MADHU GOPINATH RAO writes from New York City: With an undeniable laidback charm, not so long ago, Bangalore was your quaint old south Indian city—a pensioner’s paradise and a garden city.
Misty mornings heralded the start of beautiful, often sunny days. Laden with rich aroma of filter coffee, crisp morning air soon displaced this misty blur. The tune of suprabhata would fill the neighbourhoods from someone’s old transistor radio. Close on the heels of milk and newspaper delivery, the ubiquitous darshinis (eateries) readied their fare for the morning commuters. As the suprabhatas turned to news, a steady stream of traffic would fill the roads and the eateries.
Good Morning Bangalore.
Passing the baton, the short-lived ‘peak hour’ bustle, would lead into a warm mid morning calm. As the postman did his rounds, retirees perused the newspapers on their patios, soaking in the morning’s tender sun. Ladies bartered sugar, coffee and gossip standing across the compound walls in the shade of the omnipresent coconut trees. Selling his interesting wares, a hawker or two would often lead to an emergency session of the street Parliament—cartels formed, deals negotiated, decisions made and the news of a good buy reaching the other end of the street in seconds!
Life was easy. The whistle of the pressure cooker, often the spoiler of such fun, ushered the lunch hour. Fresh cooked anna, saaru, palya would fill the noon air. Bon appetite. Lunch made way for a calmer afternoon good till the kids came running home.
Evenings were never dull either: kids playing at street corners; teenagers chatting away endlessly at the front gates; walks on Sampige or Margosa roads; idyllic meetings of seniors in Jayanagar 4th block complex; savoring pani puri at Ramakrishna Ashram or Seshadripuram; the street market bustle of Malleshwaram 8th cross or Gandhi Bazaar, evenings had their share of simplistic fun before a staple of TV and dinner.
There was much to be happy about in this predictable, chaos free simplicity.
Though a generalization, Bangaloreans have always loved simplicity. They take great pride in their simple happiness pursuits. Simple, polite, family oriented are some qualities that are a commonplace in Karnataka as the Bisi bele baath, kodu bale and akki rotti.
Do not let the unassuming simplicity fool you, for quite a few successful people hail from Bangalore—after all, the software boom did not happen by itself.
Even in the most famous of its sons, Kannadigas have a sense of obeisance to an inner discipline and simplicity. To me, a prime example is Anil Kumble: while playing, he is one of the more grittier and determined cricketers our country has seen (remember his fractured jaw strapped into place by a thick bandage, an injured Kumble, returned to claim Brian Lara‘s wicket in the Windies tour of 2002 ), while off the field, he is possibly the nicest, most unassuming person you will meet. Kannadigas bring that attitude and charm to what they do.
The non-stoic stance, the welcoming nature, beautiful weather, abundance of scientific brainpower and the cost arbitrage to outsource led to a steady flow of traffic—of MNCs and software companies, people who wanted to be in these companies, their vehicles and their baggage in tow (emotional and cultural), made a beeline for Bangalore— cumulatively changing it for ever.
This influx led to the software wave, crowning Bangalore as the numero uno of the Indian software hubs—‘The Silicon Valley of India’. This gold rush had not gone unnoticed and there was a huge stream of people trickling into Bangalore from various parts of India. Local businesses and non-local job aspirants alike benefited from this growth and wealth. Seemed like a win-win situation—till it got out of hand. With the crown and the wealth, came woes: uncontained traffic, soaring real estate prices, failing infrastructure and, last but not the least—a melange of people.
Per reliable estimates, only 30 per cent of Bangalore’s residents speak the local language, Kannada, today. The last decade of IT boom that put Bangalore on the global map, also made it a city dominated by non-localites. There is, of course, no justification for saying that any region of India be inhabited by members of one linguistic community only, in case of Bangalore, the Kannadigas (and all its flavors). But often the reality is too twisted to be framed to such idealistic frameworks.
Very many of the new entrants did not do much to help the situation either. For most parts, they chose to live in their own groups, often not blending with the locals or picking up basics of Kannada ; thanks in part to a lack of need for it and, in part due to a misguided sense of linguistic pride — picking up Kannada tantamounting to reduced allegiance to their mother tongue. When in a new city, there is hardly any bad in seeking people who hail from your hometown—it is almost second nature. The problem started when these groups became vocal and abrasive to the extent that it made the locals feel unwelcome in their localities.
Early 1990s set the stage for the future things to come when the discontentment poured into the streets during the Cauveri water disputes . The water dispute was the last straw and a reason. Violence marred the city. Madras returning the favor, just added to the fire. The tension is very much alive even today and flows in the moment water levels in Cauvery recedes.
Like I have stated, many a times: “Politicians are like diapers—almost always full of crap; if not, it’s just a matter of time.” Among these politicians, Karnataka is blessed with the worst of their ilk. Add to this, the woes of traffic congestion, rising real estate prices, bridges and flyovers built where one was not needed and eventually ending up impeding the traffic flow (after construction dragging on for years), IT czars threatening to walk out on the city and the state.
It was chaos.
30 % kannadigas in bengaluru, figures are wrong. these figures were fabricated by some IT COMPANIES ALONG WITH TIMES OF INDIA.
increased influx of kannadigas from rural areas of karnataka to bengaluru has resulted in increase kannadiga population in the city.This is a good sign , let the benefit of economic boom benefit the poorest kannadiga.
Kannadigas should take back Bengaluru and stop being psychophantic to the outsiders who come here. Put them in their place and remind that they are in Karnataka! All these entities (IT companies, news papers etc) are consipiring so that the outsiders can all collaborate and try to impose their uncouth ways on the Kannadigas.
dear MADHU GOPINATH RAO:
where’s the Red light area in New York? will the auto guy take me there?
dear Drrr. Ramesh,
How much you charge to remove a bad tooth or a non Kannadiga?
I agree with Dr. Ramesh. There are more Kannadigas from rural areas in Bangalore now and conveniently the Kannada population of Bangalore is being less and less with each passing year. MG Rao makes some interesting points but his world is terribly limited to South Bangalore (except for Malleswaram)! He is also correct about the outsiders beginning to make Kannadigas unwelcome in their own city!!
MGR is probably only familiar with cricket. But there are other sports like football and hockey, Kannadigas and Bangaloreans have done very well.
dr Ramesh = doddi buddi
Well Sripadam- obviously you are new here if you think Dr R = DB- au contraire sir- but I must say it’s a pleasant surprise to see they agree on something- makes even a cynic like me say- Sirigannadam Gelge Sirigannadam Baalge!
A reverse argument in a Nietzhche-ian sense is always welcome. When one refers to old Mysore it means an allusion to a relief from streaming consumerism and cool IT BT crowds. But one begs to question the morphological make up of old bangalore? There was never an idyllic yesterday nor an idyllic today. Reality is how we make it to be. What do you expect people from Gulbarga and Shahpur to do? Die at least they are being noticed now and perhaps looked as beasts in Old Bangalore.
***
Nietzche and Heidegger are most welcome to advocate a nihilistic argument.
It is very easy to comment being perched in New York city and jet setting for a few days and moving around in AC cars and complaining about Bangalore. These jet setting people and the so called development activists who have not even seen the belly of Afzalpur are greater sinners and would see a relatively post Hubli or Dharward [a town which makes one sad, when will the glorious days of Karnatak University come back?] or Raichur as a place for the supercats who need Cauvery Emporia but also need baby sitting taxis in USA, who need Khyber but also indira bhavana and perched in their ivory towers without experiencing an ounce of hardship pass moralizing comments on people. Ask a tool room mechanic from Shahpur how much a job in MICO means to him.
The same Bangalore if it was a paradise would not be livable without Kleenex and how they miss new york city. Indians are always halfbaked people neither here or there. The allusion of BBDcs for example may be true after all.
If this Bangalore dies how many stomachs will be kicked? Any thoughts about that/
Nice article. Brings back a part of the ‘old days’ (it wasnt so long ago!) in Bangalore for anyone who has lived it. Would have been nice to add about life in the cantonment area, langford town etc. too – a little different lifestyle, the same idyllic feel.
Sripadam = A**hole.
Dr. Ramesh – please make sure sripadam loses all his teeth. And charge him a bomb for it!
Another “Wonder Years” article by another non-resident Kannadiga (‘Writes from Noo Yark’…Mind ittt!)
Saar….Wake up and smell the silicon-bele-baath, or the mocha from your closest Starbucks. Almost everything you talked about may not have remained as it was, but it certainly has not vanished altogether… The bustle of Gandhi Bazar endures, the vendors of Malleshwaram market still survive, the corner Darshini still does brisk business…. the city has changed all right, but that does not mean it has lost its character altogether.
Harping about the days gone by… saar, that is justu the clouds in your filter-coffee!
to be read as place like Raichur or gulbarga where one will fall sick or where space age creatures live leaving the secure confines of a nice 1crore house in Bangalore where from an AC room one can rue about Bangalore. Bangalore is not isolated from India and cannot escape the problems other cities are going through. At least for a mirage Chennai seems to have done some thing?
@Dr.R, I’d be happier if you are more correct on the 30% number. It’s good for the city..
@DB, “restricted to South Bangalore.. ” — Not sure why ? Pray explain ? If any, it is Malleswaram biased — it’s an obvious but a subconcious draft :-)
@antares, many in Bangalore are fed by Noo Yark based companies. Being based in NY does not make one less of a Kannadiga or an Indian. udharam bharanartham... On the title, maybe you would have preferred the original title “Bangalore : Surviving the ‘BYTE’ “. Maybe when you step out(like to Noo Yark for me) and come back after a year, the starkness of the change is more obvious ? It’s not a bad thing, for change is the only thing constant ; just that it is palpable..
Wow! A “wonder years” article for sure, as ‘antares’ so aptly puts it. This article so eloquently captures life in the yesteryears of Bangalore, at-least with regards to that in the Basavanagudi area. I was brought up there, and my my, this article just transported me back to those days. I feel blessed to have been brought up there. I close my eyes and I can imagine myself walking through this life as a young boy :) I enjoyed the trip this article took me on. I think the goal of this article was to capture that magical life in Bangalore that author believes is nearly gone or is at-least in rapid decline. So fellas, take it easy on the stats! :) … WOW!, i’m still blown away by this author’s literary skill in bringing an entire world from the past to life. Wow! I want to come home for a holiday now!
>>”Per reliable estimates, only 30 per cent of Bangalore’s residents speak the local language, Kannada, today.”
“Per reliable estimates”?? Pray, who are these ‘estimators’ and what is their ‘reliability’? Elaborate or shut up. Dont cook up shit just so your pretentious drivel has a leg to stand on.
When I was growing up eating places were coffee clubs, lodges, hotels, and even restaurants. How did they come to acquire the appellation “Darshini?” Haven’t military hotels retained their age old nomenclature?
Bangalore was wonderful in the days of yore that Mr. Rao speaks of, but it had many of the same problems that oppress it today. I remember the open sewers in Sheshadripuram. There were slums all over the city; Anakru and Ramamoorthy righlty worried about Kannadigas fast sliding toward the category of minorities. Non-Kannada schools, there was one right on the 18th cross in Malleswara, flourished all over the city. Often riots broke out because restaurants upped their prices of this or that. Scalping was a profitable business at many theatres. BTS buses, besides being temperamental, spewed out a lot of pollution.
But one thing is true–those who invested in real estate then could not be happier now.
Bangalore, like the rest of the country, is groaning under the weight of a population it cannot support. It is only a matter of time before the poor start storming the palatial homes of the rich, be they Tamils, Kannadigas, or Martians.
P.S. Please substitute Bengaluru for Bangalore. Old habits die hard.
@sisya, looks like something touched a raw nerve ? :-). Unfound anger is a manifestation of a weak position. Never mind, though tempted to retort likewise, let me be the sensible one and take the high road here…
The Hindu :- http://frontlineonline.info/thehindu/mp/2005/12/20/stories/2005122000130300.htm
Page-8 of this article by Center for Study of Culture and Society:-
http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:DjPqhcX3XzsJ:www.sephis.org/pdf/nairpap.pdf+kannadigas+minority+in+bangalore&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=us
A ton of blogs, one of them being..:-
http://bangalorebuzz.blogspot.com/2005/01/abolish-bda-stop-formation-of-sites.html
Let me know if you need more to satiate the flailing matter in your upper echelons – grey or otherwise. And do mind your tongue, you are in a public forum. If civil discussion eludes you, maybe instead of just doling out, you ought to take your own advice on shutting up ?
SriPadam thanks for solving the almost unsaalvable mystery
Doddi Buddi = Dr Ramesh
Sisya, decorum please.
Pulikeshi
It is miltary hotel not military hotel! We have many in Hinkal Mysore, please do stop by for pintu, awesome mudde and chops!
This 30% Kannadigas (for the last 25 years it has been the same percentage) is most mis-conceived statistics. There are few lakhs of people in Bangalore, whose mother tongue is, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi, Tulu, Konkani, Urdu and even Bengali. (Iyers, Iyengars, Naidus, Reddys, Shettis, Ganigas, Devangas, Marwaris, Kakas, Nairs, Udupi, Raos, etc. settled here for more than 3-4 generations and their “roots” are very much here in Karnataka. In every aspect, they should be treated as “Kannadigas”. Unfortunately, at the time of census, since they mention their respective “mother tongues, they are treated as non-Kannadigas and is the reason for this low percentage. This needs to be set right. In what way, Masti, Bendre, Mirza Ismail, Rajaratnam, Na.Kasturi, Goruru. Girish Karnad etc. are non-Kannadiga, just because their mother tongue is not Kannada? This needs to be debated by all Kannadigas, as has been stated by Baraguru Ramachandrappa in one of his articles in “Sudha” some time back.
I am siiiiiiiiiiiiii….ck to teeth with this “when I was in Bangalore….” kind of stories from some bored-to-death NRIs. if you google search you will get some zillion entries about mysore tanga … how cute… oh lost it.. oh..oh…
I like blore today. i have vowed not to tell my grandchildren about “o.. you know the jaydeva flyover!!! the hebbal flyover!!!! o the FOrum! the PVR!! … the INox…!! and you know how the metro ….”
people from udupi,kundapur ( I AM FROM KOTESHWARA, NEAR KUNDAPUR) WHO OWN 80% OF DARSHINIS IN bengaluru brought all the staff from their home town ,still they are doing it — increase in kannadigas in the city.
contractors are getting labourers from northern parts of the state ,as tamil andhra labourers are expensive. u can see that in every construction site in the city.
kannada resurgence has begun long back ,and is at its peak in the city ,thanks to KA RA VE and kannadiga youth.( TECHIES included)
O Deer Eyes, Cool, Cool. I can understand your feelings. But the article is not simply about Bangalore or IT, written by some woollen scarf wearing pensioners. Please think over in its entirety. It is about the very existence of the language and the culture and the rights of the sons of soil. If you look around, these aspects are being thought over in every city or town, including most developed countries, side by side the developmental necessities.
Well, you over-idealize the olden days. People keep saying about Kannada is gone, Kannadigas are no more etc etc. I find the evidence to be contrary. There was an article recently in ToI (i dont read ToI usually :-) ) about Radio Mirchi havign highest listenership in Bangalore. I definetely hear more kannada being spoken in MG Road these days, compared to what it was 15 years ago. And someone rightly said, we can still enjoy by2 coffee, davangere benne dose, CTR benne masale, bisi bisi idli near malleshwaram railway station or at veena stores, Vidhyarthi bhavan still exists – in fact, I would say these are thriving!!! Of course, traffic has worsened, but there are definetely more job opportunities – which is good for the city residents.
I sincerely hope Dr.ramesh and Doddi Buddhi are right. But I didn’t see these signs on my last visit to Bangalore. When I asked for a plate of Curd Vada in a vegetarian hotel he served me Lassi Vada with sweet in it, more like the Shetty hotels in Mumbai. He would do that only if bulk of his clientele are Gujjus. A good Idli Wada place I used to frequent in Indira Nagar has been replaced by some Punjabi joint.
Also most auto drivers and the like spoke Hindi to me till I spoke back to them in Kannada. Clearly, there are more non Kannda speakers there than Kannadigas.
I think somehow Kannadigas r increasing in Bengaluru,Before if u want plumber,construction labourers u would be getting only Tamilians.Nowadays lot of people r there in N.Karnataka.Even from Rural Mysore,hassan,mandya (sons of Farmers)etc. r coming to B’luru for business,factories,etc.
“…Ladies bartered sugar, coffee and gossip standing across the compound walls in the shade of the omnipresent coconut trees…”
Hmmm…. is it your desire then that we return to this ‘idyllic’ state and everything associated with it? Isnt this sub-conscious gender stereotyping as damaging as the kannadiga – non-kannadiga issue that everyone is so vocal about?
For those who are tempted to shout me down for subverting the issue/ or want to demean the issue with irreverant comments, please spare your efforts – this forum makes one resilient to such battering! :-)
“It is about the very existence of the language and the culture and the rights of the sons of soil.”
OK janasamanya, let you and me talk about it leaning over a road divider. Not interested in LISTENING to a – may be body suit wearing elderly maami, eating pizzas, drinking diet pepsy in a suburb in the Big Apple.
if she wants to talk let her come down to akhaada first and show her might.
This 30-35% figure seems to be source of a lot of contention.
Yaaake?!… zimbly call it 10%… manufacture outrage amongst the “sons of the soil” (techies included)… raise a movement… agitate… run riot… and finally… kill the mudbloods (a la Harry Potter).
Hang on, this is the OLD plan no? ;)
I’d any day trade concrete monstrocities called apartments which house some 100 odd families for houses with compounds and omnipresent coconut trees. some good old filter coffee in a small Udupi place for Cafe Coffee Day or Barista crap, Bangalore with Bangaloreans for that crowded hell which is fast losing its identity.
@ sanjay – did you really miss the point or did you just deliberately ignore it? Or are you saying that the you also prefer that the ladies stick to bartering sugar, coffee and gossip, preparing fresh anna and saaru 3 times a day?
Smita says: Or are you saying that the you also prefer that the ladies stick to bartering sugar, coffee and gossip, preparing fresh anna and saaru 3 times a day?
Madam, even for arguement sake, what is wrong with preparing anna and saaru 3 times a day by “wimmen”.
If it is for argument sake – sumneneeve madkoli bidi.
repeat again – call the bodysuit wearing , pizza eating, diet pepsy drinking maami home – before talking about all that ayyo… paapaa… about our bengaluru
smita says: sumneneeve madkoli bidi
But madam, that is not the point. I am just disturbed by you terming the idea of preparing anna and saaru 3 times a day as a trivial exercise. You can ask me, I tried doing that for 2 years and gave up on that having utterly failed.
I am just confused by your stance that women find it offensive to prepare anna and saaru 3 times a day. What gives.
Kannadada makkalella ondagi banni andre, ellaru jagLa adtha idiralreeee. Konege ellaru ottige heLodadru enappa??!!
@sumneneeve
“trivial exercise”, “offensive” are inferences YOU made and you are right to be disturbed by your thoughts. in fact it is high time you reflected on them!
I only asked whether that is what you prefer ladies to do… answer that and refrain from using medieval terminologies to refer to women and then probably we can have a discussion
Is this post a repost from another blog. Why is only the first part published here
Can somebody tell me just how many posts about Bengaluru have shown up here? That town must really be important to a lot of us.
@Narayana, Yes there is a part two. Looks like you followed the hyperlinks..
@Satya & Bengaluru Kanda, Part two talks of exactly that. Rise of Kannada awareness in recent times — very good sans some ostensible brashness in select approaches.
@Smitha, I partly agree with you. The idea was to highlight the idyllic life of retiress as was seen. The article also mentions how Kannadigas are go getters. The software boom did not happen by itself comment as well..
Smita – You are very smart. You lead people to make inferences and disown them. Shabhaash!!
At the cost of inviting your wrath, let me ask you, can being a software engineer and “Ladies bartering sugar, coffee and gossip standing across the compound walls in the shade of the omnipresent coconut trees” dont go hand in hand. They can still do it over the weekend, can’t they?
Pls note that the article talks about “Ladies bartered”. It does not say “Ladies ONLY bartered”. Now, Smita, you tell me who made inferences? Also, pls note the author himself refers to this idea w.r.t retirees only.
The problem with Smita and people of her ilk are they think it is fashionable to disown things that belong to our culture and ape the western world and the punjabi world at ALL THE wrong places.
Yella Ok! :-) you are very amusing! When i made inferences, I asked a question to clarify it. When you and Sumneneeve make inferences, you go ahead trying to prove it and provide workarounds for it!
Somehow, yella doesnt seem too OK!
Smita says: I only asked whether that is what you prefer ladies to do…
Yes, I would defintely prefer women to cook for me. After having failed at it, I would love if someone did it for me. Besides Smita, do you know why Women are preferred as home-makers? If I may, not sounding Sexist about it?
Thank you for meriting my question with a response. My response now: It is this preference that troubles me, not that cooking is trivial or offensive like you suggested earlier. In my experience, this preference often comes with reasonable ‘sounding’ explanations like:
* women are BETTER at it (Really now!!?? and is it because of this that they are called home-makers? or is it because of the evolutionary psychology of gender roles? or what?)
* women LIKE doing these things – cooking, gossiping, home making (!!!)
* it is in our CULTURE (the concept most misused in propogating these stereotypes)
* women are MORE SUITED for these roles (the Men are from Mars, women from Venus theories)
and when it suits the situation, it is then followed by disparaging observations like:
* She thinks it (whatever the task in question) is like managing her kitchen
* What does she know – she can only gossip!
* She thinks she can cry and get away with it!
* She has never had a proper job – how will she know what it is like.
and so much more!
And now, she is even expected to cook 3 times a day AND manage a software job, manage the baby, maintain relationships on weekends by bartering sugar, coffee and gossip (and if not on weekends, then definitely after retiring when she doesnt have anything else to do!). Of course, she seems to have a choice here – but if we explore some more, she really doesnt!
Funnily enough, it is not only the men who contribute to this state of affairs, but a woman’s own need to meet these societal standards! (after all we are supposed to be better at multi-tasking, more conscientious, more sensitive to relationship needs, have a greater threshhold of pain… and all that subtle manipulative positives that pitch our benchmark way up there)
Coming back to the original post here – the reason i highlighted the said statements was to bring attention to exactly this phenomenon which in my opinion (and that of my ‘ilk’ maybe :-)) does us great disservice. I quote specifics from my experience here – not any generalizations and I will be glad to hear that my experiences are anomalies/ exceptions to the rule.
Madam Smita,
Its not that Women are better at it. Its just that men are really really worst at it. Women are preferred as home-makers because men have miserably failed at it. There are no iffs and butts. Men cant maketh a home. We have tried and we have worked hard at it. But the ease at which a women makes her home, men cant.
Its not that men want to subjugate women into their homes. It is but unfortunate that men cant maketh a home. It is not a myth. And the current trend is not women does everything, men also contribute, but please dont ask us to cook and take care of a baby. Our brains are hardwired not to. We simply get confused over such chores. Please take care of it. We will do the rest.
Sumne-Smitha,
I’m sorry, I need to jump in. I held my pen as it seemed like a conflict of two personal preferences but now we are throwing in a web of generalizations, stereotypes, half truths at best peppered with personal preferences-shortfalls to justify these stereotypes ? Unacceptable.
The article does NOT subscribe to either of what you two are arguing about.
Smitha,
There is an outside chance that the idyllic life ‘could’ be mis-interpreted by a few and I conceded that, while in reality it does NOT. For most parts “Yella Ok” succinctly described the articles’s position vis-a-vis yours.
Your preference and plausible reasons comment above re-iterates and reinforces some long standing stereotypes. I do not think that’s what most men think — SumneNeeve might. I’m sure there are millions of men, like me, who do not subscribe to it. I LOVE cooking and I cook more than my wife does as it helps me unwind after a busy day. I do not like cleaning or doing the dished, but I DO it as well. It is retrogressive and backward to slot a work as his/her. That’s my personal opinion and I’m sure there are millions who are like me..
SumneNeeve,
Good luck if you are not married and I pity your wife if you already are. But this ?
Speak for yourself buddy, leave the generalizations alone. I couldn’t disagree with you more.
Athreya,
You need not pity my wife. While I can shower all the love and affection to kids, I can only do so much. There is a “mothers” touch, a father cant do, cant imitate. So thanks for your wishes. There is a reason that a proverb: Mother is the truth, father only a conviction exists. I am pretty sure that you cant fathom what it intrinsicly implies.
So should I say, good luck to your wife since you are very well doing her job as well?
Athreya : The article does NOT subscribe to either of what you two are arguing about.
So, shouldnt we talk about it?
SumneNeeve,
I would say good luck to my wife for putting up with me :-). But seriously, the mother’s touch apart, I truly believe that husbands do more than just expect things to be done by their wives. If not we should..
sir, please do argue. I’m just saying, as the author, I do not have anything to do with the discussion is all. It’s a digression and a tangent, but it is relevant to the comment Smitha made..
Just when i thought it was futile to respond to Sumneneeve – who just supported my contention with the ‘hardwired’ explanation, i read your response Mr Athreya – and thank you for that. I am glad for the millions of men who may think like you do.
Yella Ok’s interpretation of the article, in playing with the semantics – still reflects a parochial view that belies the simplicity associated with bartering gossip. (and i do not agree that the statement about ladies is made w.r.t retirees – sorry.). What the author really meant, probably only he can clarify.
At least now we know that our dentist doc is not from the Holenarasipura area. He is a man from Koteshwara who admires a criminal multi- koteeshwara politician and his son who saved Karnataka by reneging on his promise to make Yediyurappa CM.
@Smitha,
It is not intended in any way to demean or diminish the efforts of the women of today — being a homemaker and/or otherwise. I also do believe it’s a lot difficult to be a homemaker. The article does not convey to the contrary and is fair to the scenes that were a commonplace till the late ’80s to early ’90s. The simplicity is intended as an affable attribute that belies the go-getter that lies inside.
About “What the author really meant, probably only he can clarify..” — Agree — hence “I AM” clarifying :-)
Looks like my comment got deleted .., here it is again..
@Smita,
The article does not mean to diminish or demean the contributions of women, inside the house or outside. For the record, I do believe being a homemaker is a full time job, and a tough one at that. Having said that, the article in no way talks to the contrary. It is a mere reflection of the scenes that were a commonplace in many a Bangalore localities circa late 80 – early 90s.
About ‘What the author really meant, probably only he can clarify..’ – agree – I AM clarifying Smitha :-), I am MG Rao and I write under the name Athreya…