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Changing facet of Secunderabad makes old timers nostalgic
He said Secunderabad was a pocket dynamo in the sense that the area was limited but the diversity it projected was unparalleled in the country. Most of the localities that sprang up around the cantonment were primarily meant to cater to the regiment as the Regimental Bazaar stand testimony.
Eminent scientist B V Subba Rao feels that Secunderabad never got its due
Secunderabad: Once upon a time, there was no city in the whole of India as cosmopolitan as Secunderabad. Soon after Independence, Bohras, Kutch Muslims, Kutch Gujuratis and Sindhis came and settled in Secunderabad. Even before them, there were Parsis and Anglo Indians who made their presence felt in business and Railways, according to eminent scientist B V Subba Rao, 65.
He said Secunderabad was a pocket dynamo in the sense that the area was limited but the diversity it projected was unparalleled in the country. Most of the localities that sprang up around the cantonment were primarily meant to cater to the regiment as the Regimental Bazaar stand testimony.
Speaking about the uniqueness of Secunderabad, Subba Rao says, “The drainage system was superb as water from the water bodies from Alwal flowed to Hashmathpet Lake and entered into Hussainsagar. But over the decades, smaller water bodies along the route have disappeared. Water and air in Secunderabad was pure unlike today.”
Saddened by the lack of open spaces and decay of old buildings in Secunderabad, Subba Rao says, “Colourful windows on old lime plastered buildings in Ramgopalpet are a treasure. The street needs to be decaled as a heritage site. Secunderabad has several landmarks and could be a major tourist attraction.”
“Today, we have material comforts that one could not even dream of in the 1950s and 60s, yet something is amiss about life. Living in Secunderabad was a pure joy. The walks in the Clock Tower Park where rabbit and bird cages were a major attraction for kids is now only a memory,” he adds.
Secunderabad has always been given step-motherly treatment by successive governments. Always citing the reason that it is essentially a cantonment, authorities never thought of developing Secunderabad.
It has a distinct character and a way of life. Parsis, Muslims, Sindhis and Anglo Indians lived in complete harmony and during Bathukamma festival, people would come up with songs on the spot. Secunderbad never got its due and it is high time that the government invests in this part of the world, for it has a charm of its own, says Subba Rao.
By T P Venu
