Nowadays I shuttle a lot between Bangalore and Hyderabad. Two cities with very distinct identities in the past but woven together today by the thread of IT development. One with an illustrious past as the Nizam's haven and the other with changing identities over the decades. My first exposure to Bangalore was as an excited teenager selected to appear in the Services Selection Board. It was the late seventies, the time when Bangalore was known as a pensioner's paradise. For us it provided several more interesting distractions. The vast number of movie halls, walking through MG Road and Commercial street and the "shows" at "Three Aces" and "Horse Shoe" could keep any teenager enticed endlessly. Curfew time at SSB ensured that we were safely tucked in before 11 PM. It was an exhilarating feeling to be one of the chosen few selected to go to the National Defence Academy. It was with a tinge of remorse that we bid farewell to Bangalore.
The second trip to Bangalore was as a strapping young Captain from the Indian Army. By then the city had changed but not much. It was only during my third foray in 1999 that I witnessed the change of the city. By then dotcoms and IT had changed the face of Bangalore forever.
Hyderabad was a different story. I went there as a young Major. It was the time when Secunderabad was a happening place. Today my trips are restricted to Gachibowli and Hitech.
Isn't it strange how cities shift their centers over a period of time? There was a time when trade was an accelerator of growth. Charminar, Chickpet, Shivajinagar etc. were the happening places. Later on it was the Army Cantonments with their unique concept of integrated townships that spurred growth and development. It was strange to find clusters of development interspersed with vast expanse of greenery. Then came the IT boom. Suddenly it was all glass and aluminum. It was all about rising rentals, increasing traffic, higher carbon emissions, unfair labor migrations etc. Having experienced the luxury of cantonment life and suddenly catapulted into an IT environment, I sometimes take the time to pause and reflect. How blissful it is to laze in the afternoon sun when you have trees to shade you. But then I am hit by a random thought. Who provides the shade? Is it the Army that secures our borders? Are it those faceless employees who toil day and night to bring in the much needed Dollars and Pounds. Or both? A question that I reserve for the proponents of "Sustainable Development."
The second trip to Bangalore was as a strapping young Captain from the Indian Army. By then the city had changed but not much. It was only during my third foray in 1999 that I witnessed the change of the city. By then dotcoms and IT had changed the face of Bangalore forever.
Hyderabad was a different story. I went there as a young Major. It was the time when Secunderabad was a happening place. Today my trips are restricted to Gachibowli and Hitech.
Isn't it strange how cities shift their centers over a period of time? There was a time when trade was an accelerator of growth. Charminar, Chickpet, Shivajinagar etc. were the happening places. Later on it was the Army Cantonments with their unique concept of integrated townships that spurred growth and development. It was strange to find clusters of development interspersed with vast expanse of greenery. Then came the IT boom. Suddenly it was all glass and aluminum. It was all about rising rentals, increasing traffic, higher carbon emissions, unfair labor migrations etc. Having experienced the luxury of cantonment life and suddenly catapulted into an IT environment, I sometimes take the time to pause and reflect. How blissful it is to laze in the afternoon sun when you have trees to shade you. But then I am hit by a random thought. Who provides the shade? Is it the Army that secures our borders? Are it those faceless employees who toil day and night to bring in the much needed Dollars and Pounds. Or both? A question that I reserve for the proponents of "Sustainable Development."
A proper planning and the right kind of effort result in success - May you be truly successful in your endeavours. All The Best. Regards, Vinod Cherukat.
ReplyDeleteBrought back memories of both the places as they were few decades ago!Just a coincidence that I was at Bangalore and at Hyderabad when you visited for the first time! Must admit the both of them are no more recognisable.
ReplyDelete