Necessity and Choice

At any given point of time, some things in life are done out of necessity, whereas others are done by exercising the privilege of choice. This behaviour is seen in all walks of life and at all Times.

Cycles used to be a necessity for a generation that couldn’t afford vehicles. And by cycle, we mean travel distances, planning of the day, carrying things on cycle, multi tasking, and trying to optimize other things. In this web of life, wherein cycle had been an intrinsic ingredient, relationships with people, flora, fauna, seasons, time, and self are different. People who used the cycle as the only means of movement, didn’t think of it as a sustainable tool – it was a ‘default’ tool of movement. The cycle might have also indicated slowness, frustration, effort, staticness for some. People then desire ‘speed’ – and with it – other faster modes of transport like privately owned vehicles.

By owning vehicles (which become a necessity), we gain speed, do things faster, quicker and are not tired to pack in more. As speed of life increases, we come to a point, wherein we relook at the cycle as the most sustainable way of movement. This point, is a point wherein it is easy for us to exercise the alternative choice of moving by cycle without jeopardizing our economical conditions – in other words, whether we own a cycle or a vehicle doesn’t make a difference to us.

Think of rural conditions in that manner – what seems quite sustainable and exotic to us to look at – ways of living, building houses, moving, storing, cropping patterns etc. – is a necessity for the local community to live in that way. When the local community look at the urban situation (us), they aspire to be like us, but we have known the perils of moving with speed.

Expand the above relationship of rural – urban by relating respectively to developing nations – developed nations. Ideas of sustainability endorsed by developed nations are already lived by developing nations out of necessity. Sustainability might appear as a conscious choice (and exciting/ thrilling choice) for developed nations. For developing nations, it is downright equation of survival.