Dear Readers,
The colonial legacy of the British Empire in India is a vehemently debated issue and more so when we make an attempt to gauge it in terms of imperial benevolence and the profit motive. However, there are a few remnants of the British-Raj which on sight, simply overawe us and compels us to appreciate a few qualities of our former masters. They were excellent builders and the proof of it are the tall and grand structures erected by them which have endured the onslaughts of time.
My personal favorite are the bridges built by them. This can serve as an excellent topic of research for any scholar of Modern History: To write the story behind the construction of bridges all across the Indian sub-continent. The sheer expanse and diversity of geography encompassed by such a study would be very fascinating. I am also sure about the fact that the researcher will encounter many thrilling kissas and tales revolving around the sahibs who encamped near these sites and built smaller but strategically important bridges across streams, rivers, jungles and mountains. Something akin to the masterpiece narrative of Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson and his famous Tsavo adventure. Clint Eastwood's Bridges of the Madison County also strikes the mind, though it is remotely linked to the theme. .
This thought chanced upon me a few weeks ago when I was on my way from Jaipur to Jodhpur. En route, one enters the picturesque Bar valley( I would say 'once picturesque' because the recent construction of a six-lane super highway through the valley has rendered an ugly look to the entire landscape) after Beawar and can see several bridges. The Britishers built a railway line across this valley, one that connected Delhi and Ahemdabad and was thus, highly important. Later in the early twentieth century, a road was also constructed that connected Ajmer, their capital to western Rajasthan and was thus, equally important. One of the outcomes of such a study would be that all these structures would be documented before they are lost at the hands of 6 lane highway construction mafia.
