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'Chalta Hai' Hyderabad to 'Chalo' Cyberabad |
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Just as people have a distinct character, cities too reflect the collective characteristics of their inhabitants. The winds of change blowing globalisation and swaying the political and geographical boundaries have made people more possessive and conscious of the cities they live in.
The place where you work and live has become an extension of your personality. It is a place you romance with -- you absorb the sights, sounds and culture of that place and in turn give back to it your personality. It is an intensely personal relationship at one level and
curiously impersonal at another.
And, as the times change, the city and its people together reflect those changes.
Hyderabad has always boasted of an unique culture shaped by its history, by the people who ruled her as well as by those who passed through her. From the Qutub Shahi dynasty, to Aurangzeb who was drawn to Golconda's legendary wealth, from the Asaf Jah dynasty to the state's merger into the Indian Union in 1948, from the Telangana agitation, to the rise of NT Rama Rao and now the rise and rise of the software industry riding across the city have all left their mark.
The City famous for its minarets, its pearl bazaars, its Mughlai
dishes, is also known today for its software training institutes.
There have been many who have mocked at Hyderabad for its lack of a distinct culture as well as lack of enough cultured people. For all its status of a metro, Hyderabadis have been told that they live in a big village, that there is hardly anything interesting happening in the city. Despite such a 'sexy' lakeside, there is no 'zing' to life in the city during night.
The Hyderabadis have been accused of being too laidback, taking each day as it comes; as people who cannot be bothered to bestire themselves, who have a terrible 'chalta hai attitude' to everything. That they faithfully indulge in communal riots every year. The diatribe was at its best during the Emergency. The 'Andhera Pradesh' was
seemingly in darkness as far as the momentous events in the nation were unfolding because these people obediently elected the Congress party with an overwhelming majority (one of the few states to do so).
All these comments used to be uttered while enjoying the famous
Hyderabadi hospitality. There are few cities in India where people are so friendly and trustworthy.
Well, how is Hyderabad today? How do the traditional tehzeeb integrate with the buzz and beep of cell phones? Has the speed of internet affected the pace in the city?
For those of us who have always lived in Hyderabad, with occasional exposure to other cities, today's Hyderabad is a curious blend of the old and the new. The city has managed to retain her old world charm and yet keep pace with the changes. It is as though Hyderabadis live in an envious harmony -- when deadlines across the oceans are to be met, we work day and night; when it is time to celebrate festivals and family events, we drop everything else and totally devote ourselves to the family. We have successfully networked family and work culture.
Hyderabad is still a big village, with almost everyone in the right circles knowing everybody. But then it is a village that can boast of being the leading trainer of software professionals in the world. This village has managed to train thousands of professionals entirely driven by private initiative. These villagers haven't waited for the government or the fancy universities to help. They may not have done the perfect job, but they did something better than nothing. And it is a tribute to the initiative of the Hyderabadis that today most major employers come calling to their city, looking for professionals trained in the latest technology.
There is a verve and a dash in people. The drive that they have sometimes leads them into dubious ways to achieve their goal. They fall, they stumble, but they don't lose their heart and their enthusiasm. Like a cat, they bounce back again with a new set of people and a new set of ambitious goals. Cheers to that spirit!
Cities like Bombay lost their human side years ago. But Hyderabad still has a heart that keeps beating -- to the hum of the
Pentiums, the servers and the PCs. All the modern inevitables like apartments, congestion, shortages, chaotic traffic, fake certificates, pollution are part of the city. Yet there is an openness and trust among the people.
You can still ask for help and can expect to get it. The eyes still reflect trust and faith and not suspicion.
Well, we know today's Cyberabad is not a perfect place; there are many challenges -- from within and from outside. As long as we have the dash, the hope, the dreams, and the heart and generosity to enjoy and share, we will live chaotically, happily in this big, techy village!
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