Travellers to places outside our country are always amazed at the changeless nature of so many of them. Many places in Europe, for instance, especially the smaller villages, look as though they are frozen in time. With their dwindling populations, these places look so very similar from one year to the next that we find it quite amazing.

It is different for us, of course. We in this part of the world are by now used to the rapid changes that are taking place in every sphere of our lives. Whether it is lifestyle, finances, or even the nature of the places we live in, everything is evolving swiftly in our country. Even the North East, especially Assam , after being moribund for so many years, is now witnessing change at a pace not seen before. As for the larger cities, and the more developed parts of our country, change is happening so fast that often one feels that one is looking at a fast altering kaleidoscope.

But even as cities are transformed, people grumble. For human nature being what it is, people, especially those “above a certain age” cling to what they are comfortable with. And one of the most frequently heard complaints about the swiftly changing urban spaces around us is that they have “lost their character”.

This is often heard about many places in the country. Let us take the example of one such city – Bangalore . Not all that long ago, this metropolis was a pensioner’s paradise and a haven for public sector enterprises, with large and leafy campuses. It was a laidback place, and small townish. The largest stores downed shutters every afternoon and took three-hour lunch breaks. Even after the Northern part of the country was comprehensively Maruti-ized, people moved around in buses and two wheelers, with the occasional Fiat and Ambassador phutphutting sedately across the landscape.

But post liberalisation, the IT boom has changed the face of the city so much that one barely recognizes the place. It has a vigour and energy that compares with any big city in the world. Indeed, why not. For this is a place that has contributed a verb to the English language, as in the plaintive wail heard in developed countries, “My job has been Bangalored!” And no, shops can no longer afford to take three hour lunch breaks. Competition from swanky malls and fancy stores has shaken up the population.

True, like all other rapidly evolving places, the old “character” of the place has vanished. Only a few pockets retain the flavour of the last century. The rest of the place is buzzing with construction of fancy homes that cater to the returning NRI and the expatriate, two phenomena that are very much in evidence in this place. For techies worldwide are beginning to find our country’s swift growth trajectory a fantastic reason to root their careers here. And Bangalore – not yet Bengaluru in popular conception – with its peaceful ambience, wonderful climate, great work ethics, fine homes and excellent restaurants, seems to be the first choice for these people.

Indeed, every visit to Bangalore leaves one feeling that this is not just a different city or state, but a different country altogether. The demographics, for instance, seem to be so different from the rest of the country. This is the place to which the youth of the country, especially from less developed places like ours, migrate. Kannadigas are now a minority in the city, but the benefits of development have enriched them greatly, materially as well as opportunity-wise. Young laptop-carrying techies are everywhere. But also present are droves of immigrants from all over the country, including the North East, taking advantage of opportunities as security guards, waiters or shop assistants all over town.

This basic fact of immigration has truly changed the character of the place, making it leap from Pensioner’s Paradise to Tech City . This fact seems to give it a cutting edge. While the North East, for instance, talks of getting greater broadband connectivity, Bangaloreans talk of wi-fi. In lifts and at social gatherings, the conversation is about which restaurant, for instance, offers good wi-fi connectivity. The buzz is not about politics, or political parties, but about wi-fi hotspots in unexpected places, or the latest gadgets. Broadband is passé. Everybody and his uncle already has it.

In fact, the kind of things that the average techie in Bangalore uses the internet for, (besides work, of course) makes the mind boggle. Takeaway food joints have their menus online, for the customer to decide which items to order. Want to order a taxi to take you to the glitzy new airport? Do it online. A swanky Meru cab with uniformed chauffeur will be waiting for you well ahead of the appointed time. And no, the so called “developed” countries are not nearly as internet savvy as is this amazing city. Even the Government, taking a cue from the environment, has placed internet booths at every neighbourhood BDA marketplace. One can pay one’s utility and other bills online from these designated booths, at the blink of an eye.

Techies, men and women both, seem to have a liking for different kinds of toys in general. Women techies are not turned on by the usual fix of jewellery or even fancy clothes. It seems to be gadgets, gadgets, and more gadgets for them. So while diamonds leave this breed cold, and they are dressed mostly in jeans and Ts, they have fancy phones festooned on their persons. In fact, man or woman, the latest phone in the market always evokes passionate discussion. The launch of the iPhone had people scrabbling to their computers to see its specifications, and make up their minds about whether to acquire it or not. And while most techies sport their own laptops, the buzz is now about the cutesy notebooks and netbooks that are now on offer.

Of course, wherever young Indians reside, their parents are bound to visit. Trains and planes from the rest of the country in general and the North East in particular are full of middle aged people, going in to spend a few weeks with their children working there. Students, too, abound, for the South offers cutting-edge technical colleges, and an almost assured job later. Many students, in fact, work part time to supplement their pocket money, and buy themselves fancy goodies. One meets their parents at malls, restaurants, and the gardens of the condominiums where their children stay, looking proud and happy at their children’s success. But there is a sadness, too, in their eyes, especially on their return journey. Sadness because it is unlikely that their kids will ever return to this place of few opportunities of the kind they are getting in this city of the South. Sadness also because their own region is still so bereft of opportunities for young people, making emigration the only option sometimes.

And yes, where so many eligible young people live, can matrimonial alliance-making be missing? This is, after all, India , where the institution of the arranged marriage flourishes. Online marriage sites have many clients here. As for those parents who like to do things in the “old” manner, there are ways for them, too. Older immigrants in the city are flooded with requests from friends and relatives back home to “look up” such and such a boy or girl, working in one of the large IT or IT related firms there. Never mind that such a request often means looking for a needle in a haystack. As things stand, the highly educated techies of the city constitute an attractive pool of prospective spouses.

All Things Considered, then, the changing character of Bangalore is one that most people view with amazement. But one wonders. Our region, our towns and cities, too, are changing. What will be the character that they will acquire in a few years from now?

MITRA PHUKAN