It's been a while.
Since my last post, I've been to Bangalore and Coimbatore.
My, Bangalore has changed. It's a lot more crowded, and the traffic is out of control. Also, all the pretty people can be quite distracting. Luckily no such problem in Madurai. I was also struck by the fact that in the three days I was there, I heard more Tamil than Kannada.
Bangalore is quite a curious place, in an uneasy sort of balancing act between the traditional and the modern. It's everywhere you look. Bangalore has probably the most heterogeneous population in South India, yet this is something that people regard with both pride and resentment. The powers-that-be always seem unsure about what to do with the funny business that is Bangalore.
Case in point. The Bangalore Traffic Police erected a billboard warning about the dangers of jaywalking, and it depicted a guy in funky clothes running across the road, and what appears to be a red Ferrari zooming down towards him. Perhaps they were trying to point out the lack of civil mindedness among Bangalore's newest residents. But why have such a billboard only in Kannada? The target audience is clueless about Kannada, and even I can read more Kannada than the only Kannadiga I know. It's an obvious answer, and we all know it. The language of the billboard serves a greater political purpose, while masquerading as a social message. An average visitor to Bangalore may never even encounter spoken Kannada, and billboards such as these serve as visual anchors. Language identity in India is enormously important, and it's funny how us young urbane people never seem to notice it.
However, the biggest question in my mind was: why on earth is the guy wearing a blue shirt with red pants?! That ensemble is so last season. Haven't they heard? Crimson is the new red.
2 comments:
Rohan, interesting post. For once I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Not that the other ones are a drab but this was something I could relate to.
I was wondering for the past few days, just how busy you would have been with practicals, exams and yet more exams. Your description of the billboard reminds me of car number plates which proudly display their registration numbers in the local dialect. A great number of times, the cars are accompanied by a red light on the top. I guess there could be a practical aspect as well. I have a feeling that the cops tend to be easier on traffic rule violators who unbrazenly display their love for the state.
This you will have probably witnessed when riding with your favourite Kannadiga. As soon as Kannada begins to flow from mouth to ear, tensions seem to ease out.
Well well....it took me a while to remember but I must admit I smiled on remembering My Favourite Kannadiga.
Cheers
Aditya
Thanks Adi.
Been really busy. I come online only every few days now. Got an exam tomorrow, then a few more next week.
Language identity is REALLY important here in Tamil Nadu, as you can imagine. Perhaps I'll be able to write about that too.
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