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INFLATION –over decades

Mr. RAGHURAMAN, (Upper Division Clerk, Accountant General’s Office, Bangalore), was laying flat on the flush growth of green grass inside the Seshadripuram park of the city of Bangalore. The music generated from inside the hall of Swastic cinema theater nearby was flowing mildly through the air that had hardly any effect to change his mood or even position. For a young man of 20 to relax at that time of pleasant evening of the queen of cities was rather odd and insult to his vibrant youth. But there was no other option as he was inflicted with the common disease of most of the Indians of that time that could be described as HUNGER. Mr. Raghu had to compulsively hold his patience and continue the tolerance at least up to 7-00 PM when the dinner section at ROYAL LODGE was expected to commence. Now he started to lie on his belly to counter the pangs of hunger for a minimum of another 2 hours.

After practicing furiously the game of TABLE TENNIS at MALLESWARAM club situated at the 8th cross on that second Saturday he was drained off all the energy and the mug full of water could only compensate the enormous water lost in sweating. All along he was checking the time through temple bells and steaming of the train from the near by TOWN STATION of Bangalore. His father had promised him with a wrist watch for the coming deepawali and until then he had to depend on other modes for verification of time. Mr. Raghu was used to this type of ordeals on month ends from 25th to last. To-day he had to take his morning lunch as early as 8-00 AM as on the previous day he took his supper by 7-00PM. For more than 10 hours his financial status had denied him to take anything other than water at repeated intervals.

Last 5 to 7 days of a month used to have more or less the same pattern regarding food habits. The reason was very simple. He would have spent up to the last NAYA PAISA (1 BY 100TH of a rupee that was in legal circulation in 1950s.) that he was forced to live only on 2 square meals for the whole day. He was getting a total salary of Rs152/- and another increase of Rs5/- was expected in another 10 days as interim relief announced by the 1st pay commission. To get that he had to join others for a strike that lasted 3 days and that made heavy dent in his salary. He got his scolding from his father for joining others and stood the risk of losing the job. But he never wanted to be called as black sheep and also as he was just then getting the popularity amongst his colleagues in the game of chess and of late T.T. Couldn’t have afforded to desert his UNION LEADERS. Even roasted ground nuts for 5 paise could have salvaged him to tackle appetite to a limited extent. On every 1st immediately after getting the salary of Rs 152/- he was promptly money ordering Rs100/- to his parents out of more of necessity than by choice and keep back the balance of 52 rupees for his survival.

The first task was to purchase 60 meals tickets from ROYAL LODGE on a payment of Rs25/- only with food supplied unlimitedly during morning and night. One can have any number of helpings for rice, vegetables, porridge, pickle, puppet and also ghee freely on demand. On Sundays and festive days they were serving specialties at the same rate. Though Mr. Raghu was a thinly built man his capacity of consumption was amazing as he was burning lot of calories on playing and running. The servers in that hotel used to shudder at his very sight as he was cleverly concealing the vegetables under the heap of rice and repeatedly calling for pappads and other dishes as if he was calling for the first time. However he used to tip them occasionally in his own interest. On normal days when his purse was swelling with coins as because it was not yet month end he used to go to MAVALLI Tiffin room near LALBAGH and enjoy their delicacies. His bi-cycle was coming handy to cover CONTONEMENT, CUBBON PARK, JAYNAGAR, ULSOOR, KEMPAGOWDA CIRCLE, VIDHAN SOUDHA, RACE COURSE ROAD, COMMERCIAL STREET etc. and he had the pride as if he was traveling by the AMBASSADOR car. All those cycling in the city of BANGALORE are ups and downs that required lot of stamina though the down hill roads are comparatively smooth.

Going back to the budget of this youngster he was living with 2 other companions in a room of KALYAN CAFE for which his share was Rs5/- inclusive of water and electricity per month. He was managing with 3 sets of pants and shirts, washing them on alternate days. On normal days his evening Tiffin was masala dosa, iddly/vada/bonda for which the total cost was only 25 paise. In the night time he was availing a big banana that cost only 10 paise. He could also enjoy films for every 15 days with ticket costing only 50 paise. Now going back to the start of the story our youngster who was restless with the pinching appetite suddenly saw a crisp paper at a distance, slowly rolling off in that breeze. His sharp eyes immediately recognized it as a 2/-rupee note that he gathered his energy to collect it like a pouncing cat on a mouse. It is no need to tell that he immediately rushed to the SHANKAR CAFÉ near by and took varieties to his heart content and still left with 175 paise. Now the rest of the few days could be tided over with comfort until the pay day comes again. But on that SATURDAY he had to wait up to 10-PM to get back his old companion –THE HUNGER to give justice at KALYAN CAFÉ.

To day Mr. Raghuraman has grown in status, dignity and prosperity in a big way though he feels so much for the long last companion –THE HUNGER that used to give him enough stimulation and enjoyment over whatever he was taking. He is a helpless spectator to see his servants, cook, driver and gardener take plenty of sweets and snacks at his own house while he is suffering from high sugar, B.P and other complaints that not only prevented him from taking rich food with ghee and sugar, but himself lacking the urge to take food. All said and done he got his spirit revived once again to hear the news that his daughter SWEETY has been transferred to his dream city of BANGALORE giving him the opportunity to go around the places which he frequented in his youthful and adventurous days. However we are sorry for Mr. RAGHURAMAN that he cannot capture even a fraction of his younger day’s remembrance of the city of BANGALORE as the land marks in almost all the places have completely vanished with the demolition of old buildings and replacement by monstrous multi storied, with the IT PARKS spreading its big span of wings at a colossal level. The expanding contours of the city have caused havoc in the thinning of forests inside and outside the city including cubbon park where there used to be musical entertainments on all Sundays. No doubt BANGALORE has become the costliest city and abode for industrialists, cine stars and other wealthy people and also pushing the middle class to the brink of disaster. A room of similar type in which Mr. Raghuraman lived should cost not less than Rs300/- per day. Mr. RAGHURAMAN should abandon that idea of cycling through his familiar roads as the congested roads have no room for 4 wheelers and most of them use their 2 wheelers for office, reserving the bigger vehicle for family outings only. There is no question of using a bi-cycle in the narrow roads where bikes vie with each other to thread through the congestion. Could any reader suggest to our senior citizen Mr. RAGHURAMAN about any place in that QUEEN OF SOUTH now called BANGALURU that is still retaining its virginity in these 5 decades?

BY J.PANCHAPAGESAN FLAT-11,130 GILL NAGAR EXTN STREET CHOOLAIMEDU CHENNAI PH-044 23744963 EMAIL id- jpanchapagesan@yahoo.co.in