[Reader-list] Is the City of Dreams Lost in the Emerging Urban?

[zainab at xtdnet.nl]

Dear Sabith, Deb and Solly, (postings from both the lists)

Thank you for the responses to (should I say 'my' or 'our') posting on 'Is
the city of dreams lost in the emerging urban'.

I have a couple of questions before I respond to the thread of discussion:
1). Whose dreams is the city made up of?
2). What makes a city 'a city of dreams'?

I am curiously wondering what makes Bombay a city of dreams. Would I be
able to say the same if I was in Bangalore? or Delhi for that matter? or
even Kolkatta? I don't know and maybe people from these cities could
respond.

I think these days of what really is a city. I am also thinking about my
own research on Bombay and public spaces. Do dreams enable the creation of
publics and of spaces (both physical and abstract in the sense of
community)? Do they enable us to participate and enter certain realms?
What is the role of the media in furthering the city of dreams? In this
context, I think of the influence of Bpmbay Times and what is
metaphorically known as Page 3! Glamour, lifestyle, bollywood, fame,
influence, power, connections, high-society are some of the dreams
generated. What is powerfully generated and perpetuated by the Bombay
Times is the dream of a certain lifestyle. On another level, you have the
idea of the 'beautiful city', a dream which developers, planners, MNCs and
the government is selling to us. And it is at this moment, I wonder about
individual dreams? What is their place and space? I think of old Hindi
films and the films of the 70's and 80's which presented ideas of diverse
dreams including those of coming to the city and make it big in the film
industry.
Shantaram is a beautiful book on this notion of dreams, people, the poor
and relationships. I think whether we are glorifying the poor by talking
about dreams which emanate from the footpaths, pavements and the slums.
What about dreams of the middle class? Dreams of workers in the BPOs? What
kinds of transformations have taken place in these very dreams.
Deb, I definitely agree with you that the poor may have the agency to
dream but what about the capacity? Therefore I do not wish to romanticize
about the poor.
Sabith I personally feel that cities are also about spiritual growth and
often, the people I encounter have enormous wisom about life to give to
me. I see my own research as a spiritual journey, but that is me and it
holds real and true for me.
For now this much, but thank you all for your responses and hope we can
continue talking along this issue. It would personally enable me to
imagine about what kinds of publics and spaces could be potentially
possible rather than just superficial community participation.
Cheers,
Zainab

Zainab Bawa
Bombay
www.xanga.com/CityBytes