Today every inhabitant of Guwahati is a Guwahatian.
Even if someone is the first generation of holding in this over populated bustling city he claims to be as much a guwahatian as much as a 5th generation in this city who has seen it transform from a small town restricted to Phacybazar , Machkhowa , Panbazar , Uzanbazar upto Guwahati club .In the late 1950’s I understand buying a plot of land in Chandmari by my maternal grandfather was calculated because he believed that since the Guwahati Refinery was coming up it was expected to develop from the patches of jungle to habitation.
When we were children in the late 1960’s and 70.s growing up in panbazar we were used to seeing a bullock cart coming home every 6 months with paddy and we were told by my grabdmother that it was from our paddy field in Beltola ( now in and around tha MLA hostel )
Our shopping meant JB Mangaram , Jammatolla , Sheikh Brothers . Kamrup Bakery , Delhi Cloth House , DCM .Deb brothers and Delight restaurant . Ladies with style would shop in Eves’ corner .
Photography was College studio .
Book stalls were Western Book Depot , Mani Manik Prakash and Bani Prakash .
The first posh dinning came with Belle Veue . We always had a belief that whenever an uncle or cousin came from overseas a family gettogether in Belle Veue was a ritual .
Our cars were Ambassadors and Fiats , mostly second hand and those who opted to buy a new one would drive it down from Calcutta in style .
Weddings were essentially within ones own courtyard and for people like us who lived in the commercial hub like Panbazar the Municipality without any hassles would grant us permission to block main roads like Jasowanta road for 2 or 3 days for a wedding even 25 years back .
The club for sport lovers was ” India Club ” and their chowkidar Jhatka would come home every month to collect the dues and bring us tattered tennis balls to play with at home .
For the more elite club lovers was Guwahati club where people would play bridge in the evenings and celebrate christmas ans New year with Children .I clearly remember one of my grandmothers saying that this club is my temple .
Some went beyond to have membership in the OIL club in Narengi where we could learn swimming .
Schools were Cotton Collegiate , Kamrup Academy , TC School , Panbazar girls school , St Mary’s and Don Bosco. Of course the Kendria Vidalaya’s were there ..
Now it is difficult for us to believe that we are not deserving residents of Guwahati if you are not connected politically or bureaucratically. Today a true Guwahatian is a person with a strong aura of connections , power and financial stability . We have been thrown out of the main stream in many ways although our ancestors played a silent but crucial role in the making of this happening city of today .