THE NEW DELHI

What are the effects of a decade of steady 6-8% economic growth? I think I have the answer..

A Tour from My Three-Wheeler

Everyday I ride to and from work in an Auto, otherwise known as a 'Three-wheeler'.

Thus far, it is the only time I really practice my Hindi. By the time they drop me off, drivers generally ask where I am from...my Hindi is that good.

On the roads of Delhi, 2, 3, or even 4 people on one scooter is a common sight.

Signs surrounding construction sites for the Delhi Metro are everywhere right now. Phase 2, which will connect North and South Delhi, is set to be completed by November for the Commonwealth Games.

GREATEST COMMON MULTIPLE

Indians are numbers people. Indians who immigrated to the US like my mom and dad are suspected, and often found to be, either doctors or engineers.

Development is a social science. Prior to my generation, most people began working within development were either political scientists or economists. Out of these two professions, the economists focused on the quantitative and the political scientists focused on the qualitative. My generation boasts a convergence of these two professions: we are political economists. What does this mean? Well, mostly that we don’t know either economics or political science…but hey, we know the ‘bigger picture’, right?

Since the start of my bachelor’s degree six years ago, I have been attending development-related conferences. Every time I witnessed a speaker quote figures, grounding their argument in statistics, I was impressed. The numbers spoke to me – like many, I found the numbers to be more real, more factual than some qualitative observations. Moreover, I didn’t find too many speakers who actually mentioned statistics, so when they did, my ears perked up.

Indians are numbers people. Although I joke that it is in our blood, I think it may be more accurate to say that the GoI invested in this knowledge accumulation through the setting up of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) higher educational system. Indian Americans like myself are simply a result of our parents’, who are products of the IIT generation, encouragement to pursue careers in the fields of math and science.

The conference I attended this past week was a clear reminder that Indians are numbers people. Nearly every audience member asking questions to the panel of speakers, and every speaker on the panel, centered their statements around numbers. It was an obvious change from the development conferences I had attended in the US and Europe. It made sense that quantitative goals were being mentioned as it was on the topic of the five-year plan which sets these goals, however I slowly began to think that maybe this focus on numbers in the field of development can be somewhat of a hindrance to progress.

Sometime between the second and third panels on the first day of the conference, I began to realize that figures were being quoted without mention of sources and without a holistic analysis of their implications or for that matter, their possibility of not having any implications. A few speakers shared my concerns and urged people to stop ‘hiding behind numbers’ and realize that the source of the figures may be fundamentally flawed.

To me, flawed numbers is one thing – it is the responsibility of the policymakers, researchers and intellectuals to work to minimize these problems. On the other hand, what really concerns me is the layman’s concentration on quantitative goals so much so that their only concern is demanding that the government reach them. The purpose of an active civil society in a democracy is not simply to demand what they are told is a good thing, but to critically analyze if policies are the best for civil society.

Ultimately what I found at this conference on the one hand was a very active civil society operating in a working democracy. On the other hand, I found a deep-rooted dependence on the government that resulted in a civil society with expectations of handouts.

The First Week

It is the end of my first week and I feel that my decision to work at OneWorld was the right one. The week began slowly but by the end I was attending a notable conference. I will be writing an article summarizing and commenting on the conference that I hope to be published on the United Nations Millennium Campaign website for Asia-Pacific.

The conference was entitled “The People’s Mid-Term Appraisal of the 11^th Five-Year Plan”. Shortly after independence from the British, India setup a Planning Commission whose mission it was to design five-year plans that not only set targets for developmental progress, but also committed to program implementation that would work towards achieving these goals. It is half way through the 11^th five-year plan and it is the first time that the people, grassroots organizations, citizens and other interested individuals, have demanded to conduct their own mid-term appraisal of the plan.

The conference was great exposure for me as it covered various topics, brought in numerous grassroots organizations, planning commission members including the head of the planning commission, Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, and interested citizens from 28 states in India. The topics covered varied from governance to minorities to health and education.

The Beginning

After spending a week in Delhi interviewing with a number of research institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), I decided to work at OneWorld South Asia. OneWorld is an NGO that began in the UK and has offices in 13 countries across the globe. As an avid believer in technology for development, I felt that OneWorld, with its mission to promote development through the use of information communications technology (ICT), was a good choice for me. Since this job marks the beginning of my professional development career, and the field of development is quite broad, I feel that finding my niche within it is important for my future marketability. I believe that working at a purely ICT-focused NGO will allow me to develop skills in a specific area while also allowing me to gain knowledge about the various topics, for example governance and commerce, that ICT interacts with.

OneWorld’s work is centered on an online knowledge portal known as OneWorld.net. Essentially, it is a compilation of current and engaging information on development issues around the world. OneWorld South Asia holds the technical team that manages both the OneWorld.net and OneWorld South Asia sites. Both are designed using PLONE, a free and open source software. In addition to these sites, OneWorld South Asia manages the United Nations Millennium Campaign - Asia-Pacific portal.

Outside of knowledge management, OneWorld South Asia consists of a media team that designs and runs community radio programs. It is also comprised of an innovation team that has up to now implemented an e-agribusiness mobile phone program, a climate change web portal, and a rural computer based program supporting the Government of India (GoI) employment scheme called NREGA. My position as Research Associate will put me somewhere in the middle of all these activities.

F

ORTUNATE, FREEDOM, FORTHCOMING

It is Wednesday, Jan 27^th. Today marks the end of my first week in Delhi. I have already had a number of stimulating conversations surrounding development. Three conversations made a lasting impression on me. All were conversations with local Indians and hence, I felt naturally inclined to listen to their opinions. But it was more than an exercise of listening, it was using my knowledge and curiosity to learn about their own insights.

This weekend I visited Khan Market, an upper class market of Delhi that boasts American and European style restaurants and shops along with Expats and tourists. I went to a brunch spot with two friends. The family who sat down next to us included a young woman who carried a Luis Vuitton purse. It was the second or third time in two days that I had seen a young woman carrying a very expensive designer bag. I could imagine seeing someone carrying a very expensive bag on one occasion, but I was very surprised to see it more than a couple of times. I had been aware of the upper class in Delhi, however I kept thinking I had no idea that they their wealth was so large that it could be seen from even the handbag they carried. I mentioned my surprise to my friends who proceeded to tell me about a trend of corruption. They told me that there were tons of corrupt government officials who often have loads of cash that they need to get rid of and as such, spend on something like a handbag. This was my first encounter with the truly ‘fortunate’ of Delhi. This experience not only showed me how prevalent corruption may be in the Indian government but also how much it is common knowledge, yet ignored. Of course I knew of the immense amount of corruption before this incident, however, I am now interested in the reasons for why it is ignored. I have some thoughts on this matter but I will comment further in a later entry that I dedicate solely to corruption.

My second conversation was with a lady who owns the local parlor where I got my eyebrows threaded. The lady right away knew from my accent that I was not from India, so she asked where I was from and why I was here. I tried to explain the type of job I was looking for to the best of my ability and I figured the easiest way would be to talk about poverty reduction. In a very friendly manner, the parlor owner took a few minutes to discuss with me why she believed that Indians on the streets of Delhi could never be helped. She told me that multiple times she has gone to the streets and asked youth if they wish to come work at her parlor. She told them she would give them a job and salary, however, each time she was refused. I asked her why and she answered that they did not want to leave the streets because the street life gives them freedom. I told her that they would accept her offer if they were starving – she told me that they were not starving. The parlor owner also told me that the Indians who are poor are so because they are not hard working. To a certain extent I can understand what she is saying – both the freedom and the lazy arguments. If someone earns enough to sustain a certain way of life that they are comfortable with, they are unlikely to work harder to achieve something more. I think it is a global phenomenon that few people aspire to pursue aspirations that are outside of their comfort zones – as long as one is satisfied with their situation, they will tend to continue as is. Analyses of social networks show results that indicate this tendency to be true. I believe that this tendency may be true, however there is no perfect way to analyze it and hence, the more important question is, for those who do desire a life off the streets with a steady food supply and shelter, are there opportunities for them to do so?

My final conversation took place yesterday with my cousin. Since my interest within development is particular to Information and Communications Technology for Development, we discussed the forthcoming of India’s transformation through technology. We spoke about the use of mobile phones for e-agribusiness – rural farmers receiving local market prices on their phones and using this information to determine where and when to sell their produce. The transformation that we spoke about was not only about acknowledging the landowner who begins to earn more by selling at highest paying market, but his ‘empowerment’ through this new way of running his business and hence, his increasingly positive attitude towards his laborers and finally, his eventual passing along of the farm to a neighbor or prized laborer while he himself moves into a more profitable business. This, of course, is the picture perfect transition story and it is not so simple for technology to catalyze such a huge transformation; However, I do believe that ICT has a huge potential to change the economic, political and social lives of nearly everyone across the globe.

Overwhelming the Senses

I arrived in Delhi on Wednesday, January 20^th at noon. Today is Saturday. I am not sure if there was ever a time in my life where my senses have been as overwhelmed as they have been over the past four days.

Delhi is as I remember it and more. This is my first time since I have come to India without at least one of my parents by my side. As a result of this, I am taking in the sights and sounds of Delhi more than I ever have before. Delhi is a unique city – it is not only the capital of a country whose population makes up 1 in every 10 people in the world, it is by far the most overwhelming city I have ever lived in and I would argue possibly the most intense city in the world in so many ways. Delhi is extremely overpopulated as one might imagine. As my friend Surabhi, pointed out to me, it is even more overpopulated right now because migrant workers from all over the country have come to Delhi to build infrastructure for the Commonwealth Games that will take place here in October. In addition to the dense population, the infrastructure in Delhi is extremely poor – some roads are paved but with large potholes, sidewalks do not exist, slum dwellings are all over, commercial and residential buildings encroach upon the roads so that streets are lined with cars at all hours of the day. Of course, Delhi does have its pockets of strong infrastructure - for example in certain ‘colonies’ that house government buildings. Delhi is a huge city that is essentially split into North and South, old and new, respectively. The immense size of the city was made clear to me when my uncle told me that the colony or area he lives in called Vasant Kunj, which is located near the southernmost border of Delhi, is 5 miles in length. Seeing as how not too long ago I was living in a ‘city of the world’, San Francisco, which is 7 miles by 7 miles, one can imagine that this information made me gasp.

More than its size, population, or poor infrastructure, Delhi’s extreme nature comes from its stark contrast in economic classes. Anyone who knows a bit about India, knows that since its 1991 economic liberalization, its economy has grown leaps and bounds. As such, the rich have become extremely rich and the middle class has grown, meanwhile the poor have stayed poor. However, even with this knowledge, most do know how this has manifested in Delhi society. Words cannot describe it -the best I can do is bluntly and sadly say, one cannot walk down major streets in Delhi without seeing children playing in and around trash and excrement, beggars begging during the day, although it is illegal, and burning trash piles for warmth at night, and people sitting in hoards on the streets without any job or anything much to do.

Outside of its extreme poverty, Delhi challenges one’s senses simply through its telling of Indian culture and life. Horns on cars are to be honked at all times, drivers are to yell at pedestrians to get out of the way, and urin and dirt along with masala and mirch are unavoidable smells.

In the past four days, I have become reacclimated to the sights and sounds of Delhi. On the other hand, it is my first time living with family in India and this may be an even bigger learning experience for me. It has become clear in just the four days of being here that I have underestimated the incredible amount that my parents have adapted and adopted to American culture since they immigrated some thirty/forty years back. It is so admirable that they could be raised in a certain way, yet raise their own children in such a different manner. No one way is the ‘right’ way, but just the fact that they took what I am now experiencing and adjusted it to fit another environment is amazing.

In addition to my new living situation and new city, I have been interviewing for jobs and discussing living options with a friend. Since nothing in either of these departments is finalized, I will comment on them in my next entry. Meanwhile, I want to mention that it is incredible what a change in lifestyle can do for the reinvigoration of one’s mind. I hope to use this experience in India to challenge my self-proclaimed passions in order to see if I can make a real commitment to achieving them.