Lockdown gives you some additional time to introspect and so here I am penning down few thoughts on Bengaluru, the city I love, the city that has given me a lot. I came to Bengaluru (then Bangalore) 14 years ago in 2006 to pursue my Master’s degree from Commits.
Situated in #7, IV Main, Tavarekere Main Road, Commits, affiliated to Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication, has since emerged to be one of the finest media institutes in the city. The faculty of Commits – especially then dean Ms Ranita Hirji and journalism head Ramesh Prabhu have had a lasting impact in my professional career.
In my early days, I lived in a PG accommodation in Tavarekere, opposite the famous Oracle building for a little over two years. As my dad dropped me in that PG and finally said bye, I was apprehensive as it was the first time I was living outside home. I didn’t know anyone in the city except my cousin brother Simon who worked in IBM then, and my best friend from school Cyril who was pursuing his BA-LLB from NLSIU, the finest law school in the country.
I thank both Simon and Cyril for helping me during those times when I was all alone. I am thankful to Simon for inviting me to his house for lunches during weekends which felt better than any five-star hotel meal for someone eating out each day.
I shall forever remain indebted to Cyril for introducing me to the old Bangalore charm – dinner at Koshy’s, beer at Peco’s, coffee at India Coffee House, and reading books at Crosswords and the Magazine store (with Persian cats) are some of the prominent memories. Much of the new crowd in Bengaluru today might not have experienced all of this as some places are non-existent today while some others no longer retain that charm.
From knowing just two people, over the years, today I have built relationships and contacts with some of the who’s who of the city and the world. By dint of being a journalist, I have had the opportunity to closely meet stalwarts like Infosys’ NR Narayana Murthy, Wipro’s Azim Premji, and Biocon’s Kiran Mazumdar Shaw on several occasions.
I have used the Kempegowda International Airport (then BIAL) departure gates to fly to various places around the world including Las Vegas, San Francisco, Macau, Bangkok, Beijing, Penang, and Sri Lanka. I must admit this was only a dream for the Shillong boy who came to pursue his Master’s in Mass Communication with some ideas and self-confidence as his only armour.
Today, if my name throws up several search results on Google, it is because Bengaluru has given me this opportunity. Over the years, traffic became obscene; the lakes and greenery are gone along with some of the iconic places mentioned earlier. People became less patient with each other and nostalgia gave way to survival. Despite all its woes, Bengaluru will always remain close to my heart.
I hope covid-19 will disappear without further collateral damage and the world will be a much better place. Quiet, green, and tranquil. I hope this is just the beginning of many more fantastic years to come!
