Greater Mohali Region: Geopolitical Impact on Urban Anthropology to Emerge As a Significant Tri-City Entity
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© Kamla-Raj 2014 J Hum Ecol, 47(2): 125-137 (2014) Greater Mohali Region: Geopolitical Impact on Urban Anthropology to Emerge as a Significant Tri-city Entity Namrita Kalsi1 and Ravi Kiran2* 1Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Dev. Corp. Ltd. New Delhi, India 2Industrial Management, School of Behavioral Sciences and Business Studies, Thapar University, Patiala 147 004, Punjab, India Telephone: 1<011-29846777(O)>, 2<0175-2393133 (O)>, Fax: 2<2393005>, Mobile: 1<+91 9811446655>, 2<9876114591(M)> E-mail: 1<[email protected]>, 2<rkiran @thapar.edu> KEYWORDS Urban Anthropology. Punjab. Chandigarh. Le Corbusier. Periphery ABSTRACT This paper attempts to study the factors responsible for shaping the urban anthropology of Greater Mohali Region in the State of Punjab. The regional destiny was a direct outcome of unparalleled political upheavals of colossal proportions. The settlement pattern was strongly impacted by the geopolitical dynamics that contoured the urban anthropology of Chandigarh-Mohali-Panchkula region which evolved to form the Tri-City. These mayhems churned the life and times of original and mostly migrated habitants and left a deep imprint on the lives and times of people living in the region or those who chose to make it their home by compulsion of circumstances. Novel architectural language and planning parameters gave definite shape and impacted its fortune which was later refined by consequent economic, administrative and political forces, arising out of geopolitical events. This paper focuses on the urban Anthropological aspects that lead to the emergence of Greater Mohali Region as an important component of the Tri-city. The study attempts to cover in depth analysis of geo-political factors facilitating its emergence as Tri-city, the other two being Chandigarh and Panchkula. INTRODUCTION States were a group of States in present day Punjab and Haryana lying between the Sutlej The pre-historic past of Greater Mohali Re- River on the north, the Himalayas on the east, gion indicates rich aquatic and amphibian life in the Yamuna River and Delhi in the south a marshy lake which is evident from the fossil and Sirsa on the west. The CIS-Sutlej States remains found at the locale. The Punjab and included Kaithal, Patiala, Jind, Thanesar, Maler Chandigarh Government on their websites state Kotla, and Faridkot. that the undivided Punjab has been the cradle of the Indus Valley Civilization comprising METHODOLOGY Harappa and Mohenjodaro Civilizations, be- fore vanishing mysteriously about 8000 years The paper is using theoretical perspective ago. Punjab came under constant political, eco- to study the Geopolitical Impact on Urban An- nomic and cultural influence of both the west thropology of Greater Mohali Region in run-up and the east due to repeated invasions by to its emergence as Tri-city system. The study the Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Turks, and Af- identifies the factors that helped catalyze the ghans. This region ranked high when it came to process that lead to the advent of Greater Mo- courage, might and valor which saw centuries hali Region. The study covers the important of bitter bloodshed. This left deep combined anthropological milestones such as its incep- imprint of Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic, Afghan, tion, then reorganization of the State, when the Sikh and British cultures. The CIS-Sutlej region was trifurcated into Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, which gave further impetus to the emergence of this region. Finally the pa- Address for correspondence: Ar. Namrita Kalsi per analyses the impact of Political decisions on Apt 6a, Tower 8, the regional anthropology in Greater Mohali, a GPRA, New Moti Bagh, Tri-city component. The study then covers the Shanti Path , New Delhi 110021, India Socio Economic dynamics that gave pace to the Telephone: 011-29846777(O) Mobile: 9811446655 (M) regional development in Greater Mohali. Thus it E-mail: [email protected] tries to cover all the critical anthropological as- 126 NAMRITA KALSI AND RAVI KIRAN pects related to the emergence of Greater Moha- of the region - The Grand Trunk Road, lifeline to li as a significant entity of Tri-City. Shiwalik hills and the Northern Rail line. The main occupation in the region would have con- Objectives of the Study tinued to be agriculture, had this area on the foot hills of Shiwalik mountains not been select- The present study has been undertaken with ed as the site for building “Chandigarh”, the the objectives to trace the urban anthropologi- boldest experiment in urbanization in indepen- cal evolution of Greater Mohali Region and crit- dent India: ical factors shaping its destiny. “This shall be the new city of free India, totally fresh and wholly responsive to the aspi- Key Factors in the Emergence of Greater rations of the future generations of this great Mohali Region as a Tri-City Entity country”. With this one stroke the onus of real- izing Jawaharlal Nehru’s vision and aspiration The metamorphosis of the city is a result of of millions fell on this region, that is, “it should the emergence of multi-nodal cities in Europe hit on the head so that the people think and marks a new stage in the historical trajectory of plan for the future after learning from success urbanization (Scott 2001) and (Kakkar 2013). Like and failure of Chandigarh project.” Soon Chan- the city itself, lie different possibilities for dis- digarh became a famous example for Western covering and understanding what it means to forms of development -Le Corbusier’s Chandi- experience, dwell and live in ‘the city’ Irving garh not so much ‘Eastern’ as a ‘Western looks (2004). The present study covers the role of fol- at Eastern architecture’ (Duanfang 2012). lowing aspects which lead to emergence of Great- Since the medieval through modern era, this er Mohali Region as a significant Tri-city entity: region was part of the large and prosperous Pun- 1. Political Perspective jab Province. The first political upheaval in the 2. Development- Architectural and Planning recent past was caused by the partition of the Perspective country in 1947, when Punjab province was di- 3. Socio- Economic Perspective vided into East and West Punjab with its capital Heikkila and Xu (2014) also bring out with Lahore being lost to Pakistan. The region was example of China that not all cities are alike, and culturally, socially, economically and spiritually these differences are reflected in the challenges plundered by forced migration as West Punjab posed by urbanisation and the corresponding became part of Pakistan. responses cities undertake. Analyzing 286 cit- Similarly, Beall et al. (2013), examine the rela- ies in China on key words describing principal tionship between cities, states and conflict in task such that 7 distinct cluster of cities emerge conflict-affected parts of the developing world. in form of prototypal cities .There after the Na- It is widely accepted that cities have historically tional urban planning strategies emerge from played a critical role in processes of state con- socioeconomic profile and prospective devel- solidation, transformation and erosion and are opment issues of each cluster which will be still central to such processes, but in much more broadly experienced in anthropological study complex ways. Focusing particularly on an orig- of Tri City. inal tripartite typology of the changing contem- porary conflicts, distinguishing between sover- I. Chandigarh eign, civil and civic conflict and explores the ways in which cities are incorporated into differ- After analyzing the above perspective, it is ent forms of conflict as either targets, spaces of important to summarize these as under. relative security, or incubators of further strife and antagonism. (1) Political Perspective So to restore the functional balance of con- flict, an alternate capital was planned by Inde- i. Partition of India in 1947 pendent India as a bold initiative which gave birth to Chandigarh. Le Corbusier a French Ar- The Chandigarh/ Greater Mohali region was chitect was entrusted with the planning of the a laid back area of North India about half a cen- city of Chandigarh, appointed after an Interna- tury ago being off the major transport corridors tional search. The city was conceived not only GREATER MOHALI REGION-SIGNIFICANT TRI-CITY ENTITY 127 to serve as the capital of East Punjab, but also to Chandigarh was planned for a 5 lakh bur- resettle thousands of refugees who had been geoned beyond 12 lakhs population. The gov- uprooted from West Punjab and to heal the ernment servants who were earlier incentivized psyche of about 10 million people torn asunder and pressurized to buy plots for a sum of Rs. by forced migration and separation from all that 2,500 in a bid to bring Chandigarh to life. In a was familiar after having to abandon their homes, sharp contrast, post 1966 affordable housing wealth, cultural heritage and business. Some became scares and the real estate went out of princely States of Punjab decided to accede to reach. The Government accommodation provid- the Indian Union as PEPSU, integrated with ed in the original plan was just not adequate to East Punjab in 1956 to emerge as Indian State of take care of the requirements of three adminis- “Punjab”. trative entities. Thus the States of Punjab and In March, 1948, the Government of Punjab, Haryana facing a severe shortage of built in consultation with the Government of India, space had to look for individual solutions in approved site for the new capital in the foothills terms of housing and government and public of the Shivaliks which was part of the erstwhile sector offices .Out of such compulsion arising Ambala district as per the 1892-93 gazetteer of from time to time were born the planned cities of District Ambala. The region was found suitable SAS Nagar, Panchkula , the Cantonment of due to its central location in the Joint Punjab, its Chandi Mandir and HMT Township.