Those Good Old days

मै और मेरी तन्हाई अक्सर ये बातें करते हैं......

…yes. Me and my solitude always talk about this. This is about the time when I was very young. Though I am still young, but it is about 25 to 30 years ago, when I was stepping towards getting young. That was the age of no television, but only radio. I recall the time when in the morning, I use to open my eyes in the bed with the sweet melodious signature tune of All India Radio. I lay on the bed listening to the recital of Vande-Mataram and devotional songs. I used to have my break-fast with the old melodies of Hindi films from Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and finishing it with the song of late K.L. Sehgal at 8 AM. We always knew, when it was the first day of month, as Sri Lanka radio used to broadcast the song "Aaj Pehli Tareekh hai...." on that day, without fail.

In the evening we have to study from 7PM to 9PM and my ears used to get fixed to the radio right from 8.45, the news time. I eagerly wait for the beeps at 9, so that I could pack-up and go for dinner. After dinner it was the time for Akashvani Kolkata programmes. The famous one at that time was “Chhaya-Chhobir Gaan” (Film songs) on gramophone records. …and my father used to call it a day, when Mr. Shurojit Sen stop reading the news at 11.10 PM. That was the bed-time for us.

This was the time when we barely need to look at the clock, as if our whole day schedule was bound with the radio programmes. Even then we had plenty of time for all social activities. We used to study, we used to play, go to films, meet our relatives & neighbours and celebrate every festival with full enthusiasm. We were never late for any appointment and most important, we never complained about the shortage of time in our lives.

Time changed…. Life became busy; even 24 hours seem to be less for a days work. The good old radio disappeared from our lives and hundreds of satellite channels took over. Now the day starts with “Beedi Jalai Le….” And one starts searching for his cigarette packet and lighter from the bed. The day passes with several gossips and implausible stories created by the news channels.

The evening comes with some Saas, Bahoos… multi marriages… and memory loss serials. At dinner time our eyes get fixed on TV screen watching some Very Unreal “Reality Shows” and so-called laughter shows (in which one has to find a reason to smile {not laugh} at least). Our bed time is decided by these serials and shows. Akashvani Kolkata has been taken over by some Bangla channels, which are doing nothing but mimicking other Hindi channels.

Now we don’t have time to go to cinemas, so we bring DVDs at home. We have forgotten our social obligations. We could hardly spare some time to meet our relatives, and that too once in a year or two. We never try to find out, who is residing at our neighbourhood. We celebrate the festivals like liability, just because, they are meant to be celebrated. After all we don’t have time for all these age old traditions.

Really… the time has changed or, as we think… time has shriveled.