I guess it was cute in the beginning. Quaint I suppose. And added flavour and colour to our yet to be developed streets.

“Amazing, how you have to make way for the cows” remarked the average American visitor. “Mein Herr, zhere waz a temple in zhe middle of zhe highway and we all had to go around it”, said the German Tourist.

City planners had a ball designing roads that went around these man made obstructions. And some of these small little bumps went on to become huge hills. Temples first built roofs, then walls, then expanded…and the dargahs did the same. The Government passed laws about cattle in the city but who paid heed anyway?

Before you knew it someone was praying at that spot. Someone else was paying floral tributes. And then came the paint job. Green perhaps…or maybe the orange and white stripes.

And these man made centre pieces became something we protect better and more aggressively than our heritage.

I believe that the time for cuteness is over. We need to get real. We need to do something about a society that doesn’t think twice before blasting a rock out of existence but fights like a Tiger if someone even suggests moving the Road Block.

How long will we hang on to our graveyards in the middle of town and prevent road widening. For heaven’s sake, can’t you see that we are now being seen as a country where people obstruct development whether they’re dead or alive?

I think it’s time we as a country grew up…came of age. Let’s stop fighting for our history books even as we are undoing history.