Ahead of Time

By Nasir Ali

it's that time of the year again,when the shadows start length and we start wondering whether it is time to put our clocks forward or backward by an hour.We were pretty sure this time.And promptly on Tuesday night.at 12pm we turned the clocks to 1am,and come morning.all he broke loose. First we called up the railway station and airport to ask what time the first train or flight would be departing.We were told they would follow the old time.What was the whole point of turning the clocks forward if we didn't have to change the time of the flights? in the next hours two-and a-half-thousand people rang the station and the airport asking the station and the airport asking the same question.By that time,both the train and the flight had left.It is peculiar how a whole ritual has grown up round this time thing.For instance,a lot of people keep at least one watch in the house on the old time - to keep track of the 'real' time as opposed to the 'artificial' one.This continues for four or five months after which,with a great deal of sat is
faction,they tell everyone they will not have to readjust at least one watch.
Actually the hullabaloo starts much before.Just as the authorities start thinking about adjusting clocks,all the restaurant-owners start making a fuss about how people cannot be asked to dine at seven in the evening which is the time stipulated for shops to close.Of course, they are right and the authorities readily agree.But the only trouble is that every bakery and biscuit shop quickly sets up a table and gets an electric kettle and starts purveying tea and biscuits,which makes it a restaurant,and entitled to stay open till all hours.Then the parents of school kids join in.The clocks being moved forward means schools start an hour earlier,which does not suit the parents as their offices do not necessarily adjust their timings.So having taken their kids to a week they start pressuring the schools to start work an hour late.About half the schools succumb which means the school day goes to pot,especially as some of the rickshaw wallahs take kids to more than one school,and they all can't be expected to adjust.Surprisingly only people not affected by this time changing are cinema or theatreowners.One would have thought they are the people who would raise a fuss butt somehow they quickly adjust and carry on regardless.