Here is an interview with the head of an average Bangalore
family and it aims to know the thoughts and feelings of the common Bangalorean concerning
the changing trends in the lifestyle of typical families in the city.
Mr.Susai Manickam, the person interviewed here, is a 65 year old electrician who came to
Bangalore over 40 years ago, after securing a job in BHEL, an electrical engineering
company in the public sector. He retired from the company 10 years ago.Susai's family now
consists of his old mother (88), his high-school graduate wife (53), his son (21) studying
for B.E. and his daughter (17) doing P.U.C. Susai is now living off his pension and
savings, occasionally taking up private jobs to supplement his income. The essence of his
interview that took place recently at his own house in Maruti Seva Nagar, a predominantly
Tamil locality of Bangalore, is reproduced here, with Susai Manickam and the interviewing
journalist indicated as SM and IJ respectively:
I J: Sir, you have been in Bangalore for more than 40 years now and you have
witnessed the city's changing trends in lifestyles ever since then. What do you think are
the highlights of these trends and to what extent your own family been influenced by them?
SM : Your question takes me back all the way to 1958 when I was 23 and
had just landed in Bangalore from the then famine-stricken district of North Arcot in
Tamilnadu. I must, first of all, tell you that when I came here, I was just overawed by
the dimensions and diversity of this city, but at the same time began to feel at home too,
for a variety of reasons. Clean and peaceful atmosphere, easy availability of water, power
and essential resources, products and services, smooth roads and safe traffic, good
transportation facilities, less population density, helpful and hospitable local
population, right avenues for relaxation and recreation, and very important, affordable
cost of living-all these and several more factors appealed to me most in this great city.
Today, of course, there is a sea change in every walk of life here. Food, dress,
education, household 'necessities,' entertainment… oh! It's all too difficult for me
to summarise the changing trends in the city; but I can surely say that particularly after
1992, things started changing very fast because of privatisation, growing percentage of
floating population, cable TV , computer and many other factors. The changes are happening
fast because Bangalore is most receptive to changes whether it is in technology or in
living styles. Is that not the reason why you people call it the most happening city of
India? Well, being a part of the core of this city's life as a middle class family, we are
also naturally influenced by whatever is 'happening' here, although I would say that we
are not really at the forefront of the change because of our strong roots in our culture.
IJ : Do you find the same "at home" feeling today as you did 3 or 4
decades back?
SM : It is rather difficult for me to answer you here because as I
said earlier, today there is a total change everywhere around in the city and even
personally, not only have I grown old but I now have greater family responsibilities too.
All the same, if you ask me, I wouldn't hesitate to say that I still continue to enjoy my
family life here and would still consider Bangalore the most family-friendly city of
India. And you bet, Bangalore is unlike any other metro of India on this count, as
directly confirmed by my own brothers sisters as well as friends who live there and keep
me informed of the day to day problems they encounter there. Even newspapers and TV
channels tell us the same truth about Bangalore.
IJ : Do you then feel that the average Bangalorean's attitude has remained the
same?
SM : I would say that the basic character of the city has just not changed
in spite of: the heavy influx of north Indians and foreigners in recent days, the bursting
of technology, trends and 'youth power' on Brigade Road and M.G. Road, and the reports of
crimes from the outskirts of the city. I am indeed happy to be able to state to you that
at heart Bangalore is still an innocent and peaceful city.
IJ: Mr. Susai, what do you say, in general, about the quality of life of an
average person in Bangalore?
SM : Well, I can't make an absolute statement on this point. But,
comparatively, i.e., compared to other metros of India, yes, Bangalore affords you a
superior quality of life, from many angles. There is less pollution and less environmental
disturbance. There are very good gardens. There are excellent educational facilities from
the pre-primary to the post-doctoral level. There is a wide range of avenues for cultural,
creative and intellectual pursuits. Even for the materially inclined, the city offers
enough facilities to enjoy with its pubs, bars, and food joints, its entertainment
outlets, its shopping options and all that. And coming to quality time spent with the
family, tell me which Indian metro facilitates an earlier home return to its working
population everyday? When you think of the value for money in terms of intrinsic and
intangible returns from life, I am sure Bangalore is hard to match.
IJ : One last question, please. How long do you think the plus points you
have emphasised so far will continue to keep Bangalore as the hot favourite of
family-loving people?
SM : Given the time-tested capability of the city to absorb latest
trends, adapt to them, and indeed thrive by leveraging them, I can only visualise
Bangalore as offering ever more reasons to people willing to make it their home.
As a typical Bangalorean, I feel I must thank you first for the pleasant opportunity you
gave me to sort of express my gratitude to the city of my life, through this interview.
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