RatanML

Why should prosperity make us uncivil? What happens to a society when industrial and economic development takes place at a feverish pace? What are the dynamics of socio-cultural and socio-political developments when a people realise that so far, they had only themselves to be blamed for their hardships and ill-fortune? These and many other similar questions have gained an importance in view of the overspeeding, overheated economic growth in Indian society today. All around there is frenetic activity in almost all sectors of industry, service and manufacturing sector. People’s purchasing power is steadily going up. Amassing of wealth is no longer wise; spending it in different forms (consumption, luxury, investment, and enterprise) is the intelligent thing to do. Surplus income is the norm rather than exception, and moving up the socio-economic ladder is the sole purpose in life for a majority of the multitudes. The last ten years have been amazing in India. In 1995, the early r...

Everything changes. Hazratganj has also changed For those who remember the Ganj from the 60s through the 90s, today’s Ganj is a transformed place. Gone are the landmark buildings and establishments like Mayfair, British Library, Talwars, Keshav Fruit Mart, Benbows, Krishna, Annapoorna, London House, Modern Novelty, Hobbies Corner, Love Lane and – yes, the Hazratganj Kotwali. Changes have been taking place slowly, steadily and suddenly. Today, Ganj is identifiable only because the Northern Railway DRM office, Capoor’s, Central Bank, Chaudhary, John Hing, Halwasiya, Sewak, Soloman, Mullick and Gandhi Ashram have remained unchanged. And also because Royal Café, Kohli, Universal and Bata have changed and yet stayed put. And in place of two cinema halls Prince and Filmistan stands one Sahu. By a calculation best understood by a flexible look at history books, Hazratganj completed 200 years in 2010. So, all the changes of the past few decades shall now be explained away as the cumu...