Thursday, August 03, 2006

a small town in india

i had an idea...but i am still surprised at how much construction/development of new buildings-shopping centres is happening in a small town like bhavnagar...

it appears all great...gives us hope of bright and better future...much stronger economy...higher standard of life...etc...

but brings about so many questions:

- the most difficult of all...what happens to the agricultural economy...the world is soon going to have more urban population than rural but india isnt reaching that as soon... (Three quarters of India's billion-plus population still live in villages.) how right is opting for free trade and embracing western model of economy?




- what is the policy towards ACTUALLY protecting the architectural assets that are being demolished to make way for such developments (i remember a few places where there used to be beautiful villas and now there are characterless shopping malls with cheap aluminium panels standing)

- in relation to that...the ugly architecture of the rapidly_built_shopping_mall_monsters... when will we start implementing any aesthetic regulations...




- and the tricky one...what about the sudden imposed change in lifestyle...and the conflicts its bringing about in indian middle class society...

- and they all talk about 'how-it-looks-like-we-are-in-america-or-something'...what about a place which has at least a feel of a locally rooted place... at least an indian place... (though...i must say, i am hopeful that indian way of appropriating everything through tactics would bring about interesting results...something to look forward to to study one day...!)

2 Comments:

Blogger chintan said...

very true, we need spaces for LIVING in india...this post was also a tangential reaction to the whole debate on SEZs in india. the situation looks scary considering how the government is doing a lot sanctioning and promoting SEZs (special economic zones), which are all about economic incentives and there is not much thought given to the problems they are bringing...

5:30 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

problems? do SEZs bring problems? whatever it brings, can it be called problem???

7:44 pm  

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