I happened to pass by the famous minsk square recently and I was in for a huge surprise! there was a stark contrast between the image of minsk square registered in my mind and to the one I was seeing. The first thing that crossed my mind was, where is that Ajeet aircraft that was kept for public display and where are all the trees? where are those 30 odd trees that once lined the either sides of the road? All I could see now was bumper-to-bumper traffic, a lot of vehicles that is, dirt, smoke and huge buildings (that were not very visible earlier because the huge trees covered them).. well, this is definitely not the minsk square I'd seen just 6 months ago. "this much change in just 6 months?", I wondered.. Even as I was thinking, the BMRCL barricades quickly reminded me that all this was for the metro, 'namma metro' indeed..
I'm definitely not against the metro or the infrastructure development in the city..But is this the cost we Bangaloreans have to pay in the name of 'development'? was this the same 'urbanization' we all grew up studying in text books?
I thought the minsk square had lost not only a lot of trees but also its charm and beauty.. somehow, for me it was symbolic of Bangalore city itself loosing out on its culture, beauty and the tranquility it once offered.. are we loosing our identity?
It definitely pains you know..after all I grew up seeing this 'garden city' transform itself into the 'IT capital' of the country..I saw this sleepy little town, that it was just 15 years ago when I was a kid,transform itself into the mega-metropolis that it is today.. I saw this city grow beyond the four pillars that Kempegowda had installed..I saw my city attract people from all over the world to become the true cosmopolitan that it is today..
All these days days I never cared because I thought we were on a track called 'development', we were just developing to become a 'global city'..the change in Minsk square* reminded me of the infinite trees we'd lost, which were, of course proportional to the beauty of Bangalore city. I wondered how much we'd lost out on our culture, the old buildings, the charm and the beauty the city once had..
Even as all these thoughts were crossing my mind, the auto driver's voice which said "should I go left or right, sir?", pulled me out of the trance that I was in and threw me into reality.. well, I felt sorry and helpless for there was nothing much I could do for my own city.. I asked the auto guy to pull over n continued with what I had to do..
Today, at 18, I definitely miss and feel sorry for the old 'namma Bengaluru' I grew up in, like never before..which of course inspired me to write this thing up..
I'm definitely not against the metro or the infrastructure development in the city..But is this the cost we Bangaloreans have to pay in the name of 'development'? was this the same 'urbanization' we all grew up studying in text books?
I thought the minsk square had lost not only a lot of trees but also its charm and beauty.. somehow, for me it was symbolic of Bangalore city itself loosing out on its culture, beauty and the tranquility it once offered.. are we loosing our identity?
It definitely pains you know..after all I grew up seeing this 'garden city' transform itself into the 'IT capital' of the country..I saw this sleepy little town, that it was just 15 years ago when I was a kid,transform itself into the mega-metropolis that it is today.. I saw this city grow beyond the four pillars that Kempegowda had installed..I saw my city attract people from all over the world to become the true cosmopolitan that it is today..
All these days days I never cared because I thought we were on a track called 'development', we were just developing to become a 'global city'..the change in Minsk square* reminded me of the infinite trees we'd lost, which were, of course proportional to the beauty of Bangalore city. I wondered how much we'd lost out on our culture, the old buildings, the charm and the beauty the city once had..
Even as all these thoughts were crossing my mind, the auto driver's voice which said "should I go left or right, sir?", pulled me out of the trance that I was in and threw me into reality.. well, I felt sorry and helpless for there was nothing much I could do for my own city.. I asked the auto guy to pull over n continued with what I had to do..
Today, at 18, I definitely miss and feel sorry for the old 'namma Bengaluru' I grew up in, like never before..which of course inspired me to write this thing up..
