Pune dumps quaint title for hip one

Pune: Once known as a quaint pensioner’s paradise, Pune has, of late, shed the reputation for a more happening one.

The city is now associated with the young and the restless, and Monday morning’s raid on a rave party is just an indication of the changing trend.

The social fabric of this once easy-going city has changed a lot over the last few years and it’s grappling with change.

Seventy-seven-year-old year old Hiraman Kashinath Kate is a contented man. A hardworking and laborious farmer, Kate today has established a prosperous household, thanks to the vast span of prime property he once held.

“We live as a joint family even today thanks to our values,” he says.

Though Kate’s social life did not change much while Pune expanded, his physical surroundings did.

What were farming lands earlier, today have houses, residential complexes, commercial property and hospitals.

As much as the structural changes in Pune, it’s the change in outlook that needs to be taken note of.

The many sides to Pune are clearly reflected in two polar opposites – one represented by the Kates and the other by Saturday's rave party in which 271 youth were arrested on drug abuse charges.

“How Pune's dynamics are changing faster than anyone could ever imagine. There’s a conflict between what grown up say and do. Children and grown-ups have to adjust to the change,” says a city-based psychologist, Neha Bhatia.

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