The Golden Rule for locating any large city: look near bodies of water, such as rivers or oceans. Water is essential for many things - growing crops, fishing, transportation/trade, and drinking water, among others. I dare anybody to find an important city that is not adhering to this rule...
Kolkata (AKA Calcutta) is no exception, and in fact it is located on some of the most prime real estate on Earth. Not only is India's second biggest city (pop. 16-17 million) located on the large Hooghly River, but it is a mere 2 hour drive from the Ganges River Delta, which is the largest river delta in the world. If that is not enough, the Bay of Bengal begins where the holy river meets the ocean, known as the "Mouths of the Ganges," providing a sea route that connects Kolkata with the entire world. It is no coincidence that one of the most extraordinarily dense populations of people live in the Indian state of West Bengal, as well as the neighboring country Bangladesh. The more water there is, the greater amount of people can be sustained. Kolkata has been an important city for hundreds of years. It is most famous for being the capital of the British Empire, as it's strategic location between the ocean and the Himalayan mountains made it an easy choice. Though it was inhabited for centuries before the British came, its population grew significantly during British rule. It soon became a commercial center for the tea, coal, iron, and steel industries - it continues to be one. Kolkata was also the home base for influential people like Ramakrishna, Mother Theresa, and the author Rabindranath Tagore (I highly recommend his "Selected Short Stories").
When walking the streets of Kolkata, one gets the feeling of being swept up in a carnival of humanity. It is not a happy or fun carnival though. It is an overwhelming, chaotic, but somehow charming carnival. It is here that you will see people surviving and coexisting in the most pure and nonchalant ways. The most important thing to note is that space almost seems like a consolation prize in this city. Cars, rickshaws, and pedestrians fiercely fight for space on the roads and sidewalks. You will never encounter a more aggressive, but relaxed taxi driver. And no where else will you find a person in such a casual, deep sleep on a major sidewalk - he may even be happy to find such a great spot! I saw people living inside piles of garbage along a major road, and they weren't at all ashamed of it! The city feels more packed than the other cities I have encountered so far, but it does not feel awkward to walk among such a dense crowd. People are everywhere, but nobody seems to actually mind in the end, though they may jostle for space. The people here ultimately exercise great patience and grace in dealing with each other, as all residents realize that they must share what little space there is. Things move slowly here, but they indeed move. Imagine the parking lot right after a major sporting event, and you begin to get an idea of the atmosphere of a street in Kolkata.
But Kolkata has a very old-world charm to it. Many of the buildings in the center of town date back to the British Empire, and are stunning to look at. The Post Office, Train Stations, and Victoria Memorial are among some of the nicest colonial architecture in India, and maybe the world. A visit to the "Indian Museum" is like taking a step into mid 19th century England, as some of the exhibits even seem to have centuries old dust collected on them. Beautiful Hindu temples abound in the city, as do churches. Kolkata is also one of the last cities in the world to still allow hand-pulled rickshaws to operate - the barefooted rickshaw pullers are a recognizable relic of an older India. Amidst the sad poverty and heaps of garbage everywhere, there is at least a reminder of the past, which makes Kolkata a city that always provokes much thought and imagination. One can almost feel the history of this great urban center, whether it be good or bad.
Ironically, the location that put Kolkata on the map could end up erasing it from the map. According to the School of Oceanographic Studies @ Jadaupur University in Kolkata, sea levels rose by about .12 inches per year until 2000. Since then, sea levels have risen .2 inches each year. If you want more proof of rising ocean levels, a review of recent news will reveal that New Moore Island, located in Sunderbans Tiger Reserve (in the heart of the Ganges River Delta), has recently been completely submerged! The only good news about this is that India and Bangladesh will stop fighting over who owns it now.. This disappearing island is a possible sign of things to come in the future. Sea level rise does not occur when arctic ice melts, but rather when land-based ice sheets and glaciers melt and then drain into the ocean. According to the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change, Greenland has lost more than 1.5 trillion tons of ice since 2000, and it's ice sheets are melting twice as fast now as they were seven years ago. Meanwhile, Antarctica has lost about 1 trillion tons since 2002.
Such changes in ocean level may have severe consequences for Kolkata and neighboring Bangladesh. According to the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, by 2100, the entire population of Bangladesh (about 145 million people) will be displaced because the entire landmass of the country will be underwater! 18% of its coastal area will be underwater and 20 million people will be displaced if sea levels rise by more than 3 ft, which it is predicted to do by 2050. Tigers in the Sunderbans Tiger Reserve have begun to migrate North due to the rising sea levels in the Bay of Bengal, to the south of them. People are crammed into this area already, and so tiger attacks have been on the rise in recent years as tigers and people are now forced to coexist. While tigers are moving to escape the rising ocean, humans may soon follow suit. Darjeeling and other Indian hill towns in the Himalayas to the North could find their populations swelling dramatically in the near future - a haven from the encroaching ocean...
Kolkata and its neighboring regions are situated in a fertile location that has allowed millions of people to survive for centuries. It is the biggest reason that the city has been home to so many for so long. But this and other cities that cling to the waterways of the world could one day find themselves with too much water at their shores and riverbanks. It is a strange paradox, that what gives life may also take it away just as easily. Kolkata is a perfect example of the fine balance that has so far been achieved, but what may one day crumble like castles made of sand...
4/08/2010
Shy Chennai
If a city had feelings, I would almost feel sorry for Chennai. Being the fourth biggest city in India, with at least ten million people, it is constantly asked to stand next to world-renowned and grand cities such as Mumbai and Kolkata. But has anybody even heard of Chennai?
For one thing, it's name was changed from Madras no more than 5 years ago - a crushing blow to a relatively unknown metropolis. How would you feel if your name was suddenly changed after hundreds of years? But that is beside the point, because most people would still be unfamiliar with this sprawling capital of Tamil Nadu (in the SE corner of India). It is the bassist of India's band - it plays a large role in keeping things (especially the economy) moving, but it is rarely recognized and given any credit. Chennai is the Art Garfunkel of India, hiding behind the shadow of more popular sidekicks. It does not have the distinction of being the former capital of the British Empire (as Kolkata was), nor is it the political (New Delhi) or financial powerhouse of India (Mumbai). It is the shy one of the pack, unable to fully assert itself on the world stage, at least yet...
I found Chennai to be neither captivating nor offensive. It was so very hot and humid there that I found myself near delirium at times. The streets are wide and not TOO dirty, but they swing and curve in a very disorienting manner, and it is not easy to navigate the city without the aid of a rickshaw driver. I visited the beach there, but it was extremely dirty and smelled like rotting fish. But it had an interesting old fort left by the British, a good museum, and a Court building and train station with nice architecture and a rich coat of red paint on them. As well, there is a decent public transportation system for those who know their way around the city, and the airport was very nice. And I ate great South Indian food, including fantastic Idlis (rice cakes). The people were friendlier than most Indian city folk that I have run into. They are probably not used to having many visitors, so they were surprised but more than happy to talk with me, or at least flash a smile. This is a major city with plenty of business to take care of, especially in the IT department. Therefore, many people were dressed in nice suits and talking on their mobile phones (after all, India now has a total of about 500 million mobile phone users!). It is a very modern city, despite its lack of obvious draws.
I was most impressed by the police in Chennai. I actually saw police giving out traffic tickets! I know this is something that everybody hates about the police, but if you had seen an entire country's police force sit around and do nothing while people constantly broke the most basic traffic rules right in front of them (like driving on the right side of the road), you would be impressed with this particular police force like I was. In general, India's police are some of the most corrupt people in the country. They are notorious for practically living off of bribes, and they never seem to do anything to serve and protect the Indian people (they prefer to make life harder for people). According to the National Human Rights Commission, 346 Indian people have died in extrajudicial police killings since 2006! Such killings and other abuses of power are usually done for personal gain, such as settling scores between businessmen, crime bosses, and politicians. Imagine your local policeman acting as judge, jury, and executioner...it is not how things should work. The police in Chennai at least seemed to be doing parts of their job properly and in the open, which I was relieved to see.
I was also impressed by how many female police officers I encountered. India is a society dominated by males in almost every aspect. I happened to be reading the local newspaper (The Telegraph) just yesterday here in India, and it showed the newly released World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index Report of 2009 - it reports that the situation for women in India continues to be among the worst on the planet. Out of 134 countries, its overall ranking was 114! Both the "Health & Survival" ranking as well as the "Sex Ratio" was at 131 (no wonder I seem to see mostly men everywhere I go in this country)! Throughout my time in India, I had not seen a female in a position of power, until I came to Tamil Nadu, and especially Chennai. I saw many female law enforcers in this part of the country, and it was very encouraging. It sets a great example for the rest of the country.
In general, Tamil Nadu (and neighboring Kerala state) are at the forefront of India's development. There is a saying that "the future of India is in the South." In North India, about 70% of public resources are diverted, while in Tamil Nadu, only 30% are diverted. This means that more money is spent on actual projects to improve the lives of people, rather than lining the pockets of politicians and government workers. In Tamil Nadu, there is good, infrastructure, strong private investment and high employment as a result of this. Is it a coincidence that Tamil Nadu is the most urbanized state in India (1/2 of people live in cities), while the state of Bihar is the poorest and least urbanized (10% live in cities)?
The literacy rate is also key to development. No industrial society has a literacy rate under 80% - India has a rate of around 62%. 60% of India's illiterate people are female, which speaks volumes about the disproportionate chances women are given for a proper education in comparison to men. Kerala is by far the richest state in India, and it also has a literacy rate of 100%, due to free and compulsory education. India's illiterate population is hobbling the country, and a majority of these people are women. When this problem is fixed, India will improve economically and socially. It is hard to deny that most children in the world spend a majority of their time with their mother. The smarter the mother is, the smarter the child will likely become. Empowering women is a quick and effective way to improve the situation of the country, and Chennai seems to be at the forefront of this.
In the end, Chennai does not have the historical legacy or attractive appearance that other big cities in India have. But what is important is that it's leading the others in many ways, like in gender equality, the rule of law, and effective infrastructure. For this, Chennai has no need to be shy...
For one thing, it's name was changed from Madras no more than 5 years ago - a crushing blow to a relatively unknown metropolis. How would you feel if your name was suddenly changed after hundreds of years? But that is beside the point, because most people would still be unfamiliar with this sprawling capital of Tamil Nadu (in the SE corner of India). It is the bassist of India's band - it plays a large role in keeping things (especially the economy) moving, but it is rarely recognized and given any credit. Chennai is the Art Garfunkel of India, hiding behind the shadow of more popular sidekicks. It does not have the distinction of being the former capital of the British Empire (as Kolkata was), nor is it the political (New Delhi) or financial powerhouse of India (Mumbai). It is the shy one of the pack, unable to fully assert itself on the world stage, at least yet...
I found Chennai to be neither captivating nor offensive. It was so very hot and humid there that I found myself near delirium at times. The streets are wide and not TOO dirty, but they swing and curve in a very disorienting manner, and it is not easy to navigate the city without the aid of a rickshaw driver. I visited the beach there, but it was extremely dirty and smelled like rotting fish. But it had an interesting old fort left by the British, a good museum, and a Court building and train station with nice architecture and a rich coat of red paint on them. As well, there is a decent public transportation system for those who know their way around the city, and the airport was very nice. And I ate great South Indian food, including fantastic Idlis (rice cakes). The people were friendlier than most Indian city folk that I have run into. They are probably not used to having many visitors, so they were surprised but more than happy to talk with me, or at least flash a smile. This is a major city with plenty of business to take care of, especially in the IT department. Therefore, many people were dressed in nice suits and talking on their mobile phones (after all, India now has a total of about 500 million mobile phone users!). It is a very modern city, despite its lack of obvious draws.
I was most impressed by the police in Chennai. I actually saw police giving out traffic tickets! I know this is something that everybody hates about the police, but if you had seen an entire country's police force sit around and do nothing while people constantly broke the most basic traffic rules right in front of them (like driving on the right side of the road), you would be impressed with this particular police force like I was. In general, India's police are some of the most corrupt people in the country. They are notorious for practically living off of bribes, and they never seem to do anything to serve and protect the Indian people (they prefer to make life harder for people). According to the National Human Rights Commission, 346 Indian people have died in extrajudicial police killings since 2006! Such killings and other abuses of power are usually done for personal gain, such as settling scores between businessmen, crime bosses, and politicians. Imagine your local policeman acting as judge, jury, and executioner...it is not how things should work. The police in Chennai at least seemed to be doing parts of their job properly and in the open, which I was relieved to see.
I was also impressed by how many female police officers I encountered. India is a society dominated by males in almost every aspect. I happened to be reading the local newspaper (The Telegraph) just yesterday here in India, and it showed the newly released World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index Report of 2009 - it reports that the situation for women in India continues to be among the worst on the planet. Out of 134 countries, its overall ranking was 114! Both the "Health & Survival" ranking as well as the "Sex Ratio" was at 131 (no wonder I seem to see mostly men everywhere I go in this country)! Throughout my time in India, I had not seen a female in a position of power, until I came to Tamil Nadu, and especially Chennai. I saw many female law enforcers in this part of the country, and it was very encouraging. It sets a great example for the rest of the country.
In general, Tamil Nadu (and neighboring Kerala state) are at the forefront of India's development. There is a saying that "the future of India is in the South." In North India, about 70% of public resources are diverted, while in Tamil Nadu, only 30% are diverted. This means that more money is spent on actual projects to improve the lives of people, rather than lining the pockets of politicians and government workers. In Tamil Nadu, there is good, infrastructure, strong private investment and high employment as a result of this. Is it a coincidence that Tamil Nadu is the most urbanized state in India (1/2 of people live in cities), while the state of Bihar is the poorest and least urbanized (10% live in cities)?
The literacy rate is also key to development. No industrial society has a literacy rate under 80% - India has a rate of around 62%. 60% of India's illiterate people are female, which speaks volumes about the disproportionate chances women are given for a proper education in comparison to men. Kerala is by far the richest state in India, and it also has a literacy rate of 100%, due to free and compulsory education. India's illiterate population is hobbling the country, and a majority of these people are women. When this problem is fixed, India will improve economically and socially. It is hard to deny that most children in the world spend a majority of their time with their mother. The smarter the mother is, the smarter the child will likely become. Empowering women is a quick and effective way to improve the situation of the country, and Chennai seems to be at the forefront of this.
In the end, Chennai does not have the historical legacy or attractive appearance that other big cities in India have. But what is important is that it's leading the others in many ways, like in gender equality, the rule of law, and effective infrastructure. For this, Chennai has no need to be shy...
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