Woh Kagaz Ki Kashti

There is absolutely no doubt in saying that our standard of living has improved all these years. For example, a decade back we have to wait for 11 pm for STD charges to become 1/4th of day time charges, so that we could call our distant living friends and relatives. Now we can talk with them any time without any second thought at 1/10th of earlier rates. I can quote several examples like this, which shows that we are much better off than our previous generations.

But along with these gains there are certain losses as well. The things I have experienced in my past, I am sure our future generations can never experience in their life time. I am not pro-leftist who feels that only past was good neither I am sad about present and future; I am just expressing my nostalgic childhood experiences.

1) When I was kid we use to pump air in tires of cycles with the aid of a hand pump. It was good physical exercise and also in the end there was a sense of satisfaction that I have powered my bike by my own hand. Best part was I used same fingers to press the tire softly to satisfy my mind that tire is well pressurized (most of the times when it was not). Now we get tubeless tires even for bicycles and motorized air pump to pressure them.

2) During summer vacations I use to visit my nanny's place. I am sure most of our nannies live in villages with large fields / farms / orchards in her backyard. Every year she used to prepare lots of edible products just for me. For future generations most of nannies will live in apartments. Forget farms and orchards there won't be any open space to play during vacations except for society parks.

3) Doordarshan was only source of entertainment. There were only few movie programs like Sunday movie, Chitrahaar and Rangoli that too for very short duration and we use to wait for them the entire week patiently. There was a sublime kind of happiness in catching those events. Now there are hundreds of 24x7 such programmes and we try to avoid them at our best.

Also the soaps those days were very social. They use to tell the same story which was going on in our neighborhood. They are faces and incidents from our days to day lives. Now they are nothing but display of richness and glamour. They have done everything in depicting a villainous image of women which I think is not very true in Indian context.

4) Games and sports in old days were more cooperative. We needed a company of two to fly a kite, to search for sticks to use them as stumps for Cricket, etc. Now the games are more individualistic. They also involved fighting with opponents. Good thing is that they are teaching us competition but I think co-operation is also equally important in life.

That’s why I remember those golden words sung by Jagjit Singh

"Yeh daulat bhi lelo, yeh shoharat bhi lelo
Bhale cheen lo, mujhse meri jawani
Magar mujhko lautado bachpan ka saawan
Woh kagaz ki kashti, woh baarish ka paani"

Endnote: Those who are not proud of their history can seldom create one.