Reclaiming our paradise

Reclaiming our paradise

Bangaloreans to the core, some adopted the city, some who were born to it, flatter it with heart-felt compliments and offer their suggestions for a positive change




YUSUF ARAKKAL, ARTIST AND SCULPTOR
I LOVE BANGALORE FOR...
I came to Bangalore 45 years ago. I remember it was a cold day when I alighted from Island Express. I was on the streets of Bangalore for a year and a half and I consider that time as the toughest university I have been to. The Bangalore I witnessed that time was a great place.
I used to ride a bike on MG Road with friends. It was a lot of fun. It was a very green and peaceful city. I can safely say it was 50 per cent cleaner than it is today. There were water bodies and that was something I liked about Bangalore. I used to drive to Bellandur lake... you can’t buy that pleasure. That was the Bangalore I grew up in.
It was beautiful and the mornings would be so foggy, you had to use headlights even at 10 am, especially on the Airport Road as it was on a higher altitude. Driving in Bangalore those days was a great pleasure.
There were other things happening in the city which I think are what made the Bangalore of today. We had stalwarts like Karanth, there was a lot happening which probably culminated in the progress we see today.
CHANGE I WANT TO SEE
Today Bangalore is just another place. While I wouldn’t advocate that the city go back to its former self, there are some things I want to see changed.
The city is not as bad and I won’t unnecessarily blame the corporators or the BBMP. They have got their problems and are trying to solve them. We need a little more expertise and a few more focused people to lead from bottom up. The greenery is not all lost either. In my layout there are so many trees, I was surprised to see fog in the early morning some 2-3 weeks back, very similar to the 70s. This is indication that the trees have grown but we can still do a lot more to enhance the greenery.
Traffic, sewage system and roads however are the three main problems in the city. Wherever you go, you find potholes and sewage spilling out. If someone with a vision could take charge at the governing level and do something about it in a year or two, Bangalore can become a wonderful city.
Talking about traffic, we have constables controlling traffic but I would like to put the onus on people who add to the traffic. I see people overtaking from left, right and I am sure they would even overtake from the top if they could. What they don’t understand is if we only wait for 2 or 5 minutes and drive in a lane, the traffic would be much smoother.
Then, there’s the recent issue of women being troubled for wearing western clothes. I think every citizen should look into the issue. We are a globalised society and in such a situation, people should realise that evolving styles are a part of it. This is the first thing I’d like to change. My sister, my daughter, my wife should be able to wear a spaghetti top or whatever they want to wear. Why should someone else tell them what to wear?
Finally, there is the menace of these hoardings of politicians. Wherever I go, I find huge hoardings with the faces of the PM, the CM and local partymen. I don’t know what purpose they serve except spoiling the aesthetics of the city. These hoardings also block one’s view while driving. The party high commands should instruct their cadres not to do this.
We have got to accept change. Every city has its problems but a little effort from citizens is all it needs. Concerned citizens like journalists, writers and artists need to come together because together we can make a big difference in bringing about a change.



JAGDISH RAMASWAMY, CHIEF QUALITY OFFICER AND HEAD OF BUSINESS EXCELLENCE, WIPRO LIMITED
I LOVE BANGALORE FOR...
The range of eating places starting from the value for money darshinis to Vidyarthi Bhavan, MTR, north Indian, Chinese, continental, Mexican, you name it, we have got it. No other place has this choice. Then there are the Iyengar bakeries all over the city. Wow! what a choice of pastries, buns, breads and honey cakes.
The co-location of the railway station, the interstate bus station and the intercity bus stand. What a great thing to have especially looking at cities like Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi where bus and train stations are far apart. What a great convenience for the travelling public.
The green gardens /parks of Bangalore – Lalbagh and Cubbon Park - two of the best parks where you can relax in the midst of madness and rush… both right in the heart of the city. Also, the interest people have in trees, home gardens and the variety of indoor plants.
The cleanliness and greenery on the roads - I think Bangalore is one of the cleaner cities with decent roads. A rarity given the governments keep changing hands from one party to another so often.
The rain that doesn’t last too long, it always pours in the night when you are asleep and cools down the day for you. What pleasant weather!
The sheer number of IT/high-tech companies are a pride to show off to the entire world and the job opportunities for the youngsters.
There’s a lot of value for traditional art forms like music, art, theatre, paintings.
People are very warm. They care for each other.
The fresh vegetables that are available through HOPCOMS across the city. What a convenient way to get your fresh salads daily.
The places in and around Bangalore to get out and spend a day at - Bannerghatta, Big Banyan tree, Vithala temple, dhabas on Bellary Road, Whitefield Sai Baba Ashram, Mysore, Pearl Valley, Goravanahalli, etc.
The way Gauri Ganesha festival is celebrated. What a way to unite the entire city across communities for 10 days of celebration, fun and frolic.
CHANGE I WANT TO SEE
Better co-ordination in making over-bridges and flyovers. We need a lot of these but have very few and most are not planned well.
I would have got the Metro long back. Trains within Bangalore (Bangalore Metro) should have been there given the number of railway stations connecting the city. This could have been used for train service without causing so much hardship to the people.
Improve city planning and house designs. Houses are too close to each other and have poor ventilation. There’s not enough open space in the city for fresh air. City planning guidelines should have been more stringent.
Pathetic condition of drains and garbage disposal.
Bribes for everything and anything at the corporation level. Need to reduce this.
Wish we had more schools for children, more colleges and better quality of education. None of Bangalore’s colleges is among the top colleges in India (excepting School of Law)



DHYAN (SAMMIR DATTANI), ACTOR
I LOVE BANGALORE FOR...
There’s very little that I would want to change about Bangalore. It’s a city that invites me with arms open and then lavishes its love on me.
The sad part is that Bangalore is growing too fast. The green cover is receding. A concrete jungle has replaced the luxurious foliage. It’s a sad end to the bliss we enjoyed here. But at the same time, it’s a happy step forward to becoming a metropolis in the true sense of the word. I love the mix of the quaint and the trendy in Bangalore, the fantastic book shops with the delectable eateries, the traditional places for south Indian meals standing tall along side and the hip pubs...it’s an eclectic mix of the good, better and the best. That’s Bangalore. Each time I come to this city I feel I’ve come home.



SHUKLA BOSE, FOUNDER - CEO, PARIKRMA HUMANITY FOUNDATION
I LOVE BANGALORE FOR...
I am originally from Kolkata and settled down in Bangalore after travelling all over the world. I chose to settle down here because I found it had the unique combination of being very modern and having an understated charm of its own.
Bangalore embraces you and it is easy to call it your home because everyone can belong. It is so cosmopolitan in nature. The climate is superb. I especially love the spring when the trees are in full bloom. When I moved in here straight from Bombay, I loved the roads lined with trees and that it took so little time to reach the airport.
The people here are so hospitable, accommodating and genuinely simple and it is a pleasure to be with them.
Bangalore is a city where you can be in touch with the world and yet have space of your own. This city is very gracious and not intrusive.
CHANGE I WANT TO SEE
Alas, so much of the quality of real Bangalore is getting lost. Violence and law and order issues are becoming matters of concern. I can see all signs of a consumptive society emerging in this city that was never ostentatious in nature earlier.
I feel sad that while we can see new wealth being flashed around the poverty too stares at your face. The inequality is becoming stark which is disturbing. I am also concerned with the apathy that exists which has already destroyed the uniqueness of this city.
We complain about the increasing temperatures, cutting of the trees, potholes in roads, traffic congestion and yet do nothing about it. We depend on politicians who have never been known to put the state before themselves. The young professionals who are reaping benefits of this gentle modern city must pitch in and participate in its betterment.