Essays

Towns and cities are the boon of the modern civilization. With the coming of industrial revolution, a large number of industries sprang up. Machines replaced manual work and labourers failed to compete with the quality as well as quantity of the machine production. Cottage industry, therefore began to breathe its last. People suddenly found themselves without work, for their hand-made goods failed to compete with the finished goods of the machine without any work, they failed to provide square meals to their families. Forced because of hunger, poverty, death and other circumstances, they migrated to areas whore these industries were set up to seek employment. This saw the emergence of towns as the labourers began to live with their families nearby the factories and the industries where they were employed. Towns grew bigger to form cities gradually.

People from villages since ages have perpetually migrated to towns and cities in search for better life, better opportunities for employment and better exposure. Villages arc left only for traditional farming. Besides agriculture and animal husbandry, villages now provide no other opportunities. Due to unfriendly weather conditions such as drought, famines or floods, even agriculture and animal keeping prove to be unprofitable. Survival too, these days, many a times, becomes difficult. Cities, at such times, seem to be the only refuge where there are greater chances of earning a livelihood and surviving anyhow.

Thus, cities have come up as a by-product of industrialization and modernization. City life is thus a modern phenomenon. Being so, it has its own advantages as well as disadvantages. 'City'—is a symbol of what we called 'Modern'. It symbolizes in its very essence every aspect of modernism and modernization. It stands in total contrast to the pastoral life of a village. The meadows, the green valleys, the cattle grazing, farmers busy ploughing their fields, children playing crude rustic games on the dusty streets, women busy in their household chores etc, are the characteristic features of the countryside untouched by technology. Science and modernism have still not completely invaded the serenity of the village air.

City life on the other hand is full of frenzy and madness that science has brought along with it- People are rushing to and fro heading towards their destination in a hurry. Modern life has converted man into a machine- - a machine that produces money and nothing else. City life has increased man's thirst for money, power, status and security. Man's greed for these things never acts satisfied. Every man is an island unto himself in a city. Isolated from his environment, man has lost touch with his roots, with his humanity and with himself too. The filial affection too is dwindling in larger cities where all the family members rarely sit and eat together. People have all sources of comfort, luxuries and pleasure in a city but have lost their humane side. Man is ever lost in the maze and glamour of the avenues a city presents to him. It is easy to be captivated by it and lose one's direction in a city.

Yet, a city with all its demerits or dark side has its own merits and advantages. A city presents better opportunities to a man to fulfil his dream. For a villager who carries a tiny flicker of hope in his heart to fulfil his dreams, a city is his El-Dorado. It is his heaven as well as haven. Wider prospects, wider avenues, border horizons are presented .in a city. Better job opportunities, better quality of education, greater career options are all found only in a city. A person has greater chances to develop his all-round personality in a city. A city is not only rich in educational and job opportunities but it is also rich in presenting various avenues of entertainment. Better jobs increase the level of the standard of living and thus people do not mind spending a little for leisure. Thus, a city provides wider modes of entertainment. Development has yet to reach our villages but cities even though they are smaller, have the advantage of being advanced in development and technology. Thus, cities attract the people from rural areas to come and settle and make the best use of whatsoever the city has to offer.

Thus we see, like everything else in life, a city too has its own dark aspects and brighter sides. Cities seem to be the order of the day and hence one cannot overlook the opportunities they present to a man.