A UN report has ranked Mumbai 52nd and Delhi 58th among “prosperous” global cities, the only two from India that made it to a list of 95. They were rated on productivity, infrastructure, quality of life, equity and environmental sustainability. The report states “prosperity for all has been compromised by a narrow focus on economic growth”.
UN-Habitat suggests a “fresh approach to prosperity beyond the solely economic emphasis... (and) the need for cities to enhance the public realm, expand public goods and consolidate rights to the ‘commons’ for all”.
In India, planners and politicians in charge of urban development refer to these concepts in documents in much the same way they put photos of Mahatma Gandhi in their offices. Instances of political leaders usurping the “commons” through trusts or firms they control have been coming to light almost at the rate of one a day these days. The only place most leaders actually see any value for Gandhi, it seems, is in his image on banknotes.
This is so widely known that it has been the theme of several Bollywood movies — to absolutely no effect!
We have a situation now where nearly every building is testimony to some form of corruption or another; and every street shows the chaos of broken rules. Rules are often made in a way that they simply can’t be implemented. They are used as tools of extortion, and forgotten when bribes are paid. This has to change: India needs a mechanism that provides justice, from top to bottom.