Distribute Goodies to Electorate and get votes

Elections are too far since the it has not been announced in Gujarat or in other parts of country. The state parties are busy distributing goodies (pots, cycle, vollyballs, bags etc) to the people to lure them to votes. This is apart from the hosts of Garib Kalyan Melas which allowed the state (no the political master) to distribute from his able hands. With all the melas, we may not believe that we are living in developed state. The state which host Vibrant Gujarat and boasts of double digit growth is not shying away from accepting the poverty in the state and makes sure the identified poor by the party workers gets the goodies.

The days of simple political gimmicks have taken over by presenting doles to the eligible voters, even the opposition congress is not behind they have been making promises to give home, laptops, and other articles to their loyal voters. Money can buy anything, Is that the mantra for parties to come to power. Shameless people who would be enticed by the offers cannot resist and why should they, given the horrible state of public life with ever increasing prices. The responsibilities are given to center for the state's apathy and state takes pride in conducting the campaign for general election (which is two years away!!). Is it well timed or BJP is expecting early elections in state.

One thing is common the nature of political class has not been changing, the world may look at India from the pretext of developing nation, the country does not want to claim any status. The political class wants the nation to remain backward and not questioning on their intention, so what if some goods are distributed, poor fellow do they have any questions or doubt about their governments. Its good that they sleep over the state of affairs in state, the media might shell out some news for them to draw some opinion.

The festive season in country has just started with arrival of Ganesha, the political parties would and are exploiting to bring home their points, and so is ideological warfare claiming to be with people, praying to god to save the nation. Thats too much to accept the fate of people without their participation, else let them glue to that 'idiot box'.

Electoral agents would be now hacking the accounts of the individuals lottering on cyberspace for more data on youth behaviour setting campaign (digital and virtual). Let some party also distribute online gaming tools to youngistan to play with political masters. The net savvy politicians have even lot left medium to be free, they have jumped on passing judgements on the issues even those which are pending in courts, they rightly feel the best judge are the people and its now easy to bribe them. Ganesha says, You must be fool enough to discuss all these, the jokers in the game know when to play, which may spoil the opposition. People must be heard not to hate but to work.

Looking for Urban Form by Physical Planners

Urban form an outcome of utilization of urban space by the people resulting in distribution of density and infrastructure. A recent discussion on the sustainable urban form held at Ahmedabad by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) and their partners SPA Delhi and CEPT Ahmedabad tried to showcase their physical planning talent. They emphasised on the physical density of space and infrastructure planning which considered to be important for the resulting urban form. The city urban form - a study initiated by the UK based reserach group through tried to present the thesis that urban form is resultant outcome of various factors, physical, social and economic, the national level institutes failed to conceptualise the studies. The analysis though seems to be undergoing the directions for such urban form studies are dominated by the physical urban planners. The cities and their form is not outcome of intellegent planning but is result of urban geographies, economy, sociology and behaviour of the people. The policy decisions are used to guide the plans but its people who choose to the manner they want to use their lands. The planning communities have failed to scientifically explain the present urban form rather jumps too fast on making the new plans and policy. The analysis for the present city forms were missing in the current studies at the national level, the content of the works intended to prepare the National urban form guidelines didnot have any scientifc basis except the physical interplay between the density which is an outcome of land utilization. The stress on the allowing or restricting the mixland use in the cities are discussed at length, but with little theoritical backing explainations were hard to give.

The cities in India have been focussing on the infrastructure plans in the city development plans which in any case cannot be regarded as authentic planning excercise. Its neither traditional nor looking for sustainable approach to planning, just become a funding tools for the state. The current applied sciences should intervene the planning process in order to save it self from the intellectual lethargy while studying the cities. The planning community have failed to explain the city form and directions with the scientific methods, rather they are good at explaining the policies by using the same methods. The structured approach to planning systems are missing and yet the decisions are taken too fast. Take for example the recent planning of Dholera SIR in Gujarat, where in the physical planners are going for 2 million plus cities, where in its expected to populated in coming years (100 years!!). This is within reach from Ahmedabad, a million plus city, how this would be feasible to relocate or expect huge migrant movement out of nothing. The physical planners have already beguin to plan for the people, wherein nobody exists and look for heavy investments by realtors. The claim of the planners in this context is huge masterplan indicating the role of state which has evidently emerged as real estate agent. The lack of people participation and information is resulting in utter chaos in planning system, some results are good, but most are expected to be poor thought for the future.

The dance of capital in Globalised world continues..

The billionare lists prepared with much funfare world over, has made true joke of the present economic crisis in the US and Eurozone. The capitalists continue to maximise their wealth not loosing sleep over the present crisis. The recent news about Hindujas Manson in UK and million dollar, CEOs and professionals salaries in top companys would make the rest of world and country envy about their position. Its given same explaination that these neo-rich work harder to have earn their rights to encash their labour, the maximum of ownership even in this era of public companies not being corrected. The capturing of the wall street in US by commoners is representation of the growing antithesis about the march of capital. But these efforts in the US can not be equalled to what is happening in Egypt or Libya. At least they had targetted the persons who not only cornered the money but has dominated their life ever. The new capitalists also dominates but through its art and science of capturing the market, this would often create and positive sense. People in general are not averse to these, only they become jealeous for the targets capital which they themselves would not be able to acheive.

India, has also thrown the billionare club and more so is joining, some by their right while they own (??) a large public enterprise and some by their might. Among such is the liquor barronm Mr. Mallaya refuses to be mowed down by present aviation crisis, would bend the governments to facilitate his exit from the situation. It is clear that they have mismanaged their economic interests in businesses, would now force the government of India to garner more funds from the across the world, thus inviting the MNC to take over. Why such bending of rules or facilitating them is evident, ya we all know they run the government in proxy.

Capital has helped the political Class. They have printed hoardings, put politicians on charted flights to world trip, played in casinos to encash their fortunes, helped most of them to open Swiss Bank account. Why would then they keep silence on the any wrong doing by fleecing the consumers, land owners, financial institutions and governments at local level. They do not see existance of city government, only interact with the PMs and head of state. Their art of negotiation with the government is immense, as if they belong to different breed and have special citizenship status in country.

A normal citizen would have end number of difficulties in getting into the government headquarters whereas these neo-capitalists would sit in their offices, car and residences just because they belong to their place. Rest do not matter.

Developmental Politics and state

The state being one of the fastest growing have started looking to dominate the Indian economies have come into existence as an outcome of libralisation policies. The centre though assigned considerable freedom due to economic compulsion and political outcome is becoming weak in addressing the national concern. Each of state is looking on their turf to improve, its good as long as they do not logger heads over the precious resources. The state like Gujarat, too where the CM in power likes to demonstrate his abilities rather than party in power or the ministries entrusted with task. The image building excercise has turned ugly and would call for down turn of the Indian democratic system. We as individuals would like to see governments which dominates our lives with constant pestering on 'who is who' of Indian politics talking at random about their acheivement.

Its acceptable as long as they are limited to party politics, but the intrusion of 'development' addressed with numbers of doles handed out to the poor, crores spent on the schemes etc looks like erstwhile rulers giving their subject regular handouts. Is'nt the governments are supposed to be working for the people, Why do they have to loath about the tasks they have performed? Its too shamelessness of the people in power to showcase their material acheivements without considering the fact that in democracy they are the custodian of public welfare. The failures are gone under the red carpet of the governments, which they would like to hide till development politics result in fall of their governments.

The 21st century 'development' though unsustainabe has now become media savvy and eirrational to the need of the society. The challenges before us is big and ever increasing intead of focussing on the future we are still busy in completing the tasks taken during our first plan. We talk of decentralization but if act miserably till the state takes the form of darconian and suffocating rulers led by likes of presents CMs in most of the state in country. This is not encuraging for those who wanted to enter in public life. Till some introspection happens keep the bell ringing.

Fight Corruption from Street to Parliament

Just when the heat against corruption was hot the team Anna and other civil rights groups lauched an combined effort to bow down the government. People from the middle class after long gap came on the street to support the cause. Most of the youngsters were pitting for the 75 year old Anna saheb for the leading them who was equating this as fight for the second freedom.

All this has now part of history, the bill would be back in parliament, if MPs unite, the citizens are now left to see the fate of Lokpal bill are in hands of government in power. The street which was packed by 'I am Anna' supports are now filled with ravellers of Ganapati and Ramzan. Do we all would be able to take the fight till end. We all had doubts yet hope lingers on the somewhere else, the typical urban middle class have not connected them selves with rural India and also with the civic issues arising in their own cities. The ' egg shell' like their houses refuses to come out on the streets and still believes that someone like Anna would fight, fast and die for their cause.

Parliament which were supposed to be addressing these issues is again would be busy in putting things into back burners with many legislation waiting to be passed. The Lokpal would take ample time in come to force in near future. The issue of corruption might have been prime time episode for most of us, but it has failed to raise the national consensus for social reform in supporting the cause.

Admissions Open for Masters in Urban Planning

Bhaikaka Centre for Human Settlement, APIED,

Sardar Patel University (V.V. Nagar) ANAND

Masters in Urban Planning

(Recognized by Institute of Town Planners India, ITPI, New Delhi)

Applications Invited from eligible candidates for the Masters in Urban Planning (MUP) full time course. Following are the details;

Course Duration : two years (Four Semister)

Eligibility: B.Arch/B.E.(Civil)/MA/MSC in Economics/Sociology/Geography or other equivalant degree specified in admission brouchure.

Tentative Admission Schedule: Application Acceptence: Last week July/Admission - 1st Week Aug.

For More information call

Shashikant Kumar

Course Coordinator (MUP)

09898353419

www.apied.edu.in

Urban Planning and 4000 Sq.Km of Countryside

Urban planning is going to big boost at the cost of numerous land loss in the countryside. The recent information about Gujarat nearing to acquire 4.8 Lakh Ha of land outside the existing urban areas for the numerous Special Investment Region (SIR) and SEZ throws light on the future character of state.

Across the state, there are three planning institution looking at the urban issues, rather arm chair one to present the glossy picture of ongoing development in the state. The busy state officials are key to presenting the land for the greedy corporates to setup never imagined empire of their estates. There us euporia in the planning community going gaga over the development, example is one of the leading planning schools (now turned University) to capture assignments, and join the party in the state.

The concerns of the 'common men' are limited to city management, rooting for the 'slum free India' these new school of thought has emerged maximizing the consultancy effort to take a peice of cake. The trend to establish their stamp now has emerged as keen party to rout for the barren lands in the hinterland for more urbanization led by the industries. There is no dirth of professionals taking advantage of current situation, and hardly any few tries to study the impact of the such as high end public policy. The apathy of the people towards these professionals has also come to be known as lobbiest at their best. The less we question the government in power the more we are likely to get works (consultancy). The privy to critical information most of them have tied up with builders and developers to participate in great official land grab.

Land Acquisition related issues have often divided the scholars but never too serious to hamper the present professional approach..who takes..forget about it approach. This has often resulted in negating the efforts of the planners engaged in listening to impact of proposed approach in the state. There is still time to oversee the proposal in the light of current conflict induced by the present development models. There is rejection of public participation in the planning efforts, no matter these are part of the Detailed Project Reports often casually undertaken without due process. The state has turned blindfolded on the concerns of general masses, giving lot of media coverage's to newly colored areas. Till the new planners realize their areas of working let the scrutiny of current planning proceed independently.

Leaving Agriculture for Industrial Development:Raw Deal

Most center to the argument about shifting of population from agrarian base to non agricultural base since the carrying capacity has declined to support large population. Many tend to believe that with industrialization jobs would open up but what a class, it would be mostly jobs of doorkeepers, odd-job-boys, maids, mason-helpers, etc will be available! Some one may add another job: that of a Hawker. From a peasant or agricultural laborer (though poor, no doubt) becoming a maid / servant / gatekeeper / hawker / rickshaw-puller…etc ... a ‘development’ indeed!

Some ‘lucky’ ones may become some makeshift Tea cum snacks stall owners or betel-leaves–cigarettes–chewing-tobacco stall/'galla' owners on the pavements, always in a precarious existence – any time the ‘Cleansing cum Beautification’ drive of the govt can bulldoze them out, and they’ll have to rebuild their shanty stalls again.

In the name of industrialization we may have taken lot of land but the promise of the job still eludes many, most of the land owners are forced to leave their ancestral occupation to the serve the urban middle class. The states also now train such poorly educated people for the service of neo-rich society by conducting training programs. From the independent human being, the land owners were turned to dependent community on the industrial economy, however remains uncertain.

Educated sons and daughters of the so-called ‘middle’ / ‘upper-middle class’ people are upbeat and vying for those few thousands of good-paid jobs that may come up in the Special Economic Zones or Special Investment Regions. The management level jobs in the industries and mainly in the ‘service’ sectors serving the well-to-dos. The media, businessmen, and the likes are full of glee. And they will have plenty of ways to earn more money and plenty of things to do with their lots of money. But all of them together constitute only 12-25% of the population, at maximum 30%.

The enrichment of the selected community group or class in states or country for the development is not the development of rest in the society. For the remainder, those fellows at power have that old rotten rusted “Trickling Down” theory. Yes, some thousands among tens of millions of unemployed youth will get the rest of the lower end jobs. Some will get consolation of doing own “ business ” "dhandho" thats paltry Rs 1500 – 4000 per month. But the problem of unemployment will not even fractionally be solved. The people disposed by development will become paupers in their own land.

Religiosity of Development: Satya Sai

Whether Satya Sai baba is 'real god' or not? The question are debated with emotional answers from the followers saddened by demise of their great soul. The present reactions amongst the followers also shows the respect the person generated by his activities. The rationalists may be right in pointing the magician like quality and acts of baba, on the pretext of creating long lasting impression.

From last 50 years of service or public life, he has reached the poor in his own way, as it would have been difficult for government to reach people. What made him to worshiped is the services he provided to people, generally poor in health and education. Mostly free, high quality and accessible to regions he served. His act of collection funds from donors (different than what we citizen give as 'tax') and making absolute utilization of the receipts makes him 'greater' service provider and allows people to respect his goals. We citizens or people of India, need proper care including food to poor, cloths, health, education and brotherhood. The baba provided all under his ambit, while the government agencies instead of following his development mantra, made themselves a follower of person called Satya Sai baba. We should not wonder, why people see so much of closeness to such great leaders and dedicated service providers who would do all their best to provide to people, when they see governments are not able to reach.

What makes people who follow such spiritual leaders not translating their learning to the acts they perform (honesty, dedication and sense of duty) in daily life? You may worship any god men or god, if you have performed your tasks as diligently as given and trusted on you, you would attain eternal peace. Instead, we might seek help but would shy away from helping those in need. Lakhs of money to the religious trusts are donated by most of so called powerful people and corporates, but these very people shy away from giving tax to the governments, or helping even the local governments. Of course in turn looks like oasis in desert.

Most of the religious institutions survive in feeding the poor and supplying their material needs to garner support and people follow those who help them in their needs whether material or spiritual. The diversity of nation by the cultural systems is good, but as long as we lack basic amenities and have million of hungry Indians the 'religiosity of development' would take place. It is sad people have lost faith in the government, who are supposed to be providers of the basic amenities, rarely civic voulenteers or people are found helping the local bodies like panchayats or municipalities. The religious institutions though helping in the social pain never partner with governments, as it has been done by various corporates. The outcome the faith is above governance, baba is above prime minister and diksha is above shiksha. We as nation love to hate governments, instead put high faith in some one who gives what is desired but never takes by rule of law unless its donation.

Surat: Textile Labour Unrest

Unfortunately the economic capital of Gujarat is under the pressure from the labourers who have been on strike since last four days and textile industries suffering serious loss of business and production. The textile labourers have been under constant work pressure of over 12 hours a day and in shifts living under the unhygienic conditions have helped industry to grow. Over the years the cost of living in the cities like Surat has increased and thus the demand for the just pay rise is justified. The raw material crisis in synthetic textile sector due to monopolistic supply chain as well as rise in crude oil is affecting the industry who have already put down the production due to high cost. The present labourer crises in much claimed labour friendly state presents a unlined situation affecting the lives and work relationships of massive industrial workforce. The industries and city administration has never acted seriously to make the life of these migrants easy, instead they have be made to work hard with less pay comparison to other sector workers.

Organised loom segments are let off by the state industrial labour officers in oversighting the difficulties faced by them in the city. Thus with poor work condition and subsistence pay the migrants would move away given better opportunities in their home state. The industrial labour crises is going to be at large more serious in the state given the massive investment in various sector. The labour shortage in the manufacturing sector and subsequent high cost of labour would also affect the growth prospects. Unless this important factor of production is taken care by introducing better socio-economic package by the collective efforts by the governments and industry association such friction would increase.

The issue of insurance, housing and health has never been tackled fully by the cities concerned for the textile workers and subsequent impact on the city economy is evident. Over million workers in the textile sector in Surat does require attention of the state and central government to ensure long term industrial health. Gujarat can not afford to have collapse of industries in Surat given poor revival of industries in Ahmadabad and Vadodara the next metropolitan city. The urban reform should also look into the economic characteristics and channelise the investment and action is winning the hearts of industrial labourers. The industrial investment would remain volatile or uncertain given the frequent labour unrest starting from Diamond to textile sector and their ancillaries.

End of Industrialization in West and Weak Natural Resource base

The present economic crisis in the west looks like failure of market to move ahead without persistent support of the state. The North block countries including US, Canada and Europe faces severe resource crunch owning to high consumption and low availability of natural resources like fossil fuel. The desire of the west to dominate the world economy slows down as the developing countries like, China, India, Brazil, Iran and Countries South Asia emerge to utilize the world resources. No more the fight to capture the resources has done severe damage to industrialization as it has happened in 1980s to late 1990s. The disturbances in middle east including Afghanistan and Iraq poses the serious danger to the stability of north blocks resource utilization.

The paced industrial revolution led by the European nations in early 17th Century till 1960s have recently lost ground to recover owning to little access to resources of the developing or the least developed nations. While the these two group of nations are busy in utilizing the resources for their own consumption and trade or they are prone to civil wars disturbing the supply of the raw and finished material to the markets in developed nations.

The crisis riddled with controlled market economies of Europe and America which in late 1980s sought to liberalize the economies of the world to have better access to the resources and treating others as potential markets. The economic power of the worlds leading countries would hardly sustain for next two decade given the growth enjoyed by the countries in the Indian Continent and South East Asia. When the nations in the North decided to give up manufacturing and rely on the service based economies cities would tend to have depressive effect on the national economies. Recently cities in the west hardly support the manufacturing pool in US economies, its trade and commerce which so far eluded the employment downfall is now facing serious threat from the outsourcing. They need to diversify and strengthen the production in order to bail out the cities.

Series of the bailout packages for the industries are utilized to strengthen the units already ineffective to sustain beyond the desired period before government treasurership bows out. The going back to people centric industrial model is inevitable to resist given the high unemployment in the developed nations. The demographic transition of the nations in economic crisis from high proportion of aged and low young working group leaves the production line high and dry relying totally on the capital investments. This would have poor distribution effect and increased debt crises in the western nations.

World would not be in the position to bail out the nations and would be mute spectator in case threat of war is imposed by those who would like to sustain economy at any cost. Till they go back to the starting point from it all begun North cannot expect any concession from the South.

Mahgai Dayan..Price Rise and Urban Agriculture

You all are reeling under the emerging price rise in the agricultural produce in the urban markets. People in metros are severely affected by the price rise mainly in perishable food items such as milk and vegetables. Metros keep on getting agricultural products from distant places and relies heavily in India on its immediate hinterland. But situation is changing fast in your urban hinterland too, they are no more interested in just supplying food to cities. Also their lands are gobbled up by up coming modern townships and Special Economic Zones.

The present vegetable crisis (High Prices) in cities like Delhi and Mumbai is definately due to neglect of urban agriculture practices which was encouraged in bygone era and cities themselves ensured their supplies. Now farming communities cannot afford or would not be allowed to cultivate in the city limits by the land sharks and neglect by the city administrations.

City managers are increasingly required relooking into ways to understand it--both from a regulation perspective, but also to determine what is needed to foster and support these agricultural activities within the ambit of city regions. Some clue can be taken from Kolkata..where the urban agriculture still has retained some form.

The rationale for supporting agriculture within cities isn't immediately obvious--it isn't prominent in modern cities, nor has it ever really been typical, to have food production within urban areas. In many ways, being surrounded by agricultural fields was always a sign that one had ventured outside the city limits--it was a defining non-urban factor.

The urban agriculture is still widely practiced in the small and medium towns throughout the country but it lacks its presence in the large cities. Cities like Delhi and Mumbai needs to comeback on the trail of urban agriculture as an essential uses in their land use plans. The neglect of the important activities have caused crisis in their own markets and causes the city to cry hoarse. The far cry of 'Mahngai Dayan' in film 'Pipli Live' is the reality of urban India, joined by the neglect of the farms for farming and using a peice of land for party and recreation spots.

Till we understand the need for Urban Agriculture in our city planning we would go on and on...saying Mahngai Dayan....Khai Jat Hai...

Media and Raising Urban Issues..

Most of us have more knowledge about what is happening in Delhi and Mumbai than our own cities. The electronic media beaming the national events, news and stories is totally hacked by the two cities known for its politicians and corporate whos who. Rest of the cities escape the media attention, a little water logging in Delhi and Mumbai is the story of the day with whole nation glued on it or made to increase the visibility of the TV channels. Even the state capitals of the nations do not receive the attention the people would like to know. Since the news and views along with the opinion makers are from Delhi or Mumbai we get to know water tarriff, flooding, crime, dharna or rally etc giving pity lip services on seeking the opinion polls.

Similarly, the national mood on the issues of civic concerns are limited to what is happening in these two cities, may be seggregation of cities by powerful global factors dominate the urban debates. What happens in rest of 2000 cities of the country is nobodys concern. Our national planners are busy in planning schemes for the rural India, from employment guarentee to minority related issues, but urban India gets partial treatment. This makes aparent is the miniscule amount of expenditure done under the JnNURM, UIDSSMT, IHSDP or other achemes is not sufficient enough to boost the quality of life in these cities. More needs to be done, but who would raise the voice for these cities, Delhi would have gained..huge investment after it started planning and investing for the Common Wealth Games 2010. But this has not gone down well with other cities at the cost of Delhi. Similarly, Mumbai takes the largest peice of cake, related to urban development funds.

Media, has least stories to tell about the cities since they have not been trained to report the cities as they may not be willing to travel outside the large metropolitan cities to the small and medium towns. What would happen if, media continously gives urban India a total miss during last decade? The local media is often limited itself to side stories not more than one or two pages restricted to cities, rest galores more about the issues concerning a huge range of subjects.

The information officers in the urban centres are either not available or not interested in giving news of their own cities. The cities are core to the economic growth which are poised to help the states to generate employment and income to acheive a high growth targets. The neglect of the cities in terms of planning or urban information or reporting new infrastructure would lead the people to have negative opinion about their own city. They keep on dreaming in order to get out of this place and look for greener pasture in larger cities or media hyped one.

'Climate Change' caught in Prespectives!

One must understand climate change in the right prespectives...the comments recieved during the recent interaction with academicians at a gathering made me sit for a while. Yaah! like 'Development' and 'Hapiness' as a term has widely defined by various thinkers and scholars. But those opinion makers on the 'Climate Change' are taking the debates to their own subject of understanding, the environmentalist - terms it change induced primarily by the human actions and this climate change is determental to the existence of the mother earth. Environmental Economists (though I consider economists to be special breed who would draw learning (blood!!) from all the sciences and dominate the debate) -who often refer climate to be adapted and mitigated by investment, organisational changes, and so on impacting the Income and production cycle of the humans. They are cloned again by the political scientists who ventures into series of negotians with the elite business houses, lobby groups and trade blocks in order to maximise the regional or national benefits. They talk of North South divide..groups on either side of line in climate change debates. The scientists working on the climate change try to develop wonderful products to safe guard from impacts -suggests climate change a boon to research community with loads of funds available for their labs and institutions.

What about peoples understanding of climate change? Yes media bombards them with news and views on the climate change with serious disaster like floods, Tsunami, and even earthquake attributed to climate change. People keep on delibrating every summer, monsoon and winter about how excessive or scanty the phenomenon has become since they attained their adulthood. 'Climate Change' like a elephant body parts are different to these groups of knowledge makers and providers. With the changing body politic of the global empires and super powers, nations tend to pass on the information selective to their own people. Yet these countries a platform for serious debates ...on every thing on climate change. This is not clear to many why executives on the administration dwelve on the series of discussion on the issues brought up a handful of researchers (observers) who tend to make opinions from North pole to South Pole, from 1 million years ago to 100 years ahead and from your backyard to the tip of iceberg in Antartica.

Would this become a favourate time pass by the stakeholders? Unless there is serious inward looking executive, economists, environmentalists, political scientists or negotiators, the world would enter to the regime of 'deterministic' regime. Since last two decades (rather since 1987, Sustainablility - Earth Summit) the world has moved closer to climate observation and more fearful it has become. Similarly, as NASA scientists closely monitor the Sun and Mars we get more mesmerised by the serious fallout of phobia of 'If' this happens then what!

Stinking Cities..Rains bring more...

You must be welcoming rains with delight since the temperature went down during this week. The farmers are happy to get much needed water for their fields, while started to make huge investment in High Yeilding Seeds of various food and commercial crops, pesticides, fertilizers, etc. We in the cities tend to see rains not beyond our doors and windows. What meaning do we have for the rains except personal non-commercial interest? Its the city administration which has to tackle the rain into the drains or underground channels. Whilst, among these we should also know that, rains also brings back the stink emerging from the wastes, human night soil and sludge mixed with all the industrial and domestic lines. Our water bodies are filled with such a nightmerish water and wastes. Can you breath properly in the rains minus these wastes. Cities like, Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, etc in Gujarat and other major metros of the country is stinking these days from the waste being decomposed with a mixure of hot and humid climatic changes. Stinks and humidity leaves most of the part of cities unbearable to venture out during the business hours (9.00 am to 7.00 pm). The rains and stinks would be apart only after 10-15 light showers days helping these wastes to move out of the city and pollute the regional environment. Smoke and hazardous gases rarely go away during the cloudy and humid seasons, it remain present in the lower strata of the atmosphere. This leads to more breathing problems in humans and plathora of dangers to plant and animal species.

Administration can at best clean the drains and leave the heap of waste away from the eyesight of the citizens, but its stink stays in the atmosphere of the city. This results the air we breath laden with heavy odur, bad tastes in mouth and infections in throat. What can be done? The cities would remain like that till we keep badly managing our solid and liquid wastes by treating them secondary to the city issues. Cities are happy to see creation of the infrastructure but are poor in operation and management of the systems.
Even the small town and large village settlements are also not left out from this modern life styles which are becoming 'chemical and plastic guzzling' economies. The outcome this phenomena is in wastes being generated, dumped all over the places and choking of the natural systems. Do we really care about city environment? At least not in the present cities of 21st century India.

Smaller Towns does not needs Town planners??

This is mantra being adopted in the country since we got independence. The local bodies even in the 21st century does not want technical hand for their planning and management of urban infrastructure. The admininstrators from the state public service commissions or Indian Administrative Services (IAS) were given enough training so that they become master of all technical fields. Albeit why they were not managing the Reserve Bank of India or National Bank or Planning commission is point of debate for the urban & regional planning communities.

Of course the economists have dominated the thinking class in India, whether they are talking about society or environment, rest of cake is taken over the Masters of Business Administration (MBAs). Recently government departments have also started recruiting MBAs in agriculture, rural development, tribal development, health department and environmental ministry. No matter our planning ferteninty is ever silent on their own path for contribution towards the national concerns. Somebody recently pointed out how many urban planners (town planners) have contributed for the national projects? No answers. Not even for the states urban development. Town planning departments are kept at bay while the state keep on investing money on the infrastructure, city planning and development plans.

The multi-disciplinary team of planning fertinity has lost their own touch, rather each one of us has found a professional 'hole' or well to safe guard our livelihoods. Unitary tendency of the planning is at threat in most the states and countries. Smallers towns are adopted by the states and larger governments to take care of their needs by feeding them regularly on the grass instead smaller cities require proper nutrition and care.

It is good that PSC of the states has seperate cadre for the police and judiciaries otherwise this would also have been made mess by the state masters. Those who are running the show tend to display a unique character in being cherismatic and full of energy in executing the details of the works. As long as people at large who are in deep sleep is not disturbed there is hardly a inch of lateral movement in politics of urban development.

Urban Effects : Identity Politics in Mumbai

Increasing pressure on the city dwellers from the political parties to follow their line of thoughts is evident during the last few years. The political parties like Shiv Sena in Mumbai is trying to play identity politics to its extreme by identifying Mumbai with 'Marathi' cultural ideom rather then its cosmopolitan identity. Mumbaites like any metropolitan city does not need a stamp of approval from 'Thackray' and Cos to live their life in city. City has been at ransom of goons and anti social elements mostly belonging to this political party who claim to save the interest of 'local'. Who is local in Mumbai? Urbanisation has rubbed the identity of Marashtrian folks in a wrong way similarly as it would have done in Kolkatta, Delhi, Chennai or any metropolitan city.

People identity in INDIA of being Indian first, and rest second is being challenged by the Shiv Saniks in Mumbai and threatning celebraties from Film Industry, Politics or Manufacturing sectors allows them to gain control of Mumbai's social-political life. People at large are not supportive of identity politics but its the interest groups who are going to gain from this conflict in the society.
Today the massive urban character of Mumbai is at risk and might lead to exhodus of people in the wake of uncontrolled provocation by Sena elements in the social life of city. What is to be gained by the 'Sena' would be serious loss of Mumbai as a city. It time for the society to reject and assert the identities which they would like to live in cities like Mumbai and do not fall in pray of shifting the side from being Indian to unbeing of 'Maharashtra'!