A CHALLENGE TO GROW, COUNTRY OF THOUSAND RULERS AND RISING INEQUALITIES

The divisions which we have grown up with, of religion, of caste, creed, of being women have hardly improved.  And in the list of such differences, another set of list have add on. A statement of global and indigenous, of stylish and non-stylish, and of corporate and non-corporate………the list never ends.

With education, the inequalities and all these divisions were bound to disappear, but rather it has taken into a division much stronger. Say for example, the ad of HUMARA BAJAJ, an ad which targets India, representing its culture, but somehow, the representation of a future India, is an India of only one religion. It looks like; things are going on a rewind, the previous ad of HUMARA BAJAJ, talk about “buland bharat ki buland taqdeer”, but the reference to Hindu was minimal and not emphasized.

The future has become highly predictable and the changing scenarios and the future of India could be seen in the advertisement and film industries so sharply. Television, now reaches every corner, what it talks, is what people believe across the country, and the messages which is going out through this medium of communication is so dangerous, if it sends the wrong meaning.

The danger is not just in media alone, the rising inequality between people is a major concern. Say for example, the design of buildings or an area goes through certain statistical analysis, of the culture and tradition. But such studies would become an area of concern, if these understanding of such aspects of a society are used as factor to divide the structure. It thus lie in the hands of the profession, of how such statistics and analysis are used to design a structure or a system where everybody shares an equal part, atleast an attempt should be made.

The rising global economy and privatization of almost everything has led to an increasing gap between classes of people. Say for an example when local trains in Mumbai go beyond its capacity, overflowing with people, why would a decision of a sea link, with a project cost of Rs,1684 crore was so important. Why flyovers are deliberately inserted everywhere, when we all know that it really doesn’t solve the problem.  These add-ons are all for the people with cars but what about the city which needs housing, clean sanitary conditions etc. etc. etc. Slum re-housing is never advertised on posters as to we are providing this facility and that, but a new township is adorned with a number of facilities and beautiful posters are put up everywhere and anywhere.

A city might seem to grow, with sweeping image of skyscraper and flyovers, but a city also exist within those skyscrapers and under those flyovers but a city can only prosper when EVERYBODY GROWS EQUALLY.

India cannot do away with just an image making of itself. It needs to think deep and beyond. Instead of revolting with each other it is time we fight injustice all together.

We as young professionals need to take the first step. It may be small today but it needs to begin in small ways. It might take time to grow but it will.

As an urban designer, equipped or probably educated in a way that we could think from the perspective of a whole city as well as from the level of a street vendor and his needs and demands, our designed could be sensitized to serve the needs of all and strategically explain to the whole world that all humans are equal and deserves equal rights. Problems are numerous, but every problem should not be singled out and solved. We continuously claim that cities are like living organisms, every part is interdependent but problems in cities are looked as a problem of one system.

Why would cities have two parts, one for the rich and one for the poor, two transportation systems, if the city is one, its citizens are all same. EQUAL RIGHTS to all should be our new goal.