Let me highlight our achievements 4000 years ago:
1) We had town planning. The city was laid out in a perfect grid pattern.
2) We had broad straight roads, which criss crossed each other at 90 degrees… with rounded corners to ease the traffic.
3) They had footpaths to reduce man-vehicle conflict.
4) We had sewerage system and drainage system.
5) We had water supply system, we had baths.
Indeed Indus Valley/Harappa Civilization was one of the finest achievements of Indians.
While I was boasting this, my friend asked me a question:
“Why do you Indians always talk about the Glorious Past? Aren’t there any recent developments that you guys want to share?”
I could not get his point. So he was kind enough to elaborate: If I meet someone who rants like:
“You know during my childhood, we used to have 5 cars”,
“We did not had small chests, but trunks full of gold and silver”,
“So many hundred people used to bow in each time we went to the market”,…..
What would you make out?
The guy is definitely a waster. He might have inherited a vast fortune, but he was a poor caretaker of his family legacy. Due to bad circumstances/habits, everything he values is squandered away and he is reduced to nothing. Additionally, the guy does not even dream about or has a plan to regain the heritage.
And that was his point… and I was speechless 🙁
1) Most Indian cities do not have a city planning. encroachment is like a norm.
2) Our Roads are a zig-zack lines joining a series of potholes.
3) Footpaths: I thought they were for the shops, motorcyclists.. I never saw a pedestrian using one.
4) I do not live in the slums, but my apartment complex does not have a sewerage system. We have a septic tank which we empty once in a month or so.
5) Water: everybody I know uses a pumpset.. either to suck the water from the pipe/borewell.
Now tell me, if I were you will I be talking about my present, my dreams/ambitions or my past?
32 replies on “Glorious Past”
Funny!
So true that it’s darn ironic!
yups 🙁
Pegasus….
Invariably everyone goes throo this stage in life. It strikes most professionals after their retirement and they relive their glorious past by talking abt it to all and sundry and gaining some lost confidence out of it. With these kind of people I dont see any harm and once in a while the stories even turn out to be pretty interesting.
But , among the younger generation , I am surprised if this kind of talk is still prevalent.
@sree
i am saying is that Bangalore does not have those basic amenities which cities 4000 years ago had.
I thought u were pointing at the futility of ppl ranting about the past and not bothered to do anything about the present day problems.
So I wanted to say that I come across these rantings mostly from the elderly and they can be excused.
yes this and that
That’s not unique to Bangalore alone…most of Indian cities are the same.
and why is it so 🙁 are our cities evolving or devolving?
its evolving in the sense , its growing large in area..
devolving when the same growth is not a planned one..
blame it on urbanisation and lack of forethought to accomodate the demand in a systemtic way.
//i am saying is that Bangalore does not have those basic amenities which cities 4000 years ago had//
I agree…but relatively the population we had 4000 yrs ago was very very less and its quite possible to plan cities the way we want…at this population growth we can talk only about past glories….:-)
//and why is it so are our cities evolving or devolving?//
Both…equi-volving 🙂
@sham
ya… but the basic things we look forward in a city are missing….and that is because of lack of foresight and planning.
u can blame it on population but with time we are able to have taller structures, pump water, have electricity.. the technology has enabled us to support more population on a given piece of land 🙂
As long as we keep electing these scoundrels to Parliament,improvement is difficult.You are talking about Bangalore, have a look at the mess they have made of the masterplan of Delhi this year.This is despite the interference of the Supreme court.
Good point , Prerna !
True, we live in past.
yups being unconcerned about the plight and state of the country is the biggest crime which a citizen of the democracy can do. thanks for sharing
@bachodi…
we live in the past, because present sucks and it will continue to suck. Sometimes i feel India is like that old man which has outlived his prime
hmm population does not mean anything. Singapore is a freaking examle to that.
http://shocking.wordpress.com/2006/10/05/carpe-diem/
thgt I had read a similar one .
thanks, my goodness where did u fish this post out from?
yups.. its almost the same thoughts… but this time with a lot more frustration and acid 🙁
i think i will need a truckload of caustic soda to neutralize all the acid i spill
it was nagging and nagging me Pegasus…that I had heard the same thing before 🙂
//.. its almost the same thoughts… but this time with a lot more frustration and acid //
aaaah..dont sweat…there are some things which really gets on our nerves ..and this must be doing it to u .
i thought nagging meant saying the same thing over and over again….
so u must be doing reverse nagging 🙂
:))
how typical 😛
No wonder someone made you think to write about it. Just kidding ok.
Its always the history we talk and nothing but how to change for the better. Do we?? Still in schools/ colleges history of 1940s.. well who needs it and do talk about what scientist, educators all do now.
@pria…
exactly.. history is very important.. but it should be a teacher, a guide and a source of inspiration…
we spend a lot of time studying history, but not even a second to learn from it.
Quite true – but India has a few good points also like the largest railway system and the metro in delhi.
no doubt there has been some improvements, but I am asking u a question:
Is the quality of life improved?
Very nice post…
//The guy is definitely a waster. He might have inherited a vast fortune, but he was a poor caretaker of his family legacy. Due to bad circumstances/habits, everything he values is squandered away and he is reduced to nothing. Additionally, the guy does not even dream about or has a plan to regain the heritage.//
I really loved the way your friend explained it. I believe the INDIVIDUAL attitude contributes to the SOCIETAL (collective) attitude and that explains our country’s present state.
@thiru..
thanks.. will communicate it to him 🙂
Nothing. Just keep quite. It helps.
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