Fringe benefits!
http://www.thehindu.com/2006/06/17/stories/2006061705171300.htm
It's all round us in Mumbai and probably the other cities. The dredge of the society that does our menial work is a nuisance when it's not doing our menial work. We need them to make us feel better about ourselves and there is no way that we'll do anything to alleviate their status- lest them become us, or even better than us.
Our 'well constructed' urban world is designed to marginalise the poor- Flovers which are taxed and which necessarily have dark underbellies where beggars thrive. Our buildings and societies have exotic names which 'transform' us into an escapist reality. Most of our modern societies have everything within so that we don't have to face the reality outside. Even if we do, its through the tinted glasses of cars which are super cooled. Every member of the 'them' set has to prove his identity everyday at the gate, he's issued a pass without which his identity is null and void. The objectification of 'them' is complete when a lot of us don't even notice what our car cleaner or gabage collector looks like.
The issue here is about the urban elitist mindset. Its about what our construct of success is and how we perpetrate ideas of how life should be. Every rural/ semi urban resident wants to be at the city for that is apparently where progress is. Some of them who do make it end up being confined to slums which are overlooked by gleaming towers. Their self esteem takes a beating everyday when the string of cars that emerge from the towers every morning fuel dust into their otherwise dusty lives. On the other hand, it also creates a desire to 'be like that'. This desire fuels these 'them' to take up menial jobs in our milieu The rest as they say is a self perpetuating cycle. Attempts by any of the 'them' to become 'us' are nipped at the bud.
While the world plans for 'accommodating' this set in terms of infrastructure (see link), is anyone planning on how to 'accomodate' them in our minds?
It's all round us in Mumbai and probably the other cities. The dredge of the society that does our menial work is a nuisance when it's not doing our menial work. We need them to make us feel better about ourselves and there is no way that we'll do anything to alleviate their status- lest them become us, or even better than us.
Our 'well constructed' urban world is designed to marginalise the poor- Flovers which are taxed and which necessarily have dark underbellies where beggars thrive. Our buildings and societies have exotic names which 'transform' us into an escapist reality. Most of our modern societies have everything within so that we don't have to face the reality outside. Even if we do, its through the tinted glasses of cars which are super cooled. Every member of the 'them' set has to prove his identity everyday at the gate, he's issued a pass without which his identity is null and void. The objectification of 'them' is complete when a lot of us don't even notice what our car cleaner or gabage collector looks like.
The issue here is about the urban elitist mindset. Its about what our construct of success is and how we perpetrate ideas of how life should be. Every rural/ semi urban resident wants to be at the city for that is apparently where progress is. Some of them who do make it end up being confined to slums which are overlooked by gleaming towers. Their self esteem takes a beating everyday when the string of cars that emerge from the towers every morning fuel dust into their otherwise dusty lives. On the other hand, it also creates a desire to 'be like that'. This desire fuels these 'them' to take up menial jobs in our milieu The rest as they say is a self perpetuating cycle. Attempts by any of the 'them' to become 'us' are nipped at the bud.
While the world plans for 'accommodating' this set in terms of infrastructure (see link), is anyone planning on how to 'accomodate' them in our minds?
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