Promenade: An intimate letter
Promenade: An intimate letter
K K S Murthy
My Dear B Giri, It’s been years since we met in Bangalore.
Bangalore is no longer the same – it has expanded far and wide and is now being hailed as the Silicon Valley of India, and rightly so. You will be surprised to know that several NRIs are acquiring land around IT city. Streets in Bangalore are getting more and more crowded resulting in a number of traffic jams everywhere, even in the extensions of the city.
Last week, local newspapers flashed the news that corporation authorities are commencing work to implement the Bangalore Metro Rail project on Mahatma Gandhi Road (fondly called MG Road) – This is to provide pollution free and rapid transport for commuters in the city. Yes, it’s really a great idea. However this ought to be implemented not at the cost of felling beautiful, fully-grown trees all around, ruining the picturesque-ness of the place. In fact, from my knowledge, no other city enjoys the beautiful promenade all along the MG Road (then called South Parade) running opposite to the bustling business complexes.
From the artist’s impression depicted in newspapers as to how MG Road will look after the completion of Bangalore Metro Rail project in five years time, I am not sure whether they would be to retain the Promenade even after the project. In case feasible, it’s welcome- in fact such facility with the present technology will prove more useful and picturesque to Bangaloreans. Authorities claim that they take adequate care to replant more and more trees and try at least to maintain the original look – If that is so, it seems ok. Late T P Issar, Chairman of Bangalore Art Commission, in his article in the Deccan Herald in 1977 explains that “Bangalore is still beautiful. Let’s keep it that way”. He said that the spot where Lavelle Road meets MG Road is not the same any more. What we now see would shock the eye of any Bangalorean who may have been away from the city from last 4 to 5 years.
In the year 1980, when interviewed, Late B V Narayana Reddy, who served as General Manager of Bank of Mysore recollected his memories of Bangalore in the 1920s; he says that “Bangalore was just a tiny town. Those were the days when tranquility filled the streets, no autos, no traffic snarls, no din, no buzz. The “hai hai” of a Tonga or the tinkling notes of a Shapasand added grandeur to the streets”.
We citizens should have a final say in regard to retention of the same old peaceful and comfortable repose for the families.
Now that I am briefing you about Bangalore, nostalgic memories of our old time meetings crop up. You remember, during 1960s, when we were in our thirties, we used to frequent the promenade on MG road (the called South Parade). In spite of your living among the beautiful Promenade in Paris, you still liked the peaceful moments on the MG road Promenade.
Can you recall those days when we used to meet; your settling down in the city from Bellary and myself from Kurnool – We used to spend hours and hours on the Promenade, unaware of the lapse of time, discussing books we read during the in-between periods – Tolstoy, Chekov and other Russian writers& you talking about Oliver Schreiner and her friends’ letters to Havelock Ellis, so on and so forth, along with enjoying our ice cream or peanuts bought from a shop on the other side of the road. Later both of us would enter the antique book shop (owned by my father) on the MG Road and pick one or two books for future reading. Will these blissful moments ever get dimmed or erased?
You will be surprised to know that from my point of view, I don’t discourage implementing schemes to the citizen’s advantage. For example, at no cost should the MG Road Promenade suffer total extinction. From the sketch indicating how MG Road will look after completion of the Metro Rail Project, I do see the Boulevard still maintained – If so, it’s ok. I’m, sure with the modern facilities, the promenade might look even more beautiful with the added greenery.
Alas, unlike during our old days, promenade has today become a meeting place for many anti-social activities.
A lot rests on the government authorities, who will now have to work very hard to ensure that minimal damage is done to the city’s green (tree) population and stand by their promise to the citizens of Bangalore to replace all the lost greenery during the course of the Metro Rail project.
Let us hope that by your next visit, we will have the Metro Rail functioning in harmony with City’s natural surroundings, especially in important places like the promenade on MG Road.
With lots of love and regards
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