With apologies to none at all
By Vikas Mehta
I have been a Urban Bhartiya citizen, living in Dehradun for almost 10 years now. Urban Bhartiya because while mid-size towns like Dehradun retain a local and slightly rural oriented stance to culture, traditions and habit, it has been quick to adapt to urban modes like consumerism, lifestyle and new products.
The one area where Urban Bharat seems to be degenerating is unfortunately neither a rural nor a metro city phenomena. It is more a function of the change which has been sudden and not gradual. The rise of impatience and temper. Everyone seems to be having a short fuse and is in a great hurry.
Cities like Dehradun were famous for a leisurely, almost lazy lifestyle. Shops would not open before 11 (they still do not) but would close by 7 (now they are open till beyond 9). And it was not uncommon for most shops to close for lunch for two hours in the afternoon. People would not commit to a time. I will see you around 12-12:30, was the common refrain and no one would bat an eyelid if that would become 1. Traffic was far and few with two-wheelers, also of the non-motorised types being more visible. There was no rush to overtake or to be ahead. Indeed, to a metro visitor, it would seem that the Lucknowi tehzeeb of ‘pehle aap’ was evident on the road too. And early mornings and evenings had more brisk walkers than traffic on the road. Polite small conversations on the road were not uncommon. Polite eye contact, recognition and acknowledgement, care for each other, exchange of festival greetings… all was par for the course.
While the change was already underway when I moved to Doon, the situation has deteriorated quite rapidly in the last few years. Yes, unplanned growth and urbanisation is the primary cause of impatience and a sense of anger in almost everyone, but I think there is much more than meets the eye. The city is going through some major changes.
From being a city that prided itself on individual houses to a city which is now being overrun by flats and apartments.
A city that had narrow lanes which did not seem narrow for two-wheelers or walkers to a city, which still has narrow lanes but has now been dwarfed by four-wheelers of all sizes.
A city where time was measured maybe in hours to a city, where every second now seems to be like an hour.
A city which regarded tourists as guests to a city, which looks at tourists suspiciously like outsiders.
A city, which was actually a village at heart with a sprawl of a city to a city which thinks that being smart is its pride. The city it seems is becoming too smart for itself.
Primarily, the change is happening because of narrow outlook. Both literally and metamorphically.
Maybe we are feeling hemmed in and claustrophobic. Both literally and metamorphically.
Maybe there is a sense of being overrun. Both literally and metamorphically.
Maybe there is a fear of missing out. Both literally and metamorphically.
And maybe there is a true sense of alienation. Both literally and metamorphically.
That is why, a two-wheeler driver is always angry because s/he is not happy being elbowed out.
That is why a four-wheeler driver is on short fuse because s/he is not allowed to dominate the small lanes.
That is why a walker refuses to acknowledge a co walker because they are fighting for the same limited space.
That is why a visitor is looked at upon as an intruder because he is buying property and driving prices up.
That is why there is anger and sadness to mass cutting of trees because the locals think it is only for the benefit of the tourists.
And that is why the smart city project is dragging on because no one knows if the negative connotation of the word smart as in “smart boy” is what the city should look forward to.
It’s uncanny how the physical change in a city can spoil the mood, behaviour and temperament of the city.
We talk about consumer behaviour from a viewpoint of culture, language, tradition etc. But physical transformation also affects our behaviour.
Frankly, it also tells us how much wrong is happening in the city.
And I suspect a similar story is being played out in other Urban Bhartiya cities.
I don’t know if a similar trend played out in the metros but I suspect the metros had never seen the ill-effects of a big unplanned city. They just did not know what they were getting into it.
But we, the citizens of Urban Bharat, have seen our metropolitan cities. And we are seeing our small towns careening towards exactly the same place.
So, we are mad, bad and definitely not glad.