Confused Desis to Confused ITEs (ITEs = Information Technology Engineers)

During mid 90s, several software engineers quit their plum, high-paying jobs because they could not stand the work pressure. Any typical day, people were expected to put 10-12 hours of work.

After couple of years, there was a new wave of perspective that swiped the software industry - work/life balance became the new HR mantra for employee retention. Things seemed to improve. People were again happy and proud with their jobs. IT grooms were again talk of the matrimonial market.

However, despite providing good benefits and all fancy facilities, software engineers are truly not a happy lot.

In the recent 15 days, I have heard so many incidents where software engineers have talked about being frustrated, read reports about suicides etc.

Last week, my neighbour who is a practice head with a top IT company in Bangalore was telling my hubby that he was getting really frustrated and is considering leaving this field for good. In fact, he has taken a baby step towards this and has already started teaching at a local near-by college.

My hubby has been singing the same song for the past 10 months - "I want to do something on my own" And each time I ask him "what do you want to do?". He has no answers. He is just wading in the dark.

Yesterday, I was reading in a blog where the blogger, a IT engineer himself, wanted to do something different than IT.

Today morning, I again read in the papers that a software engineer working in Bangalore boarded a Hyderabad bus. He went to a temple there only to consume cyanide and kill himself.

I am confused. I fail to understand what is happening. Is this the next wave of different kind of brain drain?

Are these subtle alarms that we need to take heed before this becomes a pandemic?