Walking
through the corridors of the inner circle, the market entailed in it, the
jingle-jangle of bangles, the swish of sarees and the melancholy yet melodious
sound of Ram Sahai Gautam’s flute. A flute seller for over 50 years, and a
former mason stated that “the upcoming generation or rather the youth of India
today, is losing it’s sanskriti,” as kids smoke cigarettes nonchalantly
without being mindful of an elderly sitting nearby.
In this
honeycomb of commerce and development of the nation it is apparent that India will see
such changes in culture. However, R.S. Gautam disclosed that he is not against
the “modern culture” but strongly expresses that “there are limits to
everything” – including the drastic change in dress code in the market that he
was indirectly referring to.
On the
physical changes of Connaught
Place , Varun Gupta, a paanwala, who has run his
business for more than three decades stated that CP has become a lot “safer”
and “cleaner.” However, “with urbanization the parks have decreased in size”
added Gupta. With increase in connectivity within the capital, and the growth
of other markets like Karol Bagh and Khan Market, “the circular market” is
losing it’s exclusiveness and businesses are “facing high competition.”
The central
hub of New Delhi
has not lost its squeals, laughter and intense traffic. But the voice of a
neglected flutist demands to be heard out loud before all the citizens glide
into the darkness of oblivion.
