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people being unused to or confused by such signals. It is that such stop lights are innately wrong for the flow of Indian traffic, composed primarily of bicycle rickshaws and bicycles. They are small and highly maneuverable, being able to squeeze in and out of tight spots. Traffic lights are meant for broad streets of automobiles which move at a faster and more dangerous speed and must move in straight lines because of their size and unmaneuverability. The narrow streets of Vanarasi get choked immediately and back up traffic quickly when you stop all movement in one direction. It also results in the traffic turning into a clogged street being unable to get into the street at all; Because their is no divider line with all one way on each side of the line. The street being too narrow, twisting, pot holed, no sidewalks, pedestrians using the street as well. The whole successful working of Indian streets depends on the swift, close, maneuverability of humans and small conveyances. Indian streets serve as much a part of Indian life as his home. He spends perhaps most of his awake (non-sleeping) time in the street. Everything opens into the streets, most of the shops are tiny inside, the street becomes the main part of their space. One of the great freedoms of Indian life is its streets. The right of people to squat any-
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where. Street vendors, roadside vegetable dealers, cloth merchants all goods are spread out in the street. People relieve themselves, sleep, work, play, eat, fight, relax, spit, die in the street. All human activity takes place there. This is a sacred right. But "progressive" Indian administrators want to westernize their cities, make them "modern." To apply aspects of western technology to Indian life without examining closely the basic differences and needs is tragic. So the traffic cops look dumb and confused as they try to unravel the jammed mass of traffic while the stop light flashes green, yellow, red overhead. An example of misapplied borrowing from one culture to another.
The main point of the above is that the traffic was functioning at those intersections without delay. A circular concrete circle in the middle allows the traffic to flow naturally with a minimum of fuss (for Indian traffic).
I've just read that until the 19 cent. there was practically no prose every thing was learned through the medium of verse by chanting. (this of course was the way the Vedas were handed down.).
Life expectancy in India today is 52. Statesman April 7, 70 p 3
A man was arrested for "eve-teasing" in Vanarasi. This is the term used for men who bother or say negative things to girls in public.
http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/gedney/#copy

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