Life then and now

Life is a song - sing it. Life is a game - play it. Life is a challenge - meet it. Life is a dream - realize it. Life is a sacrifice - offer it. Life is love-enjoy it.

   Many people ask me how was life fifty years ago and how was it different from life today. My reply to such queries is that life was simple as compared to life today. Today, due to advancement in science, life has become easier to live, in many ways, but as far as human relations are concerned, life has become more complicated. I will try to compare  the past and present, for the knowledge of the present generation..
Connectivity:-  In those days the main instrument for remaining in touch was a letter.We could send a letter through an  envelope and write as much as we liked.Through this envelope we could send letters within the country and abroad. This was the only mode of sending letters overseas. Short letters were sent by post cards, which were recently banned by the Govt.Telegrams also have been abolished because they have become redundant. SMS, and WhatsApp have
revolutionise the manner in which others can be contacted on minimum rates or even without any cost.
Telephones were available, but only for top govt. officers, For private connections the waiting list was ten to twelve years. I remember my father had a Govt. telephone, which was the only one available in that area. After my marriage, we booked a telephone which we got after waiting for ten years.Now landline phones have become out dated. Every body,has a mobile phone today. Even our sweeper has a mobile phone.  We can speak through 'Viber', 'Hang outs' free of charge to a person in any part of the world.
Transport:- There were very few cars. In India no cars were manufactured. It was in the  late 50s or early 60s that cars were assembled in India. The car which came to the market was Hindustan and then there was Maruti.
Since there were not many cars, there were almost no taxis. The public mode of transport were buses, tongas driven by horses, trams, and rickshaws.

A tonga

                                                                 

A tram 

Trains were the mode of transport from one city to other.The trains used to run through coal. After a long distance travel ,not only our clothes, even face, hands and hair looked black. From Delhi to Chennai, we had to travel two nights.  Air travel was much  beyond the capacity of ordinary people.There were no Private airlines.
Cooking:- Gas for cooking was unheard of. Cooking was done mainly by coal or timber. Very well to do families used kerosene stoves. Cooking gas was introduced in Delhi in the late 60s. 

                    Cooking was comparatively easier, because 'junk food' like noodles, burgers, pizzas etc were not known. These food items became popular in 70s and 80s. Ice Cream was not very popular. People made ice cream at home. Only one brand, Kwality, was introduced in late 60s. Coca Cola was first available in mid 60s and used to cost four annas ( equal to 25 paisa)
                       Imported items like cheese, biscuits,squashes, chocolates were available in large quantity in India in the 40s and early 50s.
Electric equipments :-  Very few equipments were available. For entertainment a large sized box 'radio', which was immovable was seen in well to do families. There were no advertisements in the electronic media. Transistors came much later. Radio Ceylon was a popular  channel for film songs. There was no Vividh Bharati. After the introduction of Vividh Bharati, film songs became very popular.





  A gramaphone was popular for listening to music.  The records for playing music in the gramaphone were made of a particular type of glass.

   Transistors stormed the country with a bang. Every body was seen carrying one.  With the advent of television in mid  60s, a wave of excitement spread in Delhi. The programme was telecast for one hour every day. A hindi movie was telecast on Sundays,which was completed on four Sundays. 
                                        Human Nature was very simple those days. Because of so many diversions, people spend more time outside their homes.The love, affection,and good will is missing in life.Medical facilities were not as advanced as today.There was no treatment for terminally ill patientsColor TV can much later in 1982.
The world has come nearer. By just pressing a button you can have any thing in your house. No need to go to the market, the market comes to you.
The biggest and the most useful and liked equipment today is the internet. The world is now closer. With a click, one can reach any corner of the world.



Written for Write Tribe Pro Blogger Week 6  Day 53