[Reader-list] Thanks Shivam

[Zainab Bawa]

Dear Shivam,
Thanks for writing in with such great detail. I had some valuable insights 
through what you had written, particularly the bit on how the India Shine/ 
Feel Good Factor Campaign of the BJP govt. acts on people who are now 
traveling in metros, a luxury they would have only dreamt of at some point 
in their lives. In fact, we were having a discussion yesterday where a 
friend pointed out how governments invest in the urban areas/cities because 
that's where the evaluation/assessment of the government takes place. 
Someone had once mentioned in a gather that in Mumbai, building more and 
more flyovers ensures re-election of the government, that's why the success 
of Shiv Sena and now the NCP government continuing on the same lines (or 
roads should I say?).
I have never traveled on the Delhi metro, but what I have often heard from 
Delhiites is that the metro is nothing but "an eye-wash". They don't see it 
making a dramatic difference to Delhi and to the lives of the people. My 
interest in the Delhi metro emerged from the fact that perhaps, it would end 
up being some sort of an interactional space because I, as an outsider, have 
often perceived Delhi to be a cold city, a city where I am constantly 
watched and judged for my possessions, status, position in society. Bombay 
has always given me an egalitarian feel and I attribute this, in large 
measure, to the trains and buses, in which the rich and the poor travel 
together. The other day, someone who is not a Mumbaiite was talking to me 
saying, "What amazes me is that girls go for discoes in slinky and chic 
outfits and they travel back home on local trains. This is unimaginable to 
me." To me, as a Mumbaiite, this is perfectly imaginable. In fact, when I 
have had to return late nights, I prefer taking a bus rather than a taxi. 
The fact of being in the midst of people gives me a sense of security, and 
perhaps to a lot of women and people. I have traveled on the Kolkatta trains 
and metro when I was there briefly last year. Kolkatta gave me a comfortable 
feeling, like I get when I am in Mumbai. But in Delhi, I feel a bit 
handicapped because of a poor public transport system, though I must say 
that some of my friends have been saying that the bus services have improved 
quite a bit in Delhi. Again, the structure of the city is radial, while my 
worldview has been linear living in Mumbai all my life.
My fascination with Mumbai trains is because of the amount of information 
that flows through trains. There are inputs to the worldview through chats 
and conversations; the presence of women from diverse castes, classes, 
religions, traveling together is in itself a flow of information. The sale 
of goods, each one of them novel to me (I have been collecting some of them 
as an archive!), gives me ideas about technology. Of course, I have realized 
that such a good transport system can also be a comfort zone. I crib when I 
am in other cities, both in India and in other parts of the world where cars 
are the main means of getting around to places or where public transport is 
poor and expensive.
The other interesting bit that I have found is that trains introduce a sense 
of structure and comfort in the life of the Mumbaiite. One of my 
interviewees had said that she likes train travel because it is structured 
and defined; in her words, "You know that after Borivali station there is 
Kandivali and then Malad." This made me wonder whether what people want 
today is greater predictability in their lives given that we are leading 
uncertain and insecure lives (no secure jobs, a volatile financial market, 
new innovations). I wonder whether trains give women a sense of control over 
their lives.
I am not a feminist. But my interest is in envisioning spaces where women 
can interact, meet, exchange information, have unconditional urban spaces, 
because having a larger worldview is especially important for women, given 
that increasingly, fundamentalist movements and political campaigns are 
trying to reach out, influence and condition women's minds. Further, 
children of tomorrow will learn from the women of today because women spend 
more time with the children and for the child, the mother is usually the 
first reference point. It scares me to think of rigid and authoritarian 
mothers - we would have pathological children!!!
Sorry for the deviation.
Thanks once again for writing in. Keep the comments, suggestions and 
questions coming in.
Regards,
Zainab

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