Then and Now

Then and Now

It is a nice feeling to recall (g) olden days and trace how ways of living have changed over the last 50 odd years. Whether the quality of life has changed for the better or worse is a debatable issue. However, this blog provides me an opportunity to share some of my observations on living in India then and now.

As I recall, people then seemed a lot more contented in their lives. The pursuit of wealth and other materialistic pleasures was certainly less aggressive in those days.

Years after my father retired, I asked him one day “Appa, how would you like to lead your life if you were to live all over again?” His spontaneous reply was “Exactly the same way I have lived”. His response reflected the supreme contentment he had in his life. He often said “one can buy the best of dunlopillow beds (it was a craze then) with riches – it still doesn’t guarantee him sound sleep”.

In our home near Pune, an elderly man delivered the newspaper and magazines. Judging by the geographical area he covered on his bicycle, my guess is that he pedaled over 20 miles a day. Rain or shine, he never missed even a single day to deliver the morning paper. As I remember him, he was a very contented man who performed his job with absolute dedication. He was a great soul!

In those days, people socialized a lot more with their families and friends. My parents regularly hosted dinners to families of friends and in turn we got invited to their homes.

I think people trusted the government a lot more than what they do today. Bureaucracy was not all that complex and corruption was much less. In general, there was a higher degree of mutual trust and people were more tolerant of one another.

Employment opportunities were very limited. Government jobs were preferred for the security and perks they offered. Even in the dullest professions, the dignity for work and the sense of responsibility ran pretty high.

I was often amazed at the variety of professions people pursued to make a living. I use the word “profession” because people who were in it hardly ever changed their line of work.

The breed of workers who made a meager but honest living included: fruit sellers; vendors of bread, eggs and vegetables; milkmen; ice-cream and candy sellers; snack vendors (typically carrying their wares in a large basket over the head); carpenters, barbers; ear cleaners/masseurs; door-to-door sellers of fabrics, bangles, utensils and household items; street entertainers like rope walkers, snake charmers; tongawalas – the list is almost endless. I have hardly seen them exploiting the consumers to make a kill for themselves. The relationship they built with their consumers was based on mutual respect and trust.

More later……..