Thoughts on gated communities
Hyderabad, 2006

I came across an article in ‘The Hindu’ titled, ‘The Tale of Two Cities’ that talked about the poor-rich divide that is growing steadily into geographic separation of the city of Chennai. The poor are being relocated out of some localities to make them more attractive to investors. What struck me was not the relocation itself but the fact that we want to blind ourselves to the existence of poverty. The development of real estate in Bangalore and Hyderabad drive this point home. Apartment complexes, office spaces, shopping malls, etc. express our innate desire to model our environment after the developed countries. There remain a few grievances, though – the corridors that separate them, the roads, remain Indian. Link them with elevated highways and that just seems to complete the illusion of living in USA. By building these pleasure domes and barricading ourselves from the have-nots, we are not only blinding ourselves to the rampant poverty around us but also making the polarity between the haves and have-nots all the more visible. By building palaces, we are not only showing our new found wealth but are highlighting the condition of the poor. We could just be making ourselves more vulnerable. In the past, such polarities have been leveled by way of revolutions – not always peaceful.

Until about 10 – 15 years ago, most of us were apathetic to the state of our country and people. But the crucial difference is that there were very few rich and there was no visible polarity among the others. The middle class lived beside the poor. The poor were not shooed away, nor did the middle class build palaces. With poverty largely visible, there was a possibility for affirmative action. By cordoning off ourselves from poverty and blinding ourselves, we are eliminating what little chance there is for affirmative action.