The protest came as a blessing to some, who got the chance to stroll about Bangalore at a leisurely pace and take in sights that reminded old-timers of the sleepy city before the IT boom; to others, it brought drudgery.
It was not a mamul (usual) day at Mamulpet. The day was unusual, whatever be its political overtones.
For the Bharat Bandh had given the business community of the area a ruse to down the shutters on their business establishments and chill it out at family gatherings or even try a hand playing cricket or soccer on vehicle-free streets.
Monday’s Bharat bandh brought back memories of what life was in old Bangalore when it was a sleepy little town. There was no mad rush on the road, no honking and no jostling for space.
Roads seemed broad and broader was the smile on the faces of Bangaloreans.
Shopowners from Mamulpet, Cottonpet, Chickpet, Nagrathpet and Avenue Road who cater to the entire state in all kinds of goods — from needle to computer chips — were not complaining about the bandh.
Strange it may seem for these areas are open till late in evening even on Sundays, for outstation people flock to these areas.
The residents/businessmen (most shops are extensions of residences of the businessmen) found Monday’s bandh a perfect occasion for bonding, playing and sipping chai at street corners, especially at Avenue Road Circle.
At Mamulpet, a team of traders was playing cricket in a narrow lane. The walls of the lane served as kind of boundary, to score and as well to keep the ball within playing arena.
Amit and his band of young businessmen said the day was not a loss as intangible joy triumphed over balance sheet.
When asked about their businesses coming to life only at 6 pm, the reply was instant negative. They did not want to spoil at least one day haggling over big sums.
They had the bat and they wanted to hold it through the day. After all when will you get such a day again? Thirty years ago the place used to be like this every day, said a middle-aged policeman standing guard at Avenue Road Circle.
Cloth merchant Suresh was very keen to play on the main road as the daily wage labour slept on shop foyer. They were the only lot who seemed to be unhappy over losing a day’s wages.
However, it was a mixed bag of feelings for pushcart vendors.
Shivkumar, a bhelpuri vendor, was happy that he was not pushed around by the traffic or the cops. His business was not normal, though he had exhausted his supplies.
He was also well informed. He wanted to know when would the LPG cylinder prices decrease after the successful bandh.
He was not using gas for his business and it did not make an impact on his profits. However, it mattered at home and he was concerned.
The day was perfect for somebody who wanted to explore Kempe Gowda’s Bangalore. Every lane in this part of the town has a name, Raja Market, Ramesh Market, Lokkur Complex, or simply Down Road as it is at an inclination.
Monday was the day for Bangalore before the boom to bloom.
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