“Chutta nahi hein”, said a man who was standing beside me, clinging to the overhead rod with one hand, which was also gripping his fat purse, as he held out a 500 rupees note to the conductor with the other. It was late evening and the conductor’s patience was running thin. He did not make an attempt to complain about the unavailability of change but simply scribbled 470 at the back of the ticket which he had just tore from an electronic ticketing machine that had been dangling to his neck all day and handed it over to the man. The driver had the digital music system of the bus turned on and a local FM station which was busy doing justice to its show sponsors and the advertisers finally found time to play a famous Kannada song. While some of the passengers started crooning along, a few complained of high volume causing a sense of irritation, oblivious of the fact that the volume was the same when more irritating advertisements were being blurted out with a funky background music. Someone even called the conductor and told him in English – “Can you change to any Hindi station?” I was curiously trying to catch a glimpse of the conductor’s face to see how he would react. He simply called out loud to the driver and asked him to change the station. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. No, not because of the way the conductor had reacted; there was nothing new in that, but because the person sitting in the seat against which I was resting my back got up as he prepared to squeeze his way out of the bus. I got a seat! 15 minutes later, I realized the bus had only inched closer towards the signal at the junction for which it had long been waiting to cross. Sensing that it is going to be yet another long evening before I reach home, I decided to relax myself a little more. This wasn’t anything new. As my mind began wandering, the scene that had just played out in the bus a while ago struck me. The over-crowded sophisticated AC bus, the behaviour of the conductor and the passengers, the music inside the bus and the honking outside, the glaring headlights, the crowd; it looked a different place altogether! This lovely place where I have spent all my life had morphed itself with every single day and had grown out to be a beast. The change has been a voluminous one and whether it is for good or bad is left for you to perceive. I began wondering how did it transform drastically. My mind began to go back to those good old days... Hold on! let me pause a little at this moment and make you a part of my long journey before I take a trip down the memory lane. Come, let us stroll together for a while...
The first of the memories about the city that come to me is that of a red coloured ‘BTS’ bus which was as narrow as it could be and what more, like a duplex house, it had a staircase leading to the upper deck. They called it a double-decker. Although few in number, there was no happier a moment than travelling in it on Sundays; by getting a front seat one level above the driver. The view from the top-front was fantastic; with dark roads below and lush green trees above, it felt like as if I was flying in the air. As a kid, it was as though I was driving the bus and my joy knew no bounds! (I am sure most of you guys would have, at certain time in your childhood, dreamt of becoming a bus driver!). I would pester my father to take only the double-deckers while waiting for a bus as travelling in it itself was like a picnic to me.
I remember the days when I had studied about thermometer in school and it was only then I understood what the papers meant when the temperature of the city was reported to be usually around 21 degrees. I used to keenly follow it almost every day and the max it used to touch was 29-30 degrees during summer; which I felt was ‘very hot’. And except for those 2 months of summer, the weather was too pleasant over the rest of the year and it is no wonder that Bangalore is known for its climate, I thought. It was then I remembered my parents telling me that Bangalore is also called as ‘Pensioner’s paradise’, and that it was so named because of the cheaper land rates and easy availability of land for people to lead a happy retired lives in this heaven on earth.
And oh! How can I forget the green cover of the city! Almost in front of every house by the road side stood an old tree. There were trees along the sidewalks and the rectangular stone slabs which served as footpaths back then was laid out in such fashion that the tree was left intact. The Lalbagh and Cubbon Park stood as two famous eco spots of the city. I would even call Lalbagh a forest where you could easily get lost, with not many people to help you around. Remember the toy train in Cubbon Park? One round in it, screaming and clapping, would make my day and I would find myself greedily asking my parents to give me money for another round. Not just the green, but Bangalore was also well known for its lakes, with some lakes being so huge that there were mini check dams constructed to control the flow of water in and out of the lakes. I am sure you would have gone boating atleast once in Sankey tank. No? Oh how wonderful an experience you have missed!
Watching a movie in the theatre or ‘talkies’ was another enthralling experience, to say the least. The young, the old, the kids, the couples and everyone alike would come together under one roof. The theatres looked like an infinite dark hollow which could cramp in a 1000 people at once, with huge fans fixed on the wooden side walls rotating in vain. Do you remember the interval snacks? That consisted of locally made potato chips packets of various sizes and very few theatres had popcorns, which would cost 10 rupees. You would be considered lucky if you got an unworn leather covered seat with a little push-back to it! Not to forget the victorious feeling you get after standing in a long queue for over an hour before the start of the movie and coming out with tickets in hand. And, remember the bargain you used to make while buying tickets in black?
Ever rode on a bear? Yes, you read it right! Rode a bear? That was one of the best parts of my childhood days. In the days where I used to be at granny’s place after school, a man used to come with a tamed bear and offer a short ride for kids in the area for just 5 rupees! I am sure you would have heard of circus and one name that is synonym for it is ‘Gemini Circus’. Although most of the acts there would leave the audience awe struck, I felt elated and brimmed with a sense of achievement when I saw a man bring a bear in there to play with! That and the magic shows in the Town hall had become an integral part of every Bangalorean; so much that often I would hear people mention that they are waiting for the next circus or a ‘Jaadugar’ to camp here.
Although these formed the major pastime for the weekends, there were other events like exhibitions and fairs that were well attended by a large population of the city. Speaking of weekends, how can I forget the grand event of shopping and eating out? Shopping meant going to areas like Gandhi Bazaar, Jayanagar, Majestic (does Alankaar Plaza sound familiar?), Malleshwaram and Commercial street. Going to MG road, Brigade road or Residency road was considered really cool and hi-fi. Not to forget the evening walks on the promenade of the MG road with a ‘Churmuri’ packet in hand. When it comes to eateries, hotels were few but of the best quality and cafes were countable. A lot of hotels were known for their ‘Dose’ varieties. That and the most notorious ‘filter coffee’ served in a steel glass kept in a small steel cup gave anyone a blissful feeling with the cool weather of the city supplementing it. Chaats? What is that?
As years rolled on, though people did not change much, the things around us started to change. The government, realising the potential the city can offer due its multitude of advantages, had started to push for making it a metropolitan city. A lot of IT sector industries were invited to invest in the city with the promise of a best-in-class infrastructure. There was a CM who dreamt of making Bangalore look like Singapore. Slowly the influx of industries and the business ecosystem began improving, which gave Bangalore its new identity – ‘The Silicon City’.
In a city where the tallest building was that of a 21-storey building in MG road, it was a beautiful sight to see a high rise apartment; it used to feel like ‘our Bangalore’ is very soon going to be like Mumbai and may be as time progresses it may become one of those foreign locations shown in the movies. The infrastructure development too began gathering momentum as more and more fly-over construction was taken up. It looked promising and new hopes emerged. In the process, the government decided to go a step further and asked to use the Kannada name ‘Bengaluru’ as the official name of the city. Although not sure of what was the significance behind renaming it, for many it was a new identity to the old city that was all set to make its mark on the world map.
Proclaiming ‘I am a Bangalorean’ became a thing of pride for many of the locals. It was the time when development and culture had struck a perfect balance and was harmonious with the people and the nature around. With a massive influx of companies shifting their base to Bangalore, people belonging to different parts of the country moved to the city to build their dreams. With it came the diversity of the city. Not just the Indian nationals, but also many expats moved to Bangalore and felt at home. The city was now becoming ‘cosmopolitan’, inching closer towards being a ‘metropolitan’.
Unfortunately, the population of the city began reaching staggering numbers as a plethora of people came in to cater the existing diverse crowd and also to realise their dreams of making it big in the city. The result? There was not enough space to accommodate and the builders started adding more floors to the apartment while also increasing its size. This now meant large lands were required for its construction. In the greed for money and in the name of development, a lot of lakes had to forego their existence. The trees on footpaths were cut as the roads had to be expanded to cater the increasing traffic density. The destruction of the ecosystem of the city had begun with a bang and sadly, it hasn’t looked back ever since.
Today, the air conditioned BMTC buses have replaced the older BTS buses. The temperatures in the city are soaring every summer breaking its previous records. Trees by the roadside are no more a reality and small ill maintained artificial parks have come up amidst a concrete jungle. Theatres are making way for apartments and shopping complexes which house an air-conditioned, hi-fi digital multiplex. Shopping now means going to a mall wearing a fancy dress in order to buy a fancier one. The option for food has increased many folds. From the paani puri bhaiyyas and the chaat-walas in every corner of the streets to Italian, Mexican, American, Thai and Chinese restaurants; name it and you have it! Cafes and Pubs, many of which are of foreign origin have sprung up in every area with many young people considering it cool. Development is good and necessity and the change is inevitable. But for how long can it sustain at this massive scale? Is there no end to it? I think I should rephrase the question; is there no ‘plan’ for it? What once looked promising has totally reversed its direction. Reports are emerging claiming the city to be dead in 5 years. I must say, I consider it already dead. The hatred amongst the same people who had welcomed everyone and who had made the city their second home is on rise and the amount of illicit and illegal activities being carried out are alarmingly high.
What once looked like a vision for development of the city now seems like a curse to doom it. Thanks to the government and the money-hungry people for all the unprecedented development! Bangalore is not just a name, it is an emotion for most of us and thanks, for playing with it...
The list can go on and on. But hope I have conveyed my point to you. My stop is nearing and I should alight here and catch yet another bus. Thank you for bearing with me on this journey. Ironically the road I just travelled, it was once used only while going to another city and soon, I am sure, there shall be many such roads bearing witness to an exodus of people moving out of this what was once a beautiful city. As I bid you farewell with a heavy heart for the rest of your endeavour, I swallow a lump in my throat and I wish... I wish that in all these years, all that had changed about this city we love was only its name; from Bangalore to Bengaluru!
