I've been in Delhi, the capital of India, for almost a week and there is one thing on everyone's mind: The Common Wealth Games. The CWG is like a mini Olympics for all of Britain's former colonies. The Common Wealth's history of brutal colonization is an accurate foreshadowing for how the currents games are playing out. The government in Delhi is set on making it a modernized city, even if only for two weeks. So far the games have cost between $10-30 billion and has been the largest corruption scandal in the past 15 years. Streets were paved, stadiums built, and the poor removed. Estimates for the number of people displaced range from 30,000 to 400,000. The parking lot outside where I am staying was filled with small houses a month ago, many who had been there for over 20 years. Only 20-25% were resettled to degraded lands normally next to dumps on the outskirts of the city. The rest were told to leave on their own. If they showed up during the games, the police told them they would spend two months in jail. The city has been plastered with CWG signs. Views of slums have been blocked with large billboards. People say the city is under siege by the military for security reason, and everyone knows that the only part of the Games that will remain are the empty stadiums and huge public debt, yet none of this can be seen on the television broadcasts. During the closing ceremonies last night the announcer claimed, "The Common Weather Games have been a demonstration of equality" I must have missed something.
The CWG is just a shocking example. India has the most billionaires in the world, and many live a stones throw from slums. Its a country of contrast and one that is impossible to explain or understand. How can one justify spending billions of dollars when a recent study in India found that 70% of the population lives on 20 rupees ($.50 USD). More to come..
As always, please comment.
There are some crazy aerial photos that show the scale of displacements -- as you say some quite settled communities now uprooted and bulldozed to make way for stadiums and entertainment venues. However, the theme of evictions and "urban renewal" is such a constant and recurring pattern in the big Indian cities, especially Delhi, Calcutta and Bombay. Are you going to get to either of the latter two? I'm excited beyond words by this blog by the way.
ReplyDeleteTyler, this is very cool! It's like having our very own reporter on assignment in exotic places! We will miss you at Cochrans, but look forward to hearing your observations, perceptions, and thoughts from faraway places!
ReplyDeleteBuzz
Interesting reading, Tyler. Although we may not have seen all of the BBC coverage re the C.Games, it seemed to focus more on the logistics of pre-games preparation, e.g., painting/construction, health issues (some athletes developed dengue fever), and nothing about the displacement/eviction of people, much less the decision-making process involved. We look forward to reading your postings.
ReplyDeletePam Michel