End of an Indian Scooter Era : Bajaj not to make scooters

One of the middle-class status symbols of India circa the 80s' is gone !.

I read the article that Bajaj is going to stop it's scooter production in favour of motorcycles with some bit of nostalgia and a lot of "OMG - I'm of a different generation" thoughts...

In the late 70's and the early 80's, the scooter was actually the middle class dream vehicle for the new family. In some ways, it was the urban "made it" symbol !

While I used to favour the "Lambretta" as it had a centered engine, as against the "Vespa" style of engine on the right. These used to be cult vehicles in college. Next, came the Vijay's and the like. However, my guess is that the Bajaj (esp the Chetak) was the mainstay in lots of families.

These were so sought after that you could easily make a killing in the allotment and transfer game. If I remember right, there used to be a USD only booking option also with some hugh sum that had to be paid as advance (does 10,000 sound right ?).

Truly an end of the era event.

Today, looking back, I'd love to buy off a "Lambretta" from the open market if someone has one for sale ?

Supreme Court asks of MontBlanc's Gandhiji Pen : Is it mightier ?

Read with glee the questioning by the chief justice and the other justices of MontBlanc's "Mahatma Gandhi" special pen today.

Quote from ET "Can Mahatma Gandhi be the poster boy for driving home the message that a super-expensive Mont Blanc “pen is mightier than the sword?” To this question of a PIL petitioner, the Supreme Court on Monday sought responses of the Centre and the retail outlet of the pen-maker in Delhi"


Way back in Oct (just past the Jayanti), I had made the following post

http://inatech.blogspot.com/2009/10/time-off-on-gandhi-jayanthi-is-it-right.html

and my anguish came from the fact that the company was peddling a USD 25000 pen in the name of the person who shunned ostentatious spend all his adult life !

Would love to hear what the response is ? How will they justify this ?