But it was then of course, during Shakespeare’s time when one could ask a question like this and find oneself surrounded in a sea of love. But today, a question like this, especially on Twitter can get you a virtual black eye. Isn’t that whatKiran Mazumdar Shaw received for tweeting? Little did she know that a statement like this would hurt people’s feeling, let alone making people see the logical and economical side of it! Personally, like her, I do not see a point either. People are sentimental about their culture and hypocrites too. Of course, Bangalore is an Anglicized name of the Kanadda name, [ˈbeŋɡəɭuːru] but, what is the fuss about the name now after it has been embraces for so long? Is it to keep alive the culture? Culture of what may I ask? Villagers still refer Bangalore as Bengaluru irrespective of the Government giving it a nod or, not. And these very villagers are the least bothered about the name change. Shaw’s tweet got replies like, “Spending on Cultural initiatives is a need. Life isn't just business."If culture is so important, then we and the Government should boycott everything that plays with our culture. Wearing trousers to work is one of them. Trousers now seen on almost every Indian, was not born out of our culture. Like the name Bangalore, it too was bought in by a foreign country. Let’s leave the IT folks like me who have sold their soul to the Americans for greater pay checks, and look at Government employees alone. I do not see any ISRO employee wear dhoti to work! Having studies in a Central Government school myself, I did not have a single teacher who came to work wearing a dhoti and thankful as I am about it, aren’t these people hampering our culture? Why are “Bengalurians” not taking up the case? I urge them to. And when people like Shaw will tweet about how unpractical it is for a post man or, a sports teacher to wear dhoti to work, people can respond back saying, dress is not about comfort and practicality alone. It is the need of the culture. I am not against culture. I do understand that if my name is spelt Brunda instead of Brinda, I would not like it. But if I have embraced the name for even one-fourth of my life time, I would not want to have it changed back to the original one. Then again, that is my individual choice. We take people back to our roots of pronouncing the city as a native in the native tongue would, what else are we going to gain from it?
pic courtesy: bangalore.citizenmatters.in
