IDHAR UDHAR KI BAAT 133 — COVERS Brig PS Gothra (Retd)

“Dadaji, your generation was funny. Look at that old man at the bus stand. He has covered his suitcase with camouflage-pattern cloth. It must take him ages to open it,” said Sonu, the eldest among the three Gen Z boys travelling with me in the car.

I smiled. “Beta, these things came naturally to our generation. Firstly, because we were not very well off. Secondly, because our parents taught us to preserve things.”

“But Dadu… why cover a suitcase?”

“Not just suitcases. In my childhood, transistor radios came in leather covers. Our old valve radio had a beautifully crocheted cover on it. Later, the same thing happened with televisions. Some people even used covers for their wrist watches,” I replied.

“Watches? Then how did they even see the time?” Sonu laughed.

“There was a flap. People became innovative. Some used press buttons, some used Velcro. Lift the flap, see the time, and close it again. The idea was simple—don’t let scratches ruin the watch,” I replied.

The boys burst into laughter. I continued. “A thin layer of mud used to be smeared under pressure cookers when they were placed on coal or wood-fired stoves, just so the soot wouldn’t stick directly to the metal. Mosquito nets were common to protect people from mosquito bites. Scooters and bicycles had covers. In the seventies, a bicycle itself was a prized possession. People fitted seat covers, plastic handle grips, and even colourful brushes on the wheel hubs so dust wouldn’t settle.”

“I would hate living like that. Mosquito nets make me feel claustrophobic,” said one of them.

“Maybe, but in those days, they also gave peace of mind in a country battling malaria and mosquitoes. Yes, some places we overdid things. Polythene covers on the car seats were left intact for months to give the impression that the car was new. The stickers on the crockery items were not taken off again with that premise even though it was unhygienic.”

The boys smiled. Then Sonu said jokingly, “Honestly Dadu… I feel pity for your generation.”

“Don’t. Your generation is not very different.” I said gently.

“How?”

“Take out your phones.”

Almost instinctively, all three pulled out their smartphones. I pointed towards them.

“Every phone has a cover. Every screen has tempered glass. Laptop keyboards have covers. TV remotes still wear plastic jackets.”

The boys looked at each other and smiled awkwardly.

“The psychology is exactly the same—to preserve things, make them last longer, and keep them looking new.”

For a few moments, there was silence in the car. Then I said quietly, “All those great business families we admire today were not built merely by earning wealth. Somewhere in their family line, someone must have learnt how to preserve resources instead of wasting them.”

Outside the window, the old man slowly lifted his covered suitcase and walked towards the bus. This time, none of the boys laughed. As I looked outside, a thought crossed my mind. Perhaps every generation thinks the previous one was outdated.

But human beings never really change. Only the covers change. Once it was a crocheted cover on a radio. Today it is a shockproof cover on an iPhone. Once people protected furniture from dust. Today, they protect data from hackers and phones from scratches. Once people feared scratches. Today they fear battery health dropping below 80%.

Technology changes rapidly. Human psychology does not.

Civilizations are not sustained merely by earning wealth. They survive because somewhere…

someone had strong sense to preserve things.

Jai Hind.

Note:- This piece was inspired by the Prime Minister’s recent appeal to conserve national resources by reducing avoidable expenditure on imported luxuries, fuel wastage, and excessive consumption. Nations are not strengthened merely by earning more. They are strengthened when citizens learn not to waste what they already have.

Critique welcome.