New Delhi: BJP MP Varun Gandhi's new book "The Indian Metropolis" focuses on the problems major Indian cities face and how to solve them. He said the book took "three tumultuous years" to write.
Speaking to NDTV, the MP from UP's Pilibhit said the "sheer tumult faced by urban migrants during the lockdown was a seminal moment in understanding the lack of humanity and inclusiveness in our urban model." The reverse migration from cities caused by the pandemic led to debates over living conditions in cities. The poor working class could not sustain their lives when the lockdown was imposed.
He said interacting with thousands of Indians living in the cities showed that life in urban India is challenging. "After spending almost half a decade understanding and discussing the travails of rural India, the idea of writing a dense tome on how Indians live in urban India was a tall order." He also called for a national conversation on the country's urbanisation journey.
He added that daily commuting and seeking jobs are horrible experiences for many. "For most urban Indians, our cities are unlivable and too expensive. Many questions arose. Why are our cities so hard to live in? Why do they lack the most basic of facilities, such as pedestrian-friendly areas? Why are India's cities so bereft of beauty and a sense of aesthetics? Why are the groundwater and the air still so polluted, years after identifying the problem? Why do our policy makers remain apathetic to solving such issues?"
He further said celebrating the launch of another metro line or expressway or odd water ATM will not help the country. "Building a whole-of-systems approach to solve such challenges will require having conversations holistically with all stakeholders. National attention remains curiously lacking in tier 2, 3, and 4 cities - a building being demolished in Noida will attract media attention, but the lack of affordable housing in other cities won't," said the MP.