Lost in the Tide of Demographic Changes
The nostalgia of food cabins and tram lines of Kolkata
Today I had a chat with my professor about all the things we cannot find in Kolkata anymore.
So much has drowned in this river of time that society as a whole, has lost count of it.
One of the very recent drownings is the old tramlines, established by British rulers, considered a pride for Kolkata. They were 30% cheaper than ordinary bus fares, their wheels were rusted, a witness of countless riots and freedom fights and one big partition of this country. I always wanted to ride a tram as it was only available in Kolkata.
They stopped the tram services last year and I couldn’t ride it.
Our conversation took several turns like the tunnels of subway rails. She mentioned how the culture of this city has changed drastically with time, some of it taking place right before her eyes.
She recalled eating in crowded food cabins instead of cafes, small tea stalls and people would flock around, prices kept cheap so that everybody could afford and everybody could eat, lost techniques that maintained mouthwatering quality, regardless.
Many historical figures, poets like Tagore, freedom fighters like S. Bose and patriots like Najurul Islam have spent hours in these places, giving them a separate importance in our modern Kolkata.
Today there are hardly any food cabins left; they have morphed into cafes and multi-cuisine restaurants, establishments that mainly prioritize ambience over quality of food.
The rapid haste for westernization concerns me a bit, as it occurs at the cost of our original culture, traditions and history. Like I said in my previous article, Kolkata prides itself on preserving its history like a giant living museum. But the modern Kolkata is learning to discard what it deems unnecessary. Food cabins, just like trams, cinema halls and so much more, are becoming a memoir of past.
Since it was an economics class, we did come to a less dreamy conclusion. The changes took place due to several factors like changes in tastes, trends, etc. But the most important factor was change in age demography of the population which in the past, used to be dominated by adult and elderly and now, is dominated by youth and young adults. Most of them prefer oversized t-shirts over sarees, bikes over cycles, expensive lattes over tea. I am in no position to judge as I am also one of them.
As a student of economics, I am supposed to see it as a good thing because a rising youth population signifies more potential of innovation and productive labor. It is a sign of development. Better highways and higher prices signify that people are earning more and they have higher standards regarding food and clothes and cars, etc.
But somewhere deep down, it pains to let go of the past.
The city never sleeps, it changes forever while we go about our day in phases of awareness and slumber. I love cafes and getting takeout from dominos. But once in a while, I wonder how it would feel like to eat in a bustling cabin, to connect with random strangers, having something good and warm for cheap.
Like always, thank you for reading.
