The City Then & Now
I was born here in this beautiful city. It is the capital of Uttarakhand and lies near Himalayan foothills. It was not always the capital of the state. It happened only in the year 2000, and everything changed from then.Yeah I was born here in this lovely city which has a beautiful history of its own. It was the season of Autumn in the year 1977 on the 26th day of the month I took birth. I always felt great for taking birth here. I don't know why but I always felt so.I spent my early childhood in the city, began my school from here only and later shifted to several other places due to parent'\s jobs. But out of all the places I loved Dehra a lot.May be my childhood memories are here, may be this place is so serene. I don't know exactly Why but I feel great and that's all matter to me.
Well, the story is not about me, it is about the city, about the changes city has encountered till today, about the pains which city is bearing now, due to our deeds. I only know the city ever since I was born here and I am sure it was always beautiful before that also. Back then people were kind, sober, gentle and helpful. Ours was a small village in the city but trust, it was heavenly by all means with few houses and population few thousands. that was the time when everyone knew each other. It was a kind of family during those days, in any festival everybody used to gather, it looked like a big family.. In the times of crises you will not be spared alone, everyone from around will be part of your problem. from there only I learnt sharing is caring.
There were fields, wells, tea estates, tube wells, rivers, greenery, beautiful and colorful butterflies, Fireflies at night etc. There was no light in the area back then but we never felt the dearth. At night we used to sleep in the courtyard and even in summers sleeping without quilt was not possible such was the weather back then. There were no motors in the village, you can see only if someone comes in the village or you go in town for some work.. In town also few motors were to be seen. I grew seeing only bicycles that too, too less. Office goers and students used to commute by bicycle. Students sometimes walking to their schools I also did the same. Walking back then was easy there were short cuts across the paddy fields. We used to walk through the paddy fields. Our favorite pass time was picnic to near by Tube well, or river on the other side of the jungle. there was only one tube well then, but it was fun for all of us to be there... Talking , laughing, giggling, walking with friends gave us immense pleasure. Sometimes we used to cook by river side by collecting firewood from nearby and making CHULLAH from stones. We had fun in what ever we did, there was love, care, compassion, togetherness and what not among people. Everything was so different back then..
Today, when I see the same city I feel sad the way it is growing. God only knows whether it is growing or preparing to fall apart. Now it is under catch, catch which most people and most cities are in. Everybody call it development, I couldn't figure out what sort of. Now it looks like a maze. Now you can't see fields easily. Rivers are still there but most of them are drained completely. Deforestation seems favorite pass time now. People here are selling lands, in order to look rich, to buy expensive items for their houses, cars, to fulfill their never ending materialistic desires. Now cycles are rare, not only in the town even in my village. Now there is no peace left, you step out, you will only find honks, rattling bikes and cars, people shouting at each other fighting for the way, using abusive language for each other. Now I only see highly unorganized markets, noise, fights and population to its extreme.
I really feel pity for the same city I was born in, who will tell people here that selling lands for some money is not making them rich in fact it is going to make them extremely poor when they will be left with no trees, no water, no food nothing for living except buildings. Number of buildings have increased enormously but with that increase gone all the love and bond we shared with each other.
I find myself stranger here, the same place where I felt great back then. I wish I could get those old days and the same old city back, without noise, full of peace and love for each other. There was a time when you asked for water people gave food to eat, now you ask for only side people give you abuse.. That's how the city has changed and they call it development.
-joy forever
Well, the story is not about me, it is about the city, about the changes city has encountered till today, about the pains which city is bearing now, due to our deeds. I only know the city ever since I was born here and I am sure it was always beautiful before that also. Back then people were kind, sober, gentle and helpful. Ours was a small village in the city but trust, it was heavenly by all means with few houses and population few thousands. that was the time when everyone knew each other. It was a kind of family during those days, in any festival everybody used to gather, it looked like a big family.. In the times of crises you will not be spared alone, everyone from around will be part of your problem. from there only I learnt sharing is caring.
There were fields, wells, tea estates, tube wells, rivers, greenery, beautiful and colorful butterflies, Fireflies at night etc. There was no light in the area back then but we never felt the dearth. At night we used to sleep in the courtyard and even in summers sleeping without quilt was not possible such was the weather back then. There were no motors in the village, you can see only if someone comes in the village or you go in town for some work.. In town also few motors were to be seen. I grew seeing only bicycles that too, too less. Office goers and students used to commute by bicycle. Students sometimes walking to their schools I also did the same. Walking back then was easy there were short cuts across the paddy fields. We used to walk through the paddy fields. Our favorite pass time was picnic to near by Tube well, or river on the other side of the jungle. there was only one tube well then, but it was fun for all of us to be there... Talking , laughing, giggling, walking with friends gave us immense pleasure. Sometimes we used to cook by river side by collecting firewood from nearby and making CHULLAH from stones. We had fun in what ever we did, there was love, care, compassion, togetherness and what not among people. Everything was so different back then..
Today, when I see the same city I feel sad the way it is growing. God only knows whether it is growing or preparing to fall apart. Now it is under catch, catch which most people and most cities are in. Everybody call it development, I couldn't figure out what sort of. Now it looks like a maze. Now you can't see fields easily. Rivers are still there but most of them are drained completely. Deforestation seems favorite pass time now. People here are selling lands, in order to look rich, to buy expensive items for their houses, cars, to fulfill their never ending materialistic desires. Now cycles are rare, not only in the town even in my village. Now there is no peace left, you step out, you will only find honks, rattling bikes and cars, people shouting at each other fighting for the way, using abusive language for each other. Now I only see highly unorganized markets, noise, fights and population to its extreme.
I really feel pity for the same city I was born in, who will tell people here that selling lands for some money is not making them rich in fact it is going to make them extremely poor when they will be left with no trees, no water, no food nothing for living except buildings. Number of buildings have increased enormously but with that increase gone all the love and bond we shared with each other.
I find myself stranger here, the same place where I felt great back then. I wish I could get those old days and the same old city back, without noise, full of peace and love for each other. There was a time when you asked for water people gave food to eat, now you ask for only side people give you abuse.. That's how the city has changed and they call it development.
-joy forever
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