As a Loyal Bangalorean, who's grown up his entire life in the city, Im Pretty Chauvinistic about wanting to fend off the ever raising complains on the city!
Give it a break! It's Just like every other city in India!
Traffic they say and muse over is Horrible., its on everybody's lips really.
The Roads are small, potholes everywhere,autos driving recklessly, motorists riding on footpaths meant for pedestrians, call centre cabs driving to kill people, not to mention the Bus almost running over you as u try to cross the streets...
To all those of you who complain. Answer my question - Which other city in India have you found better in all those respects you have complained above so far?
I dont think you have an answer really.
To firstly surmise what this great city has to offer and latter justify how it all went wrong..
Bangalore was considered a Pensioners Paradise.
Ever so green with the 1000's of trees littered all over, my town has an weather to it akin to any Hill Station.
Its ever so pleasant with comfortable weather all round the year, occasional rains, sunny days and cool breezy nights.
Perfect for couples to coochie coo away with a nice glass of wine.
Bangalore has the distinction of being a friendly city with a cosmopolitan populace.
A Large English speaking society since we have a good history of the British Raj having set an important post here., many Anglo Indians set base here too.
Great colleges and Churches have a nice history behind them.
Bangalore has the largest number of watering holes (Pubs and Bars) within One city compared to any other in any corner of the world if my facts have'nt been
manipulated over time.
Was really a quite peaceful town until the late 90's when the S.M.Krishna Government chose to litter the town with 10's of Engineering colleges all over and we had students creeping in from the entire country since they needed to only pay to get a nice seat!!!!......Thus started the trouble.
I personally have nothing against anyone coming in from other parts to settle in the city, If u heard me wrong..But Iam just going about a justification of why the city has changed to what it is being complained about today.
Since bangalore boasts of students who come out with Great skilled Degrees and speak flawlessly wonderful English, the IT outsourcing cast its commencial eyes and thus mushroomed the growth of Call Centres / BPO's and also Highly demanding IT jobs.
People in just about every field of study and work received great oppurtunites in these MNC's
Communications, Coding, Service Desk, Law, Medical Transcription, Insurance........U Name it!! The jobs came down outsourced and everyone almost found oppurtunities which fetched them great amounts of good money!
Bangalore never saw such a metamorphism in the job and salary market.
No One would even mind the odd hours at work which caused them a great deal of health digress.
Evetually this led to the Great Banks coming over with Easy Auto Loans.
Manufacture in the Automobile industry shot up and we had a new model every quarter from every other Car maker., coupled with Easy Loans and a emerging Pre Owned Automobile market, the rest is for anyone to guess.......
Traffic piled up in Hundreds.......
Why really blame another ordinary city in india which in its Infrastructure is Just like any other ordinary city in india.
People blame the government, but tell me One govenrment in any other states which has done anything better!
We just love earning our Fat salaries this city and its companies have to offer, spending a couple of thousands on a pretty girl in those fancy clubs over the weekends and dining out in one of the dime a dozen fancy multi cuisine restaurants popped up all over the city...The point is we love doing just what I mentioned a 100 words
behind, bangalore is unique for its nighlife despite the early closure hours.
Then....Why dont we just accept that fact that., This is just another little town in our country which is smaller in Land area compared to Chennai and Mumbai or Calcutta and Delhi , just that we'r hardpressed for space and we just have toooo many people from all other parts come in to make a nice living...SO Stop Complaining!!
There's nothing me or you or the thousands of tax payers out there could do to change anything about anything we complain on, because .....nothing will change :-)
Let me not leave you dissapointed but suggest something at the end of this all.
Try carpooling and sharing bike rides if you and your collegues live in the same neighbourhood.
I wont suggest public transport since its nothing great to ride in.
Stop honking! I know the clubs shut at 23:00 and your trying to get in early. Its really ok, you can go home and drink for free than pay 300 for a bacardi.
Try and drive on lanes, though there are none., it helps promote some sense of discipline!
And Last but certainly not the least, litter only in the litter bins.
Will you still stop complaining ?
I Certainly hope so :-)
Arvind Dwarakanath.
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2 comments:
Arvind this is the best one so far.... all you have written makes sense but hope it is effective too... i have lived in bangalore for five years and have seen it changing from best-better-worse and when i left the city it had gone to worst... its you and me and the people of the city who live in this beautiful place and are hell-bent to spoil it.... everything that is for free is never valued - such is the condition of bangalore! aah! i started doing wht you have asked not to do - COMPLAINING!!!
Very well written.
I would like to add to that
People were(hope still are) much nicer in Bangalore compared to any other metropolitan city.
If only they took to walking for shorter distances than taking their cars out it might help with the traffic congestion. Sooner than later one will be forced to walk due to ever increasing traffic gridlock and gas prices.
Self discipline in most everything will help make life easier in the long run. Such as Traffic, forming lines at retail/govt service offices, proper trash disposal. Not using public spaces as urinals and toilets.perhaps recycling (But that might require a paradigm shift of epic proportions)
I would like to conclude no matter what. The metropolitan identity of being a bangalorean (growing up in the city from childhood)is something to be truly proud of.
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