In a matter of a few
months, a number of unauthorized shops and facilities have come up around the Jalvayu
Vihar compound. A cobbler has set up shop on the foot path along with others
selling vegetables, cigarettes, panipuri, momos, kababs, fruits, flowers and
many other things. It is really fascinating to study how these facilities come
up without any prompting by the customers. Who does the feasibility study, who determines
the requirement, is there any thought given to the inherent risks, what is the
business model – and above all, who allowed them to start an unlawful business
in the first place?
The locality where we stay
– Kammanahalli - was once a quiet, residential area in the outskirts of
Bangalore. In a span of two decades, it has grown into a very popular and busy
commercial hub – offering the best of restaurants, a great shopping experience
and much more. The growth is unplanned and haphazard. Houses have been
converted into shops; some were demolished to make way for high rise shopping
complexes and malls and so on. In the original plan, there was no place earmarked
for commercial activities. The same is true with the rest of Bangalore and I
suppose the same holds good for the whole of India. I am beginning to believe that
there are some higher forces of nature which are at play in India.
There is no order or
method to the madness. In our cities, roads are carved out of nowhere, houses
vary in design, size and colour and no two houses match. Electric poles are
erected at random, water pipes are tampered with to provide illegal outlets and
garbage is thrown in any available open space. Parking spaces appear wherever
it is convenient to park – similarly any nook and corner becomes a public toilet.
There appears to be no planning, coordination or aesthetics in our town
planning.
Lack of planning, loosely
structured rules, corruption and over population are some of the factors which
govern this type of haphazard growth.
On the other hand, modern
cities in Europe and America are examples of efficient town planning and
administration; coupled with responsible citizens and effective law enforcement
agencies.
On
a philosophical plane, one can compare the growth of Europe
and America to that of a well laid out garden. Lovely walk ways, with evenly
trimmed hedges on either side, manicured lawns and neatly arranged flowering
plants fill your eyes as you walk or drive past. Chairs and benches
strategically placed under a shade, promise the best of views for a casual
stroller or tourist. Gardeners appear to be ready to water the greenery and
administer manure .The entire outfit is a result of excellent planning, and
coordination by human beings.
On the other hand the uninhibited
growth of Indian cities is akin to that of the rain forests of South America. No
planning by humans. The toughest gets to see the sun. Growth follows a pattern
set by the harsh rules of nature. The fittest survive. Creepers going piggy
back on tall trees to get their share of the sun is common. Competition at
ground level for light and food has lead to evolution of plants which live
on the branches of other plants, or even strangle large trees to fight for
survival. Huge evergreen trees keep company with smaller plants and animal
life. Nature provides plenty of rain and sunshine free of cost. The forest
floor receives only two percent of the sunshine, yet some plants have adopted
to survive in this lowlight conditions. The aerial plants often gather
nourishment from the air itself using so-called 'air roots'. This is a
different world altogether.
The only plus point for
the Indian ‘Rain Forest Growth Pattern’ comes from the ‘Second Law of Thermo Dynamics’. For a moment compare India or the
Rain Forest to a mound of firm, wet sand on the beach; and Europe and America
or the beautifully planned garden to a pretty sand castle of similar volume.
Over a period of time the sand castle with low entropy will disintegrate due to
the constant wind and waves.
Who will survive is purely
rhetorical.
