Why wage Energy Wars?

Why wage Energy Wars? End the Work of Evil Wants!

Image: Why wage Energy Wars? @Remigius de Souza

Work expends energy.
 

But to question the two aspects, the Work and the Energy, the logic rarely reaches its inevitable end or to its Death.
 

If all must die, why should not their logic die first or come to an end?
 
Any action or work ― cook, eat, drink, wash, bath, walk, mate, farm, garden, read-write, see TV... make money or artefacts in real or virtual world - consumes energy.
 

Some works are for mental and physical need; some are mere wants, which are transient.
 

Some actions are constructive.
 

The destructive acts too are easily called creative!

Why wage Energy Wars? End the Work of Evil Wants!

  

Mumbai.

(Wed, 07-09-2011)

Related Post: Karma-sannyasi's Self-immersion in Water (Poem)

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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Bhill House and Habitat in Satpura Ranges (Video)

House of Tetya Nusa Koli and Its Environ 

Aborigine-Adivasi Culture is so rich that it should be understood as World Heritage and should be preserved. For more than 10K years, or perhaps from unknown time, they have been living in Harmony with Nature. But now in the hurricane of development on western model it is doubtful how long will they last!

Here is a glimpses of one of the tribe in their house and habitat: 

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TEXT:

Aborigine House and Habitat

• House is living area. Habitat is open work area, mainly forest, wetlands and farming.

•  In contrast the urbanite have mostly enclosed spaces /places for work, education, leisure... etc. in divisions.

• The fundamental cultural difference between Adivasi Community and Civilized Society is paramount. This is neither recognized nor understood by the State.

• The peasants in villages, too, have their homestead as workplace - farm, wetlands, pastures, forest... like Adivasis. They, however, belong to civilized society, divided by class and caste.

• It is vital for the State to understand this unique trait of Adivasi (aborigine) culture in its total governance and administration while dealing with Adivasi Habitat.

• Adivasi's Ancestral Right to their Habitat must be recognized as their Fundamental Right. This indeed must not be superseded by the civilized society.

• Bhills are one of the largest tribes in India.

• Tribal communities are small republics.

• Community is Cohesive Collective, where family is primary unit; hence, it is an Extended Family, where none suffers Identity Crisis.

• Among adivasi communities there is no Division of Labour, as in Civilized Societies.

• Every individual is representative of the Adivasi - aborigine - community.

• They acquire life-supporting skills by experiential learning, and receive their time-tested ancient wisdom from their families and the elders of the community, at early age.

• Community Participation works in every aspect of individual, family and community living such as, housing, farming, leisure, learning... etc.

• Adivasis make their own flute, bow and arrows, bead ornaments, and tools for household, fishing and farm utilities...

• There is no gender discrimination, no prostitution among Adivasis.

• Sustainable living means to take minimum necessary resources from Nature. It is living sanely in communion with Srishti - Mother Nature.

• Finally, adivasi could give authentic anthropological account of their tribe and community. The rest is civilized interpretation, or rather imagination!

• Land and Waters give sustenance to all the living beings and culture to humans. Hence Biodiversity brings Diversity of Cultures. There is no superior culture.

• Remarkable Communication System: within a couple of days a few thousand (Narmada Dam affected) tribal would gather, at Medha Patkar's call for public meeting on the day.

• Societies, Unions, Associations, Corporations... or civil societies are not Communities, or those floated on Internet in the wilderness of World-Wide-Web.

• Everyone in Adivasi - Aborigine - communities dance and sing at will. Why should they watch cinema-video at cost, price, value or worth of elusive time or money?

• Adivasis - aborigines - don't believe in 'Ownership of Land (Water)'. They build live fences to protect crops from animals.

• Concept of Ownership of Land by a person / group / State has no ethical or moral ground in the realms of Srishti - Mother Nature. Revenue Survey Nos. brought by the British Rule is an immoral act.

• Tribal house, when obsolete, goes back to earth, recycled, and some of its parts are reused. Nothing is wasted. This is Natural Way. Modern science and technology do not reach anywhere near.

Read MORE >> Bhill's Holi Festival in Satpura Ranges, India

India, largely a country of immigrants says Supreme Court of India
TRIBAL HOUSING: BUDDHA AND THE ART AND SCIENCE OF KARVI HUT

NOTE: 
1.These photos may seem familiar on this blog. However, they have many dimensions. More you look into the Way of Living of Adivasis more is revealed.

2. When my classmates, college mates, colleagues were going abroad to US, EU, OZ, Middle East… I was going into interiors in search of ROOTS, to aborigine hamlets in forests, to see the beginnings. I went with humility of a child; I was/am not a scholar but scholastic. It brought me transformation. They changed my life, way of living-working-thinking, initiated me to their faith, or whatever you may call, without any rites and rituals...

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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Land is Commodity in Modern Times

Architects, Planners plan, draw, paint beautiful 2D, 3D images, with landscape, served on a platter to public. In the course of time there came 4D - moving images - with emergence of technology (ET-IT).

However, a building becomes an Act of Law, when a project - a house, road, flyover, bridge, dam... or a city materializes on the land, according to the Law. That doesn't happen to texts/pictures unless the culture police protest and/or vandalize them.

How many indeed do see this situation beyond the standards and bye-laws? Or did I ever see?

This question has been following me for a long time. It kept on lingering at the back of my mind during the busy hours on drawing board and leisure days of long travels.

Sometimes the question would surface and quietly recede, leaving a tingling feeling, an astringent taste! I made several mental notes as well as notes on paper over the years. They referred the places & people together, witnessed across the life-span.

I also wrote several stories/poems – metafiction – on the subject of Land, Waters and Life. Each time the question would reveal some clue, stilt it remained.

‘Architect’ is a legal title in India for a few decades now. However, ‘Architecture’ is not is not subjected to legality!

The Land is under the jurisdiction of Land Revenue Act. Its label ‘agricultural land’ changes to 'non-agricultural land', used for building construction. Its tenure changes in the land records, which obviously it is meant for higher taxes. The law was originally designed by the British Raj.

Hence, Land becomes a Commodity. Our ancient belief / faith / sentiment of 'Mother
Land' — also as “Vande Mataram” depicts — , then turns into a mechanical ritual of 'Bhoomi Pooja' – worship of land – whether a cultural custom or religious ceremony. Its cultural or religious sanctity is long lost into oblivion.

None, either the orthodoxy or the religious, ever came to her - Mother's - rescue.
Wars are waged for ownership of land though. Our 'cultural police' are quiet on the issue for long, long lost!

The adivasi – aborigine – communities in India, and elsewhere too, continue to believe that 'no one – an individual or a group – has right to own the Land', behave and live for millennia. The onslaught wrecked on them by the civilized societies, for the past five thousand years, did not change their belief, behaviour and way of living.

Architecture - What is it? Basically a Shelter!
Personally for me architecture has been only a Utility, a means for survival. I don't hold that ‘title’ any more. I was, perhaps the 1ST “Idiot”, long before Aamir Khan’s movie, “3 Idiots”, came; I had unceremoniously walked away from the first day of final, qualifying examination.

They – the aborigine – believe, behave and live, 'Walk the Talk', whole heartedly in harmony with Mother Nature to sustain living.

Land Revenue Act and its instrument 'Land Survey Maps' have been more sinister than the black law, the 'Land Acquisition Act' that followed. It was a sinister blow to the ancient 'Unwritten Law of Mother Nature'.


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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Jama Mosque at Mandu: Music in Structure

The Great Mosque as Place in Public Domain

...in the then existing kingdom. I looked at it before, and now too, as a citizen first and as a 'worker' to earn livelihood in architecture and town planning, once.

In the realms of Ethics and Aesthetics, whenever I look at it, this edifice as an event overwhelms me.
In the realms of Environment - Ecology - Energy in Nature and Life, I have yet to reconstruct it as then existed.
The NOW, however, exists as remains of history before us. Could we reconstruct with the missing elements, in Holistic Way?

The following snippets in photos and notes are a Virtual Reality, with many speaking blank spaces!

Elevation-1, Jama Mosque, Mandu

There are no applied decorations or embellishments here. The structural system, the true arch, itself creates intrinsic beauty to this place.

Elevation -2, Jama Mosque, Mandu

It is evident in arches, domes, vaults... that make the whole structure with bare simplicity.
The structure moves in harmony at different levels, and it lifts us up as in “Aazaan”; that is the beauty of the place.

External View: Jama Mosque, Mandu

The tropical sunlight plays an important role in traditional Indian architecture, whether it is intricate surface carvings in relief or austere plain finishes to early works.

Courtyard: Jama Mosque, Mandu

There is a saying, 'Architecture is Frozen Music', which we witness here.
The aging by centuries doesn't touch beauty.

Interior: Vaults-1, Jama Mosque, Mandu

 The domes, I presume, may have been once covered with blue pottery tiles. There is another structure — tomb / mosque — at this complex that has a few blue tiles still left.

Vaulted ceiling: Jama Mosque, Mandu

However, any artefact needs maintenance with care, in the spirit of place. Any restoration should be carried with sensitivity.

Any object made by humans starts deteriorating from day one. It does not grow like natural living things.

Vaulted ceiling: Jama Mosque, Mandu

 Jama Masjid is a religious building, hence also public place for all, all the people — the rich and the poor. We notice a remarkable difference between Jama and civilian buildings, palaces etc. Jama Masjid is still in a sound condition, and the other buildings, royal houses... are now in ruins or fast turning to total ruins.

Interior - Part: Jama Mosque, Mandu

The sense of proportion and scale executed in buildings, in longevity of the two domains — public or the Collective and the private — by the then feudal powers, and their builders, are indeed remarkable.

Interior view of Courtyard:  Jama Mosque, Mandu

Compare the two in this reference, today's Power-holders in the secular, socialist and democratic India, and the situation of the public places — water and wetlands, public distribution system (PDS), healthcare, play and games (example: CWG), education, transport systems etc.

Exterior View: Jama Mosque, Mandu

Look at the places under the domains of the power-holders' classes, and in the public domain. Look at the squandering of the scarce resources of the Earth, for their power, profit and self-glorification, which is neo-feudalism, anywhere. One glance is enough to understand for any sane mind!

Basement: Jama Mosque, Mandu

Wealth comes from the soil — grain and/or mineral, not from a mint. What comes from the mint — currency — has no tangible value.

Basement-2: Jama Mosque, Mandu

I visited Mandu decades ago. Perhaps now there is some facelift—gardens with lawn, flowering shrubs etc. in fashion, being a place of tourist interest.

Jali - grill - carved in marble: Jama Mosque, Mandu

Most important part of the whole complex is the 'water management', which I could not document. This part, then, was covered with wild growth of trees, vines and shrubs, and almost impossible to access. I very much doubt if the authorities even attempted to restore this 'historical water conservation system'?

Water management - Part, Mandu

 Work of architecture is better experienced at different times of days and seasons on site until our perceptions are enriched to visualize reality from such mediums as maps / models / photographs / movies / videos etc. Any work of architecture is full size museum.

Perennial Water pond outside Mandu Fort

The entire complex at Mandu was executed by the Indian artisans. There were guilds of artisans or builders in historical times. They carried traditional knowledge and wisdom through generations. Vastushilpa or Traditional Indian Architecture, includes houses, palaces, temples, gardens, water-bodies, town planning and related subjects.

View of surrounding region -1

Mandu or Mndavgad is situated on the top of Vindhya Ranges.This region between Vindhya and Satpura Ranges had a dense forest. It is the ancient habitat of many adivasi communities - aborigine tribes. Forests are their lifeline.

View of surrounding region -2

Most of the forest cover is lost. It still continues to vanish. There great demand  for timber to build cities. The civilized societies in modern times continue to deforest these hills is visible in these photographs. So also there are many hydro-electric projects for the wants of urban habitats.

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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

World Environment Day – 5th June

World Environment Day – 5th June

Srishtiyoga is Communion with Mother Nature

I don’t know about God concept. But surely Mother Nature – Srishti – continues to be deep mystery even though we can see her, touch her, taste her, and feel her within and outside us... The mystery of Mother Nature deepens as more we discover. The Earth is only a minuscule part of her, and human species a speck in a hay stack.

Thankfully, Mother Nature – Srishti – does not have Department of Environment, Department of Ecology and Department of Energy,  like Civilized Societies have. Otherwise all the living beings would have had hard time to Apply, Apply and get No Reply. Mother Nature is ruthless; she is not at all kind like Brand God/s, and she does not recognize either Human Societies or their hierarchies.

Environment, Ecology and Energy in Nature are interrelated with each other. Civilized societies have them divided into separate departments because of the vested interest of Power Blocks among them.

When natural environment becomes unbearable for survival, and if any from civilized societies survive, they will celebrate like Diwali–Dassera!!

Even plants and animals, so also young babies, farmers and Adivasis - aborigines- are aware of environment. Only The First World Citizens, the Educated ignorant, are arrogant to acknowledge existence of Environment, Ecology and Energy that work hand in hand.

Read more  

SRISHTIYOGA or The Way of Nature (सृष्टीयोग)
Universal Definition of Design
Universal Holistic Definition of Environment in Five WordsBee-Hive-Honey, Icon of Environment-Ecology-EnergyCentralized Power UnlimitedGO GLOBAL (POEM)THE OTHER INDIA in THE OTHER WORLD (Review)
-- Remigius de Souza

Mumbai | 05-06-2012

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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Man And Nature (Within And Outside)

The presentation to the paper, "Architecture and Biodiversity in India : A Context to Aesthetics in Our Times", presented to PAITHRUKAM 2004: Seminar/Workshop on Aesthetics in Indian Architecture: Past, Present and Future, at MES College of Architecture, Trissure, Kerala.
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Man And Nature (Within And Outside)

More PowerPoint presentations from Remigius de Souza

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Note: 1. All the references and quotes are not mentioned in the presentation. Also, the permissions of the authors and publishers have not been taken. The author acknowledges their copyright. These are used purely for the academic purpose.

2. The paper is also published in 3 parts: 1 Garden under a Glass Cage, 2 Built Environment and Biodiversity, 3 But who will bell the Cat - the Bureaucrats?

Remigius de Souza

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© Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved

To Kill a Mosquito (Painted Poem)

To Kill a Mosquito

To Kill s Mosquito (Painted Poem)

Fumigation is on,
on mosquito menace;
instead get immune
to multiply in million,
Like humans in margin
when arrogant men
take Nature's Law in
Their hand, in Mumbai.

Remigius de Souza | Mumbai | 21-01-2012

Environmental Revolution set in mid-20th Century in the West. Science grew in leaps & bounds. Yet environment continued to suffer in equal proportion of progress in science. Global Superpowers continue to splurge energy on world summits.

We hardly learn from Srishti – Mother Nature – and her laws of Ecology, Energy and Environment. We are busy destroying Nature's ecological balance.

Alas! The frenzy to kill insects at Urban Habitats and Rural Farms annihilated benevolent bees and butterflies that helped pollination… and those kept population balance of prey and predator species.
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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Universal Holistic Definition of Environment in Five Words

Universal Holisti Definition in Five Words

Universal Holistic Definition of Environment in Five Words by Saint-Poet Tukaram

Saint-Poet Tukaram (17th century AD), of Maharashtra, India, defines “Environment” without mincing words.

It is unparalleled by any other definittion anywhere anytime. He doesn’t use adjectives or poetic embellishments to prove his point.

The definition combines Environment, Ecology and Energy in one go, in just five words.

It also proves that an environmentalist must be a spiritual person beyond professionalism, or a spiritual person must be an environmentalist; the rest is hypocrisy; there is no other way.

Environment is separated from Ecology and Energy by the technological capitalist society. Each of these is further broken into several compartments.

More advanced a civilised society more are divisions and subdivisions of its castes, classes that lead to fragmentation of society, consolidation of centralized power, but above all, the loss of holistic reality: LIFE is forgotten.

Tukaram reminds us that all living beings are interdependent. Hence there is need for moderation, particularly in ‘work’ to restore ‘leisure’ in daily living, irrespective of anyone’s place in any hierarchy – a president or a prime minister in the world of political environment, or a pauper in urban environment, or a peasant in the desert environment, or the "masses" in the social environmet.

LIFE – call it God of Creation or Nature of Evolution – is ruthlessly indifferent to arrogance, antics and assumptions of humans in general and the technologically advanced societies in particular.

Pollinator (Source: Nature)

NOTE: The relationship between forests, wildlife and pollination-dependant crops is crucial to increase the yield. Four hundred years later science is now developed with external aids/tools to see what Saint Tukaram says.

The recent scientific report finds that “…a pollination-dependent crop surrounded by plantations and natural forests, which comprised the matrix. Our analysis revealed a clear positive effect of the natural forest on the pollinator abundance, but the plantation forest had little effects" (Plantation vs. natural forest: Matrix quality determines pollinator abundance in crop fields | Nature Scientific Reports 28 October 2011)

Remigius de Souza

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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

'Tentacles' of Octopus Remi: Art in Metafiction

'Tentacles' of Octopus Remi: Art in Metafiction
By Remigius de Souza

"Srishti – Mother Nature – has Plenty to share; Nothing for sell; Nothing to buy. That is 'Reunion with Mother Nature' – Srishtiyoga." (SRISHTIYOGA July 7, 2011)

‘Tentacles’ | Remigius de Souza| 1987 | water colour or paper

Octopus Paul the Predictor one day suddenly came in limelight.

What was the cause? It predicted results of the World Cup 2010. That took the First World Nations by storm.

Twitter was crowded by twits that blocked the site for few hours! Such a craze... blind faith! That too from so-called advance societies! Amazing!

A European nation was even ready to buy that animal.

'Tentacles', Remigius de Souza's self-portrait, was published on Net but none was moved. Not even his friends!

Remi generally doesn't look into mirror. Because he notices 'octopus' in the mirror! What then could be his misery while wandering the streets of Mumbai metropolis?

He notices millions of people (his aborigine and peasant kinfolks) in the glass-clad multi-storied buildings mushrooming in the concrete jungle. But that never stops Mumbai!

Octopus Paul was a baby, lost to its community and natural habitat. After a few months it died. Relieved!

Did anyone ask Octopus Paul the predictor before it died, "When will this modern Industrial Civilization, which has become powerful within few centuries, vanish?" We have not heard.

Oh, what do you ask! The very strength of the powerful is their weakest point. There is a mythological Indian story of Bhasmasur that repeats again and again.

In reality the mighty industrial society has gone — if not dead, decayed — with the octopus.
 
In this self-portrait, 'Tentacles', Remi notices himself swallowing Natural Environment by his tentacles spreading and reaching across regions far and wide.

Call it his misfortune or his fate of unwanted share, or call it a ruthless criticism on Industrial Civilization. Words, images, movies, myths, scriptures, prophets, avatars... all tools to earn (power and profit) and/or entertainment! Does it make any difference?

Remi, however, laughs at himself at his cost.

NOTE: 1. As we write this post, there comes news about, Shuttle Atlantis docks with space station for last time! What a relief for the hungry masses of the world!! Better late than never!!!
2. Remi doesn’t watch cricket, hokey, football or such events as well as Olympics, World Cup etc. for he believes that any game must be played for leisure, and such mass events consolidate the centralized powers.
3. I have corrected some errors and edited this post. I request the subscribers to please bear with me. Thanks!


Mumbai Metropolis on Google Map

View Larger Map


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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Non-practitioners preach Non-violence

Non-practitioners preach Non-violence
or
Violence by Proxy

Non-Violence – Ahinsa – proclaimed, preached and practiced by Mahavira, Buddha, any others, or M K Gandhi: Does it absolve ruthless 'Violence by Proxy' such as, mass destruction of biodiversity, by a few Powerful, for Industry, Trade, Power, Profit & Energy etc?

Tentacles: Violence by Proxy

Why then non-practitioners i.e. pundits, statesman etc. should preach non-violence to the poor, Rebellion-the-People, who like birds & animals, sustained for ages on Mother Nature's Gift – Biodiversity?

For (day to day) Example:
This web page / Post / email that moves from a PC through transmission – mass storage – satellite - cable - network etc to a PC. It consumes raw materials (mining), processes (industry-trade-transport) and energy, which affect ecology and environment at universal level, though may not be visible globally i.e. The First World Societies. Even if ‘not visible’, yet it affects our Natural Faculties or our natural Intrinsic and Autonomous functions: "Work, Leisure, Health, Learning and Propagation".

For (recent) Example:
How will the recent blasts in the nuclear power plants in Japan affect Climate, Biodiversity, Land, Waters, Air and Living beings on Earth? No. We are not talking of either Economy or Energy!

For (Local) Example:
Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project (JNPP) is in the world known Biodiversity Hotspot, a rice bowl, a Seismic Zone (close to Koyana Dam), in Konkan, Maharashtra, India. Local PEOPLE don't want it.
Accumulated Energy, by any means, in any form is never safe; that include Human Energy.
Human Energy, in individual or Collective, is dynamic entity, if not creatively directed... could wipe out civilized society itself.
People in Konkan Region don't want SEZs, mining, as well as JNPP, as these will affect rich Biodiversity of the region. Yet the State Govt. is adamantly averse to People's wisdom.
Will buffoons in high places learn ever? Hiroshima. Bhopal. Chernobyl. Tokyo... And they talk of Economy and Energy, not the1bn Human Energy?

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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Slums, cities and the web of development - 4 The basis for rehabilitation

 

My address: At Mumbai, Post India 

Slums, cities and the web of development: 

4- The basis for rehabilitation

(A word of caution:  During 1950s and 1960s, it was alleged; thousands of acres of land were purchased by people in high places – politicians, business people, executives, etc. in various (bogus) names in rural areas. The recent Special Economic Zones (SEZs), if executed, could spell hell to the peasants, tribal and forest dwellers, which are treated as second class citizens. The social, economic, political, educational... disparities have pushed a large majority to the brink, which stinks of hidden agenda of annihilation.)

Rehabilitation should provide land for farming, housing, local institutions such as schools, colleges, training institutions for alternative agro-technology, banking, public transport, and health care faculties.

Squatters' water woes in Mumbai (2011)

Just as minimum shelter of 21 sq. m. is recommended / given to a slum dweller in cities, so also a landless labourer in rural areas should be rehabilitated with one acre of land.

All the land needed for rehabilitation of the displaced should be taken from reconstitution of the entire land holdings of the region. This formula demands corrective measures in the existing structure of laws and applications. But it also demands courage, integrity and transparency on the part of the society and Administration.

If such an application is brought into force, with effect from, say, 25-1-1952, there shall be massive exodus from the cities to rural areas. People who are rotting in the slums shall return to their homestead.

The culture and tradition of the country is essentially agrarian. The resources required for industrialization shall not last forever; neither the borrowed know-how, nor imported clever ideas of development that may work forever.

Customarily the compensation and rehabilitation is decided in proportion to, on the basis of degree of consumption and access and power to devour the resources in comparison with urban elite and not on the basis of sustenance. The direct benefit due to the acquisition for development must reach to the people on equitable basis. As is, it is questionable whether the benefits of direct taxes reach them.

Does science, or applied sciences, have answers to these problems? Perhaps partially. When ‘science’ loses its dimension of ‘people’ it becomes a ‘ghetto of information’ and eventually gets buried. Technology does not build the pyramids anymore in imitation of the past; its form, however, has changed but the context continues. When centralized power inflates and loses its vision of eternity, it disintegrates.

What memories of Mumbai these children will carry if they survive?

Incarnations and prophets born in different times spoke the language of people rather than the monopolized language of the elite. But now the times have changed. But peoples’ language is lost in the anonymity.

To look for the answers to the contemporary problems the real place is the people and not the polytechnics or parliaments or planning agencies, or theories and discourses by pundits that are not responsible.  Perhaps it is now time for billion incarnations.

The first task is to restore human dignity: Dignity to all living beings; Dignity to Life.

Author: Remigius de Souza
[Published in the Journal of Indian Institute of Architects, Vol. 61, No. 9,  Dec.1996, p23-25. This is edited version.]
(Revised on: 23-05-2010)

Links to previous posts: 

1. Slums are on rise in India
2. The slums increase in direct proportion to the development.  
3. Ghettos of Development

Note: Photographs illustrated are by Remigius de Souza. 
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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Emergence of The Fifth World India

Emergence of The Fifth World India 

This scene appears in a public square in Mumbai.

The Fifth World India of the marginalized and the displaced is already on the scenario. And we presume it may also be worldwide phenomena. However nobody wants to acknowledge its existence, particularly those who wield power. 

The people are marginalized and displaced for various reasons. However the primary cause is Industrial Revolution and the Industrial Society that grew with it over a period of time, and their rapid, wild and unrestrained growth, progressively.

The growth of Industrialization certainly is out of proportion to entire population on, and the resources of the planet. It has created imbalance between regions and peoples, resulting in deprivation of basic needs – Food, Shelter and Clothing – for the economically weaker section, which is a large majority.

The Industrial Society, now labeled a Global phenomenon, wields monopoly over the resources of the Earth that belongs to all living beings – humans as well as plants and other animals.

Industrial Revolution is not ‘Universal’ like Agricultural Revolution. It remains in the hands of a privileged few. The rest are denied its advantages in practice, though it may not be on paper. This is not an altruistic attitude generally ascribed to humans.

Columbus discovered ‘New World’ while searching India. It followed not only colonization of new land and faith but also annihilation / enslaving of aborigines / local people. Vasco da Gama when landed at Mahim in Mumbai, then Islands of Mumbai, there was war at Mahim Fort. On winning the war the soldiers went around Mahim village and killed the unarmed villagers to create terror; typically colonization of land and faith followed power. A known history!   

Now the 20th century and its extension the 21st century have seen faces of Power, Colonization and Faith changed. They are now faceless entities, not a picture of personalized Maharaja, Map or Mother Goddess. Now they are Money (economy), Market and Machine (the make-believe-idol-of-salvation – Science and Technology). 

In India, tools with sexy and sugary names such as, Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are coined to facilitate the First World India, and to allure people at large as if it is boon for heaven of happiness. As if it will work like magic wand to bring progress and development to the majority second-class citizens in 600,000 villages (by “trickle-down” formula).

Perhaps it may work for the First World India of yours and mine who live in Virtual Reality, for the Presidents, Prime-Ministers and Political Party-leaders who reach their “level of incompetence” (The Peter Principle). The peasants, of course, don’t believe in their antics. Hence they have been electing “hung” parliaments and legislative assemblies for decades; but politicians don’t learn their lessons. 

The obvious fallout of development of last six decades in India is the increasing number of the marginalized and the displaced from the rural areas. They have been migrating in hordes to mega cities and urban areas to earn their daily bread in the hope of survival.

From Nehru down till now the Government of India follows the priority of progress and development on the western model, rather than facilitating knowledge to and educating the agrarian society in six lakhs villages to face the Challenges of Industrialization, particularly in farming (agriculture, aquaculture, forestry, horticulture and related fields) and Market. This should have been the primary task before a government of any brand – right/left/centre, religion, language, caste, religion, colour and dogmas.

Slum-dog Millionaire Mumbai 

Stone Age humans must have been working in this manner!

Mumbai, said-to-be financial capital of India, has population of 110+ millions. It attracts the Global Capitalist Corporate; of course, to market their unsold / surplus goods & reap profits. Their primary interest is Indian Market, not Indian People. The First World India welcomes them.

People of The Fifth World India, the legitimate citizens of India, marginalized and displaced from their homestead, are the victims of many / different causes, including the Action., Non-Action, and/or Failed-Action by the Government/s. They are the slum-dwellers and squatters, 60%+ of Mumbai's population.

The First World India's elite citizens in Mumbai have different reactions and responses to their presence in Mumbai, which is mostly negative and hostile, very few empathize.  However, now, the landmark slum at Dharavi is a target for redevelopment, for its Land at Prime Location to mint money, by land-sharks the Real-Estate Corporate: They, too, are not interested in the People. 

It is best symbolized by Mumbai City's land use plan: Typically this 'Grey Area' of 60 plus million habitants is not shown on the map. It is as if city land is a market commodity, not for humans use. Industrial Civilization turns land-water-air-space... everything including humans into market commodity.

Government floated ‘curative’ measure called ‘free housing’ under slum rehabilitation & put the slum dwellers in high-rise concrete slums. This cannot be called the Rehabilitation of the Affected People. It is a poor planning action, either long-term or short-term. (This requires a separate chapter for evaluation.)

The Fifth World is a Global Phenomena 

Hindustan Times News

                                        Instead of strengthening autonomy of the peasants, the thrust has been on the development of industry and necessary infrastructure it required. The language of farming is Universal; therefore, Agricultural Revolution could spread across the continents, when there was neither urbanization (civilized society) nor institution of government.

As a saying goes, ‘wherever civilization stepped, it left desert behind’; now in modern times, it is Industrial Civilization. Interestingly emergence of The Fifth World is not limited to India alone; it is now a Global Phenomenon. 

Industrial Civilization, in the name of ‘Social and Financial Development’ (H G Wells, The Short  History of the World), leaves irreversible desert in the human world by effecting slavery (earlier physical, now intellectual), destitution (by constant wars), poverty – hunger – starvation – malnutrition – marginalization – displacement (by monopolizing resources – land, waters, forests, minerals, on which Peoples led, for tens of thousands of years,  Sustainable Living) and complete disregard for their cultures): Now it coins a new verbosity – Sustainable Development!   

India, in the frenzy to bring Industrialization, made several Laws and Acts (which also include Development Projects, such as dams, cities, expansion of cities…) without Enacting Rehabilitation of the Affected People, by design or default. There is no effort to scrutinize the obvious fallout of previous/existing/defunct Laws and Acts, their success and failures. Neither India does learn from others’ mistakes.

Following the draconian British-made law of ‘Land Acquisition Act’ the government took over lands. The compensation came by way of Cash that had no tangible value. Our learned leaders, bureaucrats and judiciary never thought of how people live and survive, or their Ancestral Right to land. Now with few amendments the law remains!  

The Governments in India, at Centre and the states, while following various divisive policies, which results in pushing India’s plural society to polarization and further weakening the weaker section – a large majority, unilaterally followed to develop Industry (where there is Money), and conveniently ignored Gandhiji (who ironically appears on Indian Currency).

More on this issue:

1. THE OTHER INDIA in THE OTHER WORLD (Review) 
2. Urban Renewal in the Regional Context 
3. ‘PRO-POOR’ – Election slogan by UPA-2004

Note: 1 Image, "Mumbai's Slum Population" Source: Hindustan Times, e Paper 17-10-2010
2. Images of squatters in Mumbai by Remigius de Souza 


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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.