That guitar appeals more than the sitar is not a new research finding, but the influence of the west in every walk of our life seems incredibly inexplicable.
Structured efforts of the mahapalika make sure that a record breaking FSI is granted to an upcoming mall in the western side of a city or suburb, while syndicates of immigrants assemble in the (east) to sell used clothes to give the area a semblance of dhobighat!
Right from thane east to bandra east, the substandardisation is rampant. Realty rates most certainly quantify this bias. A few good cities don’t have malls in their eastern regions. Not that it’s a benchmark for development, but the lackadaisical attitude endowed by bureaucracy gets onto my nerves. Historically too, ‘tadipaar’ areas have always belonged to eastern regions. Be it bus queues or skywalks, the east is either mismanaged or doesn’t have one. Water, electricity problems, developmental initiatives are tackled and implemented (respectively) in the west first. It’s even matter of pride if you stay in the west of a suburb.
At times I wonder whether the reason for moving into a live-in than bother with the same nut for 7 janams has its roots in the uncanny west-ed interest! If you notice, it has to be a ‘Westside’ that gives you a better range of formals! Incidentally, even the railway platforms begin their ascending order of numbering beginning with the west. Though east would alphabetically come before west, it is always west first; reminding me of the chivalrous stand to allow ladies first!
Crazy seems this fetish which takes you west-ward rather than forward!
