During my last visit to Varanasi, I traveled all around the city in a horse carriage, (Better known as Tanga in Uttar Pradesh), and surprisingly discovered that the ancient city prefers Tanga over Autos and cabs. On asking a local resident regarding the relevance of this policy, he smartly replied, “We don’t want pollution, so we prefer Tanga”.
But, back here in Kolkata, it’s just the other way round. It’s a world of Auto, Auto, and Auto. It seems that we simply are obsessed with this mini transport!
We seem to love the pungent smell of the kaata tel despite knowing the fact that it’s harmful. We seem to love everything about the transport. Be it the foul smell, the flames, or the slang’s by the auto drivers. Every thing!
Actually, the Kolkatans have become habituated to this Auto culture. We know that Naktala is a five minutes distance from Garia, yet we love to travel in Auto. We know that we’ll have to wait for hours to get an auto, yet we love to stand in the long queues at Tollygunje, or Gariahat. Obsession indeed!
Now, the ban on Two-Stroke autos comes as a shock for the Kolkatans. We don’t bother in taking the foul smell of Kaata Tel, we don’t mind in quarrelling with the Auto drivers, we know it’s injurious to health, yet we love to take an auto ride.
I remember a famous Bengali writer had once said, “Bengalis are now in an Auto mode, because of this domination by the Autos”
Reality bites…!
As a result, we hear Mr. Bose telling Mr. Ghose, “What will happen now? If Autos get banned, how will I reach office?” But, one wonders the reason behind this Auto fixation? We know it’s cheap, we are aware of the fact that it’s convenient as well, but are we least bothered about our health?
In spite of knowing the fact that the pungent smell produced by the Kaata Tel can cause Cancer, or cardiac arrest, we love to travel in Autos. Who cares about health? seems to be the common attitude…
If a dusty city like Varanasi or Kanpur can zero in on other modes of transport, in order to reduce the rate of pollution, then why can’t we prefer to travel in Eco-Friendly transport?
We study Environmental Education in schools, and colleges, we debate over the Pollution control, yet we travel by most polluted transport, i.e. Auto.
What a combination!!!
Despite knowing the consequences we bat for autos, we love to depend on the polluted transport, to reach our destination…
This clearly portrays a fact—“Reality is real, much real than the reality!”
So, in spite of knowing the consequences of Auto, we bank in on them as our friendly transport, effacing out all the issues of Pollution and problem.
So, the statement of a renowned writer says it all, “Bengalis are now in an Auto mode, because of this domination by the Autos”
How true…!
But, back here in Kolkata, it’s just the other way round. It’s a world of Auto, Auto, and Auto. It seems that we simply are obsessed with this mini transport!
We seem to love the pungent smell of the kaata tel despite knowing the fact that it’s harmful. We seem to love everything about the transport. Be it the foul smell, the flames, or the slang’s by the auto drivers. Every thing!
Actually, the Kolkatans have become habituated to this Auto culture. We know that Naktala is a five minutes distance from Garia, yet we love to travel in Auto. We know that we’ll have to wait for hours to get an auto, yet we love to stand in the long queues at Tollygunje, or Gariahat. Obsession indeed!
Now, the ban on Two-Stroke autos comes as a shock for the Kolkatans. We don’t bother in taking the foul smell of Kaata Tel, we don’t mind in quarrelling with the Auto drivers, we know it’s injurious to health, yet we love to take an auto ride.
I remember a famous Bengali writer had once said, “Bengalis are now in an Auto mode, because of this domination by the Autos”
Reality bites…!
As a result, we hear Mr. Bose telling Mr. Ghose, “What will happen now? If Autos get banned, how will I reach office?” But, one wonders the reason behind this Auto fixation? We know it’s cheap, we are aware of the fact that it’s convenient as well, but are we least bothered about our health?
In spite of knowing the fact that the pungent smell produced by the Kaata Tel can cause Cancer, or cardiac arrest, we love to travel in Autos. Who cares about health? seems to be the common attitude…
If a dusty city like Varanasi or Kanpur can zero in on other modes of transport, in order to reduce the rate of pollution, then why can’t we prefer to travel in Eco-Friendly transport?
We study Environmental Education in schools, and colleges, we debate over the Pollution control, yet we travel by most polluted transport, i.e. Auto.
What a combination!!!
Despite knowing the consequences we bat for autos, we love to depend on the polluted transport, to reach our destination…
This clearly portrays a fact—“Reality is real, much real than the reality!”
So, in spite of knowing the consequences of Auto, we bank in on them as our friendly transport, effacing out all the issues of Pollution and problem.
So, the statement of a renowned writer says it all, “Bengalis are now in an Auto mode, because of this domination by the Autos”
How true…!
