speech in Ghajini :-D

Fathima Sagar said...

Got the same idea when it was highlighted that way!

And Vinesh, not many women kill men:) Thatz the reason not many murders of men come up. And when it comes, its blown up into some very big news.

To summarize, if a person kills a person from opposite gender, it captures more media attention.

Karthik Srinivasan said...

BTW, Vinesh, few of rediff readers voicing same opinion as u did: :)

http://mboard.rediff.com/board/board.php?action=m&boardid=news2006jul27bpo&messageid=1884739583#1884739583

Kausikram Krishnasayee said...

its simple i guess the girl wanted the money and worked unearthly hours, the media people want their money and are making twisted stories out of such straight cases. looks like the media are insisting on discipline decorum and distinction in the call center industry..sounds familiar na? the 3 Dz :P

Vinesh said...

@jeevan: that's right jeevan, unnecessary sensationalisation

@has to be me: people from various professions are being murdered on a daily basis, buddy! thats why im surprised that bpos are being targeted

@யாத்திரீகன்: hot news is their only agenda :-)

Vinesh said...

@karthik srinivasan: haha, funnily put, but hit the nail on the head! :-)

@fathima: does this make women the gentler species?? no one writes about domestic violence i guess, heehee(jus kidding) :-)

@kausikram krishnasayee: Aayiram Poi Solli Oru Nalladhu Seyyradhu Idhudhaana? :-P

Rajesh &Shankari said...

It is horrible to hear this kind of a news. Media has to play it's game and public is their prey.

Anonymous said...

this is really pathetic. tat guy is a monster.how else could he have killed the woman he loved, tat too so brutally. and i agree with u. its got no connection with BPOs.

SCRIBBLEZ TO WAKEUP said...

the first question I too raised was why r u mentioning call center when the murder happened in another place with no connection with the employer at all....

Anyways the guy gave reasons, which I dont believe make up for murdering someone...

There was no hype earlier as there were very few people who did the night shifts, so very few in number...
Now its almost everyone...Why would the media be jealous? They r just trying to make the news juicy and draw more readers as when u say call center you immediately think of the HP case but if u say some one , there would be less focus.

Talking of which I worked with HP for more than year and had a couple of months of night shifts but things were cool with me then!

Vinesh said...

@maha: obviously he didn't love her di.. no lover will do this

@vipin: they knew each other for 5 years da... sometimes namba vechi kazhutha arukkravangaLum irukkaangaLe..

@scibblez to wakeup: you worked with HP? - oh! i have worked in the call center industry for over a year too, and have known women colleagues to have had smooth going with cab drops..

Movie Mazaa said...

the media has been having a field-day digging up skeletons from her long-buried closets. why cant they just let her rest in peace, for a change?

Mad said...

As a person who lives by Kavingyar Kannadasan's word's..and the fact that a BPO is providing me my daily bread..I have to say the media DID hype up this issue. And I do think that the media is more about providing entertainment in the name of "sensational news" rather than bringing people facts.

Vinesh said...

@velu: quite sad for the company, I would think..

@mad mad: are you referring to "iravinil aattam, pagalinil thookkam.."? :-)

Anonymous said...

Medias are making this a big issue just because she was working for some BPO/IT sector.

Its a clear homicide case. She has a police history. She was allegdly arrested for the charge of Prostitution in Calcutta(Aug 31,2005).

She was very notirous and ofthen seen in Resthouses and Resorts says the police report.

Vinesh said...

@Selva Kumar: Do you have any news links to the information that you are giving here, buddy?

SCRIBBLEZ TO WAKEUP said...

I didnt work for the call center but for the back end operations....Hp n Acecenture n I didnt feel at risk seriously , then I never did..Probably coz my house is just a minute away from HP office with no traffic!

Anonymous said...

Yes, she was arrested last year for illegal activities.

Here is the shocking news !!
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1820845.cms