Bangalore reached a state of crisis due to the experiment of the Progressive Bangaloreans. (You can read about it here) Almost all the roads were blocked. My car was also stuck about 2 km away from my home while coming from work the day they removed the traffic rules. I managed to park it aside near that place for now. Since my workplace is around 7kms away, I can walk to work.
Due to pressure from corporations and insurance companies, the government had to interfere into this situation to arrive at a solution immediately. A special task force was formed to head this responsibility. A team of business leaders, politicians, new age gurus, and activists who were also part of the Progressive Bangaloreans had a two-day emergency meeting to draft a plan. They have arrived with a very optimal solution which was later highly praised even by the prime minister. The national and international media were all gung-ho about it.
The solution is to divide every street into a ‘privileged’ and ‘non-privileged’ lanes. Anyone who can afford to pay a large sum of money can use the privileged lane that is serviced 24/7 to keep it working. The amount is not fixed for all as it is a combination of many parameters. This is probably going to solve the traffic problem to the people who matter and also bring large revenues for the contracting companies run by politicians. The road which was commonly shared by the rich and the poor is finally separated today.
Progressive Bangalorean leaders were happy with this plan because it still upholds its core value that “there is no right or wrong way to drive”. The proposal was approved overnight and the work has begun to clear off all the vehicles on the privileged lane. Politicians, large MNCs, and their employees, the effluent are back on the road. Uber, Ola, Swiggy, and Zomato are all back in business. The twitter was filled with praises to the task force for saving the city. #missionbangalore was trending. Once again it seems like, hope has been restored. Politicians and Progressive Bangalorean are on-air giving interviews and lectures predicting how promising the progress of Bangalore would be in the next few quarters.
But for the common man, there is no change. Their hope for a solution has been pushed even further away. Now for people like me even walking is a difficult task because the ‘non-privileged’ lane is virtually not walkable with many vehicles stuck there. On the other hand, paying around 700 bucks per day for the ‘privileged’ lane is difficult. However, we may have to be happy that at least a few services are functioning to get our supplies. But common man’s opportunity to commute to work across the city easily has been removed. Even the city bus service has been stopped to give way for the company buses. Our plight did not end there. Prices have skyrocketed for even basic daily groceries because of the enormous fees for the privileged lane. Litre milk which used to cost Rs.50 is now sold for Rs.125. Since large corporations are the priority, schools were informed to continue their remote classes over skype. Hospitals continued to be inaccessible for most of the people.
Common people, daily wagers, small business owners who are the so-called ‘non-privileged’ are severely hit. Anger is brewing within them. People were protesting in large numbers but they could see no hope. #metoo is still trending on social media. Seeing that the Progressive Bangaloreans’ idea has failed, crony capitalism with the same philosophy “there is no right or wrong way to do business” took over the opportunity to loot the poor. A sense of ‘Common Good’ has been lost in the city because they had no clear conception of good anymore, even among the affected. Their idea of freedom without a clear conception of Good has lead to anarchy. But wait, it did not stop there.
Amidst this mess, few individuals from Central Bangalore organized the protesters by convincing them that they are Bangalore’s original residents, so they have to reclaim their city back. They call themselves BengaluruSena on a mission to reclaim Bangalore’s roads back. One night they seized Central Bangalore by force. Traffic rules were changed overnight and were communicated over WhatsApp. Many rejoiced over this development. Celebrations ensued in many parts of the city. But many others were angry and few were confused and even fearful. Progressive Bangaloreans also could not oppose this new development because they could not blame them that they are wrong. They could only say “Good for you, Central Bengaluru”.
Now BengaluruSena has taken all the abandoned vehicles in the central Bangalore area and sold them in other cities. After the roads are cleared, they erected new signposts and signals back which Progressive Bangaloreans removed. They also installed many checkpoints, surveillance cameras, and their own police. Though the ‘privileged’ and ‘non-privileged’ lanes were removed, the new rules which are almost 500 in number, look very repressive. No vehicle is allowed inside this part of the city without keeping these rules. One of the striking laws is that all vehicles should be in a certain color and a flag placed in front. Drivers need to acquire a new license that is issued by them. But it seems people with only certain ethnic backgrounds can apply.
But with a sense of optimism businesses and schools resumed in central Bangalore only to find out that not everyone can commute in this area with those new rules. People who do not have visible marks on them or their vehicles that show their allegiance to BengaluruSena are fearful. They are even being prosecuted if there is any violation according to their law. Businesses and even residents began to relocate away from this part of Bangalore. MG Road, Brigade Road has become completely deserted. The city has been divided and on the verge of economic collapse.
In just a week, another area in north Bangalore was seized by another dominant group of that area with a different set of traffic rules, color and flag. Can we believe what we are seeing? We don’t know what is brewing elsewhere. Progressive Bangaloreans who believed in a form of freedom with no clear coherent conception of good has promised a utopian Bangalore but actually, it gave rise to a divided, fundamentalistic Bangalore. Is there hope left to restore Namma Bengaluru?
I will keep you posted on what happened next.
