Outskirts Press, INC.

Santosh Kothari, Age 78, looks back at the time of his childhood in Mumbai (Bombay), India. This period begins with World War II and it’s end. India struggled and succeeded in gaining independence from British colonial rule at the beginning of this period. It was a unique period of transition from old to New. There was very little personal transportation—cars, motorbikes, and scooters were rarely used by anyone except the very rich. Even ownership of bikes was not that common. Electricity was available only in big cities and only in prosperous areas. Personal visits were the popular method of conducting relations and business. The postal service and telegraphs were the popular methods of communication. Phones were very scarce and unaffordable. The Indian population was about a quarter of today’s population. There was lot more greenery in cities; a lot more open space; a lot less crowding; a lot less competition; and a lot less greed. Most people lived in combined families where two to three generations lived together. Often children who were married and had their own children continued to live in the same household. Everything was shared.