I believe in Bangalore

“Bangalore is in my DNA…I believe in Bangalore” is the caption of the newly launched newspaper in Bangalore. You would see the bill boards almost everywhere within the city.
I am one of those "very few" Bangaloreans left in Bangalore (now Bengaluru). I have been called the extinct species many a times by my colleagues and friends. I have been questioned about the politicians, infrastructure and the very infamous traffic jams. All I have in return for them is a smile, as I am not the arguing kind. Some answers to some of the rants that I get to hear.

Bangalore rains: Bangalore has showers and not floods unlike a lot of other metropolitan cities. I miss those days when pleasant weather prevailed all year through and we would take walks on MG road at 9am on a Sunday morning, grab a cuppa at the old “Coffee House”, chit chat as we saw the shops open. On the way back, we would stop over at “The lakeview” for an ice-cream. Wonder where those names disappeared!

Traffic jam: It is time we realized that there isn’t any such thing as traffic jam, but “We are the jam”. I, as a kid would cross “double road” alone on the way to school. Now, my parents warn me against taking the bike on that road.

Infrastructure: I wish people dreamt 15 years back about SM Krishna who initiated the making of an IT city. I am sure; the once existent Garden City was never prepared for IT.

For everyone who thinks that there is no fun/life in Bangalore, I would strongly suggest that they speak to a Bangalorean before making the comment. There are a lot more things to learn in Bangalore apart from “Kannada Gothilla” (I don’t know Kannada). If fun means dancing in the pubs, then I am afraid there is nothing much the city can do about it.

We all have enough problems to face in this city. Listening to people cursing about something bad, can only worsen the problem. This reminds me of a famous dialogue from Rang De Basanti. “If you can’t change the system, the least you can do is: not to curse it.” I personally, have given a serious thought about moving out of Bangalore. But, when I see the DNA advertisements, it hits a ‘why should I leave Bangalore ‘ note . It makes me miss those joy rides in the toy train of Cubbon park, lazy evening walks and ice candies in Lal-Bagh, MTR “dosas”, and the friendly Bangaloreans who would just greet you with a smile if you bumped into them J
I could go on and on this topic. Bengaluru is now home to people all over the country and outside. It has more than just “Bengal” in its name which I am proud of. I look forward to the day when things will be just fine and people would stop swearing against the city. I believe in Bangalore.