Heal Thyself Mr. Prime Minister
Editor,
Times of India,
Mumbai.

Sir,

Your Editorial ‘Heal Thyself' is bold and forthright. The Prime Minister "loosing his sleep at the trauma of the relations of a person detained for terrorist acts" could perhaps be understandable as his personal feeling in the context of unbridled Sikh bashing that his own party men and leaders indulged into after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, but its public expression by the Prime Minister of a country is almost anti national. It is definitely disturbing for its blatant and unabashed pandering to the Muslim community for political reasons. Such abetment of terrorism just because it is perpetrated by a minority religious community on whose electoral votes his party has an eye on, is nothing short of treason.

Your question is really the crux of the issue. Why are so many terrorists Muslims? Has Islam as a religion strayed from its original teachings of love, brotherhood and compassion to become an intolerant doctrine? The thinkers of Islam must have a serious introspection to urgently bring its followers back to the real teachings of the prophet.

Prakash M Apte

Dilli to Daulatabad: Mumbai to Navi Mumbai?
Dilli to Daulatabad: Mumbai to Navi Mumbai?

'Dilli' to Daulatabad was a venture of the 'mad 'Tughlak. Though the 'sane' rulers in Mumbai seem as adamant as him in their determination NOT to shift to Navi Mumbai

The British were wise enough to comprehend the geographical and political advantages of shifting the capital from Calcutta -'Kolkata'- of today, to Delhi. ( incidentally the change of name from Calcutta to "Kolkata" is no better than Dilli to Daulatabad! Chennai is the ancient name of Madras, Mumbai is the historical name of Bombay but Kolkata is just the typical Bengali "rounded" pronounciation without any historical justification!

Ahmedabad to Gandhinagar was the result of bifurcation of earstwhile Bombay state leaving Gujarat without a capital. Divided Punjab afetr the partition of the country also had no capital hence Chandigarh.

If in 1970 the GOM-CIDCO brochure declared shifting of offices from Island city to Navi Mumbai as one of the key objectives aimed at decongesting Mumbai, it was perhaps more to humour the beraucrat-technocrat combine (Rajwade, Modak, C.Correa, Shireesh Patel, Praveena Mehta) than a serious political statement. Unfortunately we in the Planning community still continue to believe that the political leadership is amenable to rational arguments in favour of shifting government offices to Navi mumbai to decongest mumbai. But before we put the onus on the politicians for not shifting offices to Navi Mumbai as the solution for decongesting mumbai, let us first stop our own co professionals from continuing to argue that the purpose can be served by developing BKC like centres, multistory car parkings in the island city, "cluster' model redevelopment (a la Dharavi), flyovers, overhead Metros, Bandra-worli sea links and trans harbour rail/road bridge to the main land!
The BMRDA in its incarnation as MMRDA is responsible for eagerly embracing these ideas that suited the intentions of the politicians of not shifting the offices to Navi Mumbai. It has worked zelously to promote BKC and Oshivara district centres, built multi story carparking in the island city, encouraged redevelopmen of Dharavi ( proposing in the process to congest Mumbai further) built fly overs, started building the Metro links, completed bandra worli sea link and started on the transharbour bridge. Each one of these projects will congest Mumbai further than ever before . The last straw on the camel's back will be the increase in FSI (already done covertly for SRA schemes) from the current levels to more than 4 in near future!
Having thus congested Mumbai with active help from the "Planners" the Politicians have now come up with a spacious argument that the shifting of offices to Navi mumbai can now be of only marginal help in decongesting mumbai!! So it is desirable to redevelop the entire Mantralaya area including various state and central government offices. The Municipal corporation despite being ruled by a different political party than the one at the state level has also contributed its bit by awarding an underground parking contract for Rs.440 crores in the island city to a real son- in- law of the one time chief minister!
Jai Maharashtra!
Prakash M Apte

Unified Transport body for Mumbai
Unified Transport Body for Mumbai
Prakash M Apte
Urban Development Consultant

This has reference to ‘No unified transport body, projects suffer' (TOI 14 Jan.). After 60 years of legislating and creating new Authorities, why do we still believe in them as the Panacea for all ills? When will it occur to us that the fault lies with the tardy or non implementation of plans, policies and programs and not with the structure of Authorities?

Why a unified Authority for Transport only? Why not for Housing ( SRA, MHADA, Shivashahi Punarvasan, Police housing corporation etc.), for Energy (REL. Tata, Best) for water resources and waste management (MCGM, MMRDA, Mithi river Authority)? If such single function super Authorities are to be created why have MMRDA ?

I quote from the BMRDA Act 1974, "...object of the Authority shall be to secure the development of the Bombay Metropolitan Region according to the Regional Plan...." Having prepared the regional plan, of which traffic and transportation forms a very important and integral part, and got it sanctioned by the state government, why is MMRDA not able to ensure that all transportation authorities work towards it? Why is it getting bogged down in implementing petty projects like skywalks, flyovers? Answer is simple. Planning and coordination does not bring glory or money! A new Authority means a Chairman., MD, office building, cars and one more organization at the command of the administrators and Politicians, large investments, appointment of Transport Consultants and the kickbacks!

Prakash M Apte
March 2008

Elavated Rail Corridor in Mumbai
Elevated Rail Corridor in Mumbai
Prakash M Apte
Urban Development Consultant

This has reference to "Elevated Rail Corridor Plan..." ( TOI 26th March).
The "unprecedented alacrity" shown by all concerned officials is quite understandable. The cost of such an elevated churchgate-Virar corridor
( excluding the rolling stock) may be in excess of Rs. 6500 crores! The ministry of Railways proposes to appoint consultants to prepare a feasibility report for the elevated rail corridor. Is it possible to include in the Consultant's scope of work, suggesting options to the elevated corridor? For example, as I have been advocating for the last 20 years, it is possible to run double Decker trains on the existing tracks by constructing just an elevated platform over the existing ones to facilitate passengers to board and detrain at the upper level. This will (unfortunately) save the major cost of civil works for the elevated track and laying of another set of tracks and may mean a reduction in the cost of the project by at least 75%.ie. from around Rs. 6500 crores to only Rs.1625 crores. The officials would no doubt consider such a suggestion "Blasphemy"!
Because, lesser the cost, lesser the kick backs for the officials, and the politicians. So why should the Ministry ask for such cost saving options? After all in our country, projects are undertaken for their propensity to generate kickbacks for all concerned and any benefit accruing to general public is incidental and unintended!

Prakash M Apte
March 2008

Elavated Rail Corridor in Mumbai
Elevated Rail Corridor in Mumbai
Prakash M Apte
Urban Development Consultant

This has reference to "Elevated Rail Corridor Plan..." ( TOI 26th March).
The "unprecedented alacrity" shown by all concerned officials is quite understandable. The cost of such an elevated churchgate-Virar corridor
( excluding the rolling stock) may be in excess of Rs. 6500 crores! The ministry of Railways proposes to appoint consultants to prepare a feasibility report for the elevated rail corridor. Is it possible to include in the Consultant's scope of work, suggesting options to the elevated corridor? For example, as I have been advocating for the last 20 years, it is possible to run double Decker trains on the existing tracks by constructing just an elevated platform over the existing ones to facilitate passengers to board and detrain at the upper level. This will (unfortunately) save the major cost of civil works for the elevated track and laying of another set of tracks and may mean a reduction in the cost of the project by at least 75%.ie. from around Rs. 6500 crores to only Rs.1625 crores. The officials would no doubt consider such a suggestion "Blasphemy"!
Because, lesser the cost, lesser the kick backs for the officials, and the politicians. So why should the Ministry ask for such cost saving options? After all in our country, projects are undertaken for their propensity to generate kickbacks for all concerned and any benefit accruing to general public is incidental and unintended!

Prakash M Apte
March 2008

Elavated Rail Corridor in Mumbai
Elevated Rail Corridor in Mumbai
Prakash M Apte
Urban Development Consultant

This has reference to "Elevated Rail Corridor Plan..." ( TOI 26th March).
The "unprecedented alacrity" shown by all concerned officials is quite understandable. The cost of such an elevated churchgate-Virar corridor
( excluding the rolling stock) may be in excess of Rs. 6500 crores! The ministry of Railways proposes to appoint consultants to prepare a feasibility report for the elevated rail corridor. Is it possible to include in the Consultant's scope of work, suggesting options to the elevated corridor? For example, as I have been advocating for the last 20 years, it is possible to run double Decker trains on the existing tracks by constructing just an elevated platform over the existing ones to facilitate passengers to board and detrain at the upper level. This will (unfortunately) save the major cost of civil works for the elevated track and laying of another set of tracks and may mean a reduction in the cost of the project by at least 75%.ie. from around Rs. 6500 crores to only Rs.1625 crores. The officials would no doubt consider such a suggestion "Blasphemy"!
Because, lesser the cost, lesser the kick backs for the officials, and the politicians. So why should the Ministry ask for such cost saving options? After all in our country, projects are undertaken for their propensity to generate kickbacks for all concerned and any benefit accruing to general public is incidental and unintended!

Prakash M Apte
March 2008

Implanting Urban Sanitation in Rural India
Implanting Urban 'Sanitation' in our rural areas:

Before embarking upon and going headlong into implanting urban sanitation systems in our rural areas, our decision makers could pause and ponder upon a few facts.
Is there any conclusive evidence to establish a direct cause and effect relationship between the practice of 'defecation' in the open fields and spread of diseases?
What is 'poor sanitation'? Is'nt it a relative concept? for urbanites having water carriage system toilets attached to their bedrooms, even a 'pit privy' located away from the house could be 'poor sanitation'! The proud Haryana farmer who takes his entire family out to field every morning (referred to sarcastically in the article) in his Maruti for their daily ablution is in fact being far more environment friendly, "green" and contributing to cost saving in infrastructure systems than the self proclaimed a environmentalists!
How does 'defecating' in open fields make the village 'aswachha' (unclean)? It in fact returns the nutrients to earth, saves on man made fertilizers, uses the sun's free energy to convert solid waste into manure; all the objectives so vociferously propounded from national and international platforms by the self proclaimed experts!
Alas, had the social mobilization achieved to make the rich Haryanvi villager build a water borne toilet (at a capital cost to him and heavy revenue expenditure to local panchayat, with problems of mass disposal of human excreta,) been directed to educate women against the practice of female infanticide that has put Haryana at the top of the states with lowest female to male child ratio; it would have been a far greater contribution to the health of the state and the nation!
What is the 'indignity' in going to open fields? It is common sight while traveling in Rajasthan to find women with veils over their faces 'defecating' -as we urbanites like to describe the natural act of ablution. But, as one of the women unashamedly explained, "human bodies are same all over the world, till one can attach a face to it!"
Has the media really played a positive role or has inadvertently introduced 'westernized' ideas of what is 'sanitary' into an ongoing, perfectly natural recycling process of human waste conversion into fertilizer at no cost? The real fact is, 'the show must go on, for the misguided environmentalists, officials, builders and material suppliers, politicians, international institutions offering credit lest it is proved some day that the age old wisdom of the populace is superior to that of the 'blinkered' experts!
It is said of US President Lincoln that "by surrounding himself by people who bring different perspectives, he will increase his options, absorb dissenting views...." . One wishes our decision makers have the inclination and the intellect to understand this.
Prakash M Apte
Urban DevelopmentConsultant 16th November 2008

We get the Government & Politicians we deserve

We get the Government and Politicians we deserve:

Sharad Pawar, as a politician, only carried forward the trend established by Indira Gandhi: subversion of the 'Party' & its echelons to achieve power, personal agrandoizement and politics of opportunity!

He is not clueless about the state of affairs in the country; but cunning enough to use the knowledge for personal gains. By his own admissions he does not see either the dire distress of farmers culminating in suicides nor the drought. Because he does not recognize agriculture as the main stay of our economy! He advised farmers not to depend on agriculture but take up different occupations. He even claimed that if converting agricultural lands into Special Economic Zones is a more money making proposition, why worry about agricultural production? With the money made from SEZ We can import grains! So what is the problem?

The man is not out of touch with reality. Far from it. In fact appreciating the reality, he and his clan are busy converting the threats in their respective fields of responsibilities into opportunitis- for personal gains! The credo of our politicians is, if there is no problem, create one so that in seeming to solve it they can not only line their pockets but sew new ones on! Pawar is no more obsessed with cricket than the majority of the people of India. We venerate cricket and the cricketers! So why blame Pawar if he cashes on it? A people do not only get the government they deserve but also the politicians!

And why blame Pawar for failure on the agricultural front? In which field have we not failed? There are scandals galore in the Defense ministry from purchase of guns to coffins! Terrorists have a free run of the country while our Home ministers issue homilies on maintaining peace and harmony with our neighbours! Minister for civil aviation is busy bailing out the perinially inefficient air carriers! Minister for education is more concerned about board examinations than the increasing drop outs from schools! Urban development and poverty alieviation minister is busy bringing more agricultural, saltpan, forest and adivasi lands under "development" to benefit private developers! In foreign affairs after 60 years we are still isolated with only Russia on our side!

We will continue to pay the price for the likes of Sharad Pawar till we keep electing them. Not because we want them but because we have a constitution blindly copied (by the so called foresighted fathers of it!) from the British. We need a constitution that facilitates election of candidates dedicated to serve and not those risen from local mafia to national level that crave for the pay, power, pension and perquisites of an M.P. or M.L.A.

Prakash M Apte. 7638 Hollister Avenue, Santa Barbara. CA.

India & Indians: A Passive nation & an Imbecile people
India & Indians: A passive nation & an imbecile People ?

Why is it 'natural' that Shah Rukh's 'detention' at an American airport should cause a furore in India and evoke stringent reactions from Bollywood? Such a reaction was not evinced at similar treatment to our ex-president. Probably because Mr. Kalam, rightly, did not make an issue of it nor is he an Icon in India for a people to rise in anger! Our Icons are film actors, (whom we deify and even build temples to!) cricketers, beauty contest winners and such 'greats' but never our scientists or the valiant defenders in the armed forces . There is a rot in the ethos of this country that has made us blind to the substance and reverent to the superficial! Our print and visual media is largely responsible for such veneration of the frivolities.

When SRK said he was harassed because of his name (Khan) was it his inflated ego or a subconscious feeling of 'guilt'(?) at being a muslim? It is said, 99% of Muslims may not be terrorists but 99% of terrorists are muslims! But he does not stand alone in his egotism. The so called VIPs (read politicians) regally speeding through traffic choked cities like Mumbai by stopping the movement of mere mortals like us, Police cars brazenly going through red traffic lights and MLAs and MPS detaining trains and planes for their convenience and arrogantly asking the rare official who dares to challenge their behaviour "do you know who I am?" are our icons who consider themselves above the nation's safety and security.

In USA, the country and its safety and security comes first. In India our so called Icons are above everything! This attitude is not a legacy of the British Raj. It is the highly inflated ego of the so called elected representatives of the people that has percolated to the likes of SRK. It was a Home Minister who nonchalantly said after the recent terrorists attack in Mumbai that 'in a big city like Mumbai such small incidences do happen..' If such an attack were to take place in Israel, within minutes its war planes would have pounded the offending terrorist camps across the border! But Israel is a small country with a small population. We have a large population and in the eyes of our leaders human life and the country's honour mean nothing.

The icons are above the people and the country! Only one country in the world while swolloing its rape and humiliation pliantly; can feel outraged at the perceived 'dishonour' to its film icons! 'Mera Bharat Mahan!'

Prakash M Apte, 7638 Hollister, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.

The social insecurity
The Social Insecurity:
(Response to an article by Architect Himanshu Burte on Planetizen Dec.. 2008)

Mr. Burte has raised some pertinent questions about a nation's response to terrorists attack like the one on 26th November in Mumbai, India.
His comment, "..aggressive response which would obviously play into the hands of the masterminds of the terror.." probably indicates his aversion to a ‘tit for tat' reaction , though such a response may become necessary to ascertain and declare a nation's resolve to uphold its sovereignty and independence. If "..the attacks were clearly meant to be a provocation.." does he imply that Indians should not allow themselves to be "provoked" even after " ..a cosmopolitan area, home to19 million people and also the financial and entertainment capital of India was shaken.. "?
One would agree with him that "closing roads" etc. is a theatrical response that achieves little except causing inconvenience to the citizen and curbing use of recreational & other amenities. This is a Planner's point of view. But the same theatrical response (like road barriers, sandbags with machine gun totting commandoes etc) can help to instill a sense of security (even if false) and being "under protection" to the common citizens. Is it not as important?
No amount of security precautions and what Mr. Burte calls "theatrical responses" can resolve the problem because a terrorist is a "dedicated' and fanatical individual who knows that he will not live through his suicidal mission. The only possible remedy is to have a very strong and intensive intelligence net work. to fore warn an impending strike .
He states further "..war makes practical sense when you believe that you will cause more damage across the border.." We have to take into consideration the geo-political realities in the subcontinent. Despite its subdivision in to two nations of Pakistan & India in 1947, the former has never accepted the realities, not being able to overcome the hangover of the Mughal empire that ruled India before the British.. With that hangover, Pakistan, since 1947, has waged 5 wars with India, of its own making and lost all of them most ignominiously! Despite its religious fanaticism it has the sense to appreciate that a nuclear war with India may destroy part of India but will physically annihilate Pakistan completely. So, what could be an option?
When examined in this perspective we should realize that what happened in Mumbai in November was not a random terrorist attack by a group (as is the case in many European countries like Germany, Spain, etc.) but a "Trial Run" of a state sponsored undeclared war ! If, just 10 well trained commandoes can hold a city of 19 million in terror why antagonize the whole world by waging a conventional war? Such a terror war instills a fear psychosis amongst the urban populace, shakes their confidence in its elected government. and creates doubts in the entire system of democracy and democratic governance! That is the objective of such attacks by a terror state like Pakistan.
We need to realize and understand these geopolitical realities in the Indian subcontinent
(which are unique and quite different from any where in the world except those that exist between Israel and its neighbors) before starting on a quest for planning solutions to terror threats in our Metropolitan areas.
Prakash M Apte
Urban Development Consultant