JOURNIES OF COMFORT

I have travelled so many times from Bangalore to Tumkur and even today continue to do it. As I travel in my Scorpio today I cannot but help remembering when I used to travel on my Bajaj scooter. The giant Jamun {Nerele} trees on either side of the road worked as my ACs during my jouney. And so many dark purple patches throughout the road when the fruits fell off on the road. Monkies and small children [and sometimes me] always had belly-full of these fruits. These were the journies of comfort.

AND THEN I STARTED SEEING a strange sight! People carrying plastic pots to fetch water - and this scene is etched in my memory like a stab through the heart. The Nerele trees started disappearing and the number of people carrying these water pots kept increasing. They progressively used cycles, vans and then inevitably water tankers. Now these sights are replaced by fly-overs [villages have simply disappeared under them] and we have an international quality road linking Bangalore to Tumkur. Out of sight - out of mind. The journies are silent - monkies have disappeared - vast stretches of trees have simply been murdered.

I AND YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGIVEN BY THE COMING GENERATIONS!