Once upon a time , when the bullock cart was the speedy mode of transport, I used to look the rhythmic movement of the bullocks as well as the carts. The cart driver will be whipping the bulls for more speed, like now a days we apply accelerator for motor cars...That was a time, when long caravans of bullock carts were lined in front of big go-downs for emptying their cargo...These were carrying copra, spices and other agricultural products from far off places which was brought to the port town for export to other countries and for domestic use. The town in question was none other than Alleppey, which was also called the "Venice of the east" due to its extensive network of straight canals. These canals were connecting the vast back waters to the seaport.
I was celebrating my early childhood with all possible pomp and show. In early 60's, when even radios were sparse, the only way to look out was only through newspapers. From the age of six, I started reading newspapers. Even now I am able to recollect the news and photos about the 1961 Indo-China war..Then the passing away of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in1964. Then , in newspapers, four full pages were filled with the photos of Nehruji, at different places and occasions. Then comes the 1965 indo -pak war.. At that time , some public places , like Libraries, were having the luxury of a radio..Not pocket size ones, but table filling type big ones made by Philips and Murphy. To understand what is going on in radio , was very difficult, as sounds like fireworks was coming out from it more than programs. So it was a tedious task to hear something from radio. Radios came to homes slowly and secondly. Now, see the case of Televisions..It first bombarded houses and secondly appeared in public places.
At that time radio owners were have to take licence to use it...But with with the appearance of Transistor radios, the picture changed. Radios of table tops has started becoming small and small, fitting to pockets. Due to wide acceptance of radio, the license raj for radio ended...Almost by that time, the gulf saga has started, and radio with tape recorder started tickling in. Purely obsolete in today's standards, but a wonder at that time...The pace of change was so fast that, television started appearing in homes. Only black and white...a wonder at that time..primitive in today's standards..all of a sudden color TVs appeared in homes, slowly but spread like a wild fire...Poor radios had to had a sad retreat from most homes. TVs started setting the agenda of households.
With the fast attack of TVs on homes, the new age media has taken the center stage of our life. Now the visual media dictates the agenda of our life. Reading habit has taken a back seat and the new generation is not at all reading anything. They have got computers..Oh...the new generation is having the world in their fingertips...in the shape of mobile phones and computers..what a change..Once, fifty kilometer was a far off place. To get a telephone call, yes land-line, we were to book the call and wait for hours to get connected. Sometimes the connection will not happen at all...What a change in fifty years..May be, so rapid the changes than, the last 5000 years.
I was celebrating my early childhood with all possible pomp and show. In early 60's, when even radios were sparse, the only way to look out was only through newspapers. From the age of six, I started reading newspapers. Even now I am able to recollect the news and photos about the 1961 Indo-China war..Then the passing away of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in1964. Then , in newspapers, four full pages were filled with the photos of Nehruji, at different places and occasions. Then comes the 1965 indo -pak war.. At that time , some public places , like Libraries, were having the luxury of a radio..Not pocket size ones, but table filling type big ones made by Philips and Murphy. To understand what is going on in radio , was very difficult, as sounds like fireworks was coming out from it more than programs. So it was a tedious task to hear something from radio. Radios came to homes slowly and secondly. Now, see the case of Televisions..It first bombarded houses and secondly appeared in public places.
At that time radio owners were have to take licence to use it...But with with the appearance of Transistor radios, the picture changed. Radios of table tops has started becoming small and small, fitting to pockets. Due to wide acceptance of radio, the license raj for radio ended...Almost by that time, the gulf saga has started, and radio with tape recorder started tickling in. Purely obsolete in today's standards, but a wonder at that time...The pace of change was so fast that, television started appearing in homes. Only black and white...a wonder at that time..primitive in today's standards..all of a sudden color TVs appeared in homes, slowly but spread like a wild fire...Poor radios had to had a sad retreat from most homes. TVs started setting the agenda of households.
With the fast attack of TVs on homes, the new age media has taken the center stage of our life. Now the visual media dictates the agenda of our life. Reading habit has taken a back seat and the new generation is not at all reading anything. They have got computers..Oh...the new generation is having the world in their fingertips...in the shape of mobile phones and computers..what a change..Once, fifty kilometer was a far off place. To get a telephone call, yes land-line, we were to book the call and wait for hours to get connected. Sometimes the connection will not happen at all...What a change in fifty years..May be, so rapid the changes than, the last 5000 years.
