Book Review: Butter Chicken in Ludhiana

Aditi Gandhi

Butter Chicken in Ludhiana Travels in Small Town India by Pankaj Mishra

Pankaj Misra’s Butter Chicken in Ludhiana (1995) is peppered with diverse stories of people from across the small towns with a single common underlying theme: Aspirations. Each anecdote has a shade of ‘climb up the ladder’ motivation.  

There are the quintessential rich man’s children, the unknowing victims to consumerism: here in this book, a certain Mr Sahrma, resident of Ambala whose daughter uses only the imported Camay soap and watches Bold and the Beautiful, and the sons of businessmen in Shimoga who travel in Maruti and fritter away parents’ money.  

Reading beyond the lines

Partha Mukhopadhyay 

Cross posted from The Indian Express

The Op-Ed Page (March 28, 2012)

Reading beyond the lines

Consumption-based measures don’t accurately estimate poverty

Since the publication of poverty estimates purportedly based on the Tendulkar methodology and the 2009-10 consumption survey of the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), many in Parliament and outside, from different political parties, have questioned its conclusions. Concomitantly, media reactions have speculated on poverty’s relationship with fertility, growth, specific schemes, et al. But, India’s poverty, like itself, refuses to classify itself in simple boxes.

Beyond the happenstance of poverty decline in an odd state being less than another, there is no strong and obvious relationship to growth in incomes, whether agricultural or non-agricultural; population, urban or rural, or to the performance of schemes like NREGS. Might it be found in district-level relationships to economic and demographic structure?

It might, but there are good reasons why it might not. The headcount ratio, that is, the share of people below a certain level of consumption, called the poverty line, is a blunt measure. States with a high proportion near the poverty line will show a large fall in headcount ratio for relatively small increases in overall consumption, while states with a large proportion well below the poverty line will show smaller reductions, even if they have higher increases in consumption. This indifference to inequality below the poverty line weakens the relationship between growth and the headcount ratio and is the essence of Amartya Sen’s critique of the measure.

Urban Development and Housing Budget

Aditi Gandhi

Budgetary support to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation for FY 13 is Rs 1,163 crores (15% increase YoY). Major plan expenditure in the housing space is financed out of the Internal and Extra Budgetary Resources (IEBR) of Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO), and is budgeted at Rs 12,176 crores (an increase of 3% over last year).[1] Budgetary support for the Department of urban development increased by 12% to Rs 7,729 crores. Urban development plan outlay will also be supported by Rs 2,637 crores (flat at last year’s level) of IEBR, specifically by the NCR Planning Board and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). [2]

In addition to above, expenditure of various other ministries includes an urban component, such as the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports spends on sports infrastructure in urban areas. The National Health Mission is slated to expand coverage to urban population this year. Government is also working on a legislation to safeguard and promote the livelihoods of street vendors under the ‘National Scheme for Support to Street Vendors’ and is launching the ‘National Programme for Urban Homeless’ to help create a network of composite shelters. Mumbai Metro, Jaipur Metro and Kochi Metro will be introduced in FY'13; The Govt. is also studying feasibility reports for Metro Rail projects for all cities with population over 20 lakh people. Rs 148 crores will be spent on capacity building for the flagship schemes - JNNURM and RAY.

Old versus New: City Dynamics

Sama Khan

A city is characterized by its people, their way of life and culture that shapes the life of the city. Delhi in a way encompasses two cities, the older part of the city: Old Delhi that represents the inherent character of the city (what the city originally was) and its comparatively newer counterpart: New Delhi that represents the developed character of the city marked by rapid urbanization and infrastructure development (what the city has become).

What is fascinating about Old Delhi is not just the crowded marketplace of Chandni Chowk or the eateries at Jama Masjid. But the people who have lived there for generations, and who refuse to move out or shift to the more developed part of the city aptly called ‘New Delhi’. Old Delhi is characterized by the very warmth of the place that welcomes and comforts all kinds of people-migrants, locals and its very own age old residents. 

Dirty Pani-Puri: Purging Perceptions

Manka Bajaj

On February 23, a rather sensational article in the DNA, Puneites, Look where the Pani in your Pani-Puri comes from, exposed photographs of a Pani-Puri vendor sourcing water from the tap of a public toilet near Shaniwar-wada. At 5:15 pm the next day, a municipal squad was seen patrolling the area, seizing food items from about 15 stalls (see Pune civic body cracks down on 'Toilet Pani' Puri).
Photo Credit: DNAIndia.com

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has conducted similar raids in the past. Last month, 5361 kg of food cooked in the open was confiscated and destroyed, including 992 litres of Masala Pani. According to the PMC Health Chief, RR Pardeshi, action against erring street vendors and juice centres is taken under sections 338¹ and 339² of the BPMC Act 1949  (see 6,000kg street food destroyed in crackdown).  The provisions empower the PMC to seize and dispose ‘unwholesome’ eatables.

Is Toilet Pani unclean? Outside the world constructed in our heads, it is no different from regular tap water. Since it is not general practice to recycle grey water³ in Indian cities, the water in our kitchens and bathrooms is sourced from the same supply chain.  This water is publicly supplied, unless people are digging it out of the ground themselves. Further, it is supposed to be potable - a water treatment infrastructure is in place although network contamination is possible in some areas. People above their 20s might remember drinking water off the tap once upon a time. A majority of Indians continue to do so, even in the age of filters. 

In Pune, the service provider is none other than the PMC. After claiming that 100%  of the water it supplies is potable (see 2010 Report), our protagonist went on to confiscate, what it itself provided, on ‘unwholesome’ grounds.  Only a water analysis can confirm if the water really was contaminated and at whose end, but in this case, a news article was enough to trigger the PMC raid on Friday. It seems that the PMC is falling for privileged perceptions about tap / toilet water.

It would be useful if the PMC could channel its enthusiasm to address the more pertinent issues that make street food unsafe. Research indicates that hygiene is compromised primarily due to imprudent handling and storage rather than unfiltered water⁴. The Consumers International Survey finds that most street food vendors get their water from municipal systems; the problem arises when stored water is used instead of running water. In India, 99% of street food vendors re-used stored water multiple times for washing hands and dishes. The national coordinator of the Street Food Survey⁵, SP Gupta, identifies similar issues, "The most vulnerable activity from the health point is mixing of ingredients by hand by workers at a majority of units without proper washing of hands and utensils."⁶

We all have a right to our own perceptions. Nobody has to confront a plate of Toilet Pani-Puri to deconstruct their notions of dirt. But it is irresponsible of the PMC to blindly subscribe to a social construct. It should back up its actions with solid facts if it plans to continue disrupting people’s livelihoods in the guise of a guardian.

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[1] 338. Unwholesome articles, etc. to be seized

[2] 339. Disposal of perishable articles seized under section 338

[3] Indoor Grey water recycling enables water from showers to be used for flushing and can reduce water usage of households up to 30%. It is practiced under the International Plumbing Code in many American, European and Australian jurisdictions.

[4] Health risks of street juice arise mostly because ice is substituted by industrial ice

[5] An initiative of the World Bank and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GoI

[6] See http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2006-10-04/india/27798759_1_food-safety-food-vendors-health-ministry

Brief: A Temporal Comparison of Well-Being in Slums and Non-Slums in India

S. Chandrasekhar & Abhiroop Mukhopadhyay

 Urban poverty, as measured by the head count ratio has declined in India. While we find that the individuals in non slum urban areas are doing better in 2002 than in 1993, individuals in slum areas are no better off in terms of per capita consumption.

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Public Goods and Private Consumption: A Comparison of Well-Being and Non-Slum Urban Areas of India

S. Chandrasekhar & Abhiroop Mukhopadhyay

In line with conventional wisdom, we find that the incidence of poverty is higher in slums than in non-slum urban areas. However, the correlation between access to public goods like water and sanitation and poverty breaks down in the notified and non-notified slums. We also do not find systematic differences between households residing in notified slums and non-slum urban areas at the bottom end. 

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Bangalore City - History Timeline

Bhanu Joshi

The city and region of Bangalore has passed through many stages of planned development. Up to 1949 there were two independent cities: the City proper and Civil & Military Station. The Civil and Military Station was developed for providing the primary needs of the Cantonment, with public offices and housing and accommodation for the British settlers. Bangalore Municipality was established in 1862 with separate Municipal Boards for the City and the Cantonment.

READ MORE IN THIS INTERESTING TIME LINE

National Consultation on RAY and JNNURM (3-4 February)

The theindiancity.net initiative of the CPR alongwith Action Aid, Indo-Global Service Society and People's Group of Delhi, which is composed of several community organisations and civil society groups engaged in livelihood, housing and urban issues, are organising a National Consultation on Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) and JNNURM

The purpose of the consultation is to discuss current policies being developed under Rajiv Awas Yojana and JNNURM programmes, which are expected to be taken up for implementation in the near future. A key feature of this meeting is the presentation of field experiences of JNNURM projects in housing and service delivery by community organisations and civil society from eight cities.

All are welcome to attend.

TITLE:	"NATIONAL CONSULTATION on RAJIV AWAS YOJANA and JNNURM"
BY:	Peoples’ Groups of DELHI
DATE:	3rd-4th February 2012
VENUE:	Jawaharlal Nehru National Youth Centre
	219, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg (Near ITO)
	New Delhi
SCHEDULE:	Appended below

Urban housing shortage

Aditi Gandhi

24.7 million housing units is the estimated urban housing shortage in 2007, as calculated by the technical group constituted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation. Shortage of housing units is projected to increase to 26.5 mn units by 2012.

Santa needs a green suit

Christmas is a treat for the street. Perhaps not as sweet in Greece this year as in China. Here a photographer captures some decorations in Chinese shopping malls.

Christmas in the West, much like Diwali in India, stimulates seasonal economic activity. But I wonder if Santa has an estimate of the concomitant waste generated (through packaging and decorations, electricity and shopping splurges). A lot of innovative thought and technologies would have gone into making these "wonderful, weird and whacky Christmas trees". These creative energies, so abundantly found in our cities, should be used to splash in some green as we go around  painting the planet red. 

This Christmas tree is made from bicycles and can be lit up only manually by riding an attached bicycle. Photo by Raemin Zhang, www.cnnngo.com

Issues of Governance in Urban India

Bhanu Joshi

The Mayor in the Indian cities is more like a ceremonial head and has a limited executive leadership. The state governments usually undermine the role of the Mayor depending upon the electoral undercurrents. This has been the case in many states and the megacities do not better[1].
 

In most Indian cities the Mayor performs ceremonial functions with very limited executive responsibilities. The Mayor-in-Council system in Calcutta is an exception. There can be no accountability without authority; related to this is also the question of tenure; in many Indian cities the tenure varies from one year to five years and in some cases like Maharashtra, Gujarat 2 ½ years; direct or indirect election of the Mayor is also an issue. If the Mayor is only ceremonial, it does not matter if the post has a single person focus. If on the other hand if mayor as the executive head is preferred a Mayor-in-Council or Chairman-in-Council system which is similar to a cabinet or a Standing Committee arrangement involves the sharing of power. In West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh for both Corporations and Municipal councils this system is followed. However, the Mayor is the person who appoints members of the Mayor-in-Council or President-in-Council.

Brief: Slums - View from successive Five Year Plans

S. Chandrasekhar & Abhiroop Mukhopadhyay

This note provides a comprehensive review of the approach taken to planning for slums in the Five Year Plans of India. It shows how the emphasis in planning language has changed from slum clearance to slum improvement.

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Delhi vs Mumbai

Manka Bajaj

The sociologist in me is slightly allergic to the cleanliness of categories. But typologies are tempting, especially when one’s colleagues happen to be really good economists. Now that I have justified what I am about to do, let’s get straight to the subject: The classic debate between Delhites and Mumbaikars – “Which city wins?”

Even Times of India couldn’t pick a side last Sunday. Both Delhi and Mumbai, with an equal score of 2.9/5 ended up sharing a rank of 3 in the TOI-IMRB Quality of Life Survey. This survey of the 8 most populated Indian cities (they missed Surat), found Ahmedabad to be the ‘best’ city to live in, followed by Pune; Kolkata came last. If the set of ‘expert panel’ and 150 city-zens of a specific socio-economic class surveyed in each city is any representation of popular perceptions, these are the numbers to support your claims if you land up in a Delhi vs Mumbai conversation. 

Book Review: Landscapes of Privilege: The Politics of the Aesthetic in an American Suburb

Sama Khan

Landscapes of Privilege: The Politics of the Aesthetic in an American Suburb By James S. Duncan and Nancy G. Duncan 2004

 The book illustrates the role landscapes play in constituting class divisions in Bedford Town, which is an affluent suburb in Westchester County, New York. The authors explore the way people produce their identities in and through places, especially home places such as houses, gardens and home communities, through a study of Bedford town and its desire to preserve its own historical character as against and in contrast to an outside world, which in turn resulted in Bedford’s privileged landscape.