DE LHI Urban Space and Human Destinies Edited by VERONIOUE DUPONT . EMMA TARLO . DENIS VIDAL MANOHAR •A Publication of the French Research Institutes in India Beyond its monuments, bureaucracy and pollution, there lies a Delhi which is at once more complex, intriguing and, at times, disturbing. This book is not a history of the 'capital, but rather an attempt to trace the ever-changing relationship's between people, power and place in contemporary urban life. It reveals a city shaped as much by migrants, businessmen, slum dwellers, politicians and conservationists as by architects and rulers. Bringing together the work of Indian and .European academics and activists working in the domains of anthropology, demography, geography, architecture, photography, history and political science, this book would be of interest to anyone keen to move beyond stereotyped representations of India's capit.81 city. Rs.475 DELHI Urban Space and Human Destinies Institut Français de Pondichéry (French Institute of Pondicherry): Created in 1955, the IFP is a multidisciplinary research and advanced educational institute. Major research works are focusing on Sanskrit and Tamil languages and literatures-in close collaboration with the Ecole Française d'Extrême­ Orient-ecosystems, biodiversity and sustainability, dynamics of population and socio-economic development. (InstitutFrançais de Pondichéry, Il, Saint Louis Street, P.B. 33 Pondicherry605001 , Tel: 91413 334170/334168, Telex: 469224 FRAN-In, Fax: 91413339534, E-mail: [email protected], Website: http://www.ifpindia.org) Centre de Sciences Humaines (Centre for Social Sciences and Humanities): Created in New Delhi in 1989 the CSH, like its counterpart in Pondicherry, is also part of the same network of research centres of the French Ministry ofForeign Mfairs. The Centre's research work is primarily oriented towards the study ofissues concerning the contemporary dynamics ofdevelopment in India and South Asia. The activities of the Centre are focused on four main themes, namely: Economic growth and sustainable development, International and regional relations, Institutional structures and political constructions of identity and Urban dynamics. (Centre de Sciences Humaines, 2, Aurangzeb Road, New Delhi 110011, Tel: 91 11 301 6259/ 301 4173, Fax: 91 11 301 8480, E-mail: [email protected], Website: http://www.france.diplomatie.fr/hote/delhi-esh/home.htrn) DELHI Urban Space and Human Destinies Edited by VÉRONIQUE DUPONT, EMMA TARLO, DENIS VIDAL MANüHAR \:- CENTRE DE SCIENCES HUMAINES lnititut de l'I'cherthe pour I~ dbetoppement 2000 First published 2000 © Individual Contributors 2000 Ali rights reserved. No partof this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior permission of the editors and the publisher ISBN 81-7304-366-3 Published l7y Ajay KumarJain for Manohar Publishers & Distributors 4753/23 Ansari Road, Daryaganj New Delhi 110002 Published with the support of the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (Paris) Typeset l7y AJ Software Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. 305 Durga Chambers 1333 D.B. Gupta Road Karol Bagh, New Delhi 110005 Print Perfect A-23 May_puri, Phase II New Delhi 110064 Contents List ofIllustrations 7 List ofFigures 7 ListofMaps 7 List ofPlates 8 List ofTables 10 Acknowledgements 11 Abbreviations 13 1. The Alchemy of an Unloved City DENIS VIDAL, EMMA TARLo, VÉRONIQUE DUPONT 15 PART 1: LIFE HISTORIES-CITYHISTORY 2. Migrant Women and Urban Experience in a Squatter Seulement SARASWATI HArDER 29 3. Welcome to History: A Resettlement Colony in the Making EMMA TARLO 51 4. Urban Conquest ofOuter Delhi: Beneficiaries, Intermediaries and Victims The Case of the Mehrauli Countryside ANITA SONI 75 PART II: PEOPLE AND GOODS ON THE MOVE 5. Images and Voices ofTransport Workers in Old Delhi SYLVIE FRAISSARO 97 6. Mobility Patterns and Economie Strategies of Houseless People in Old Delhi VÉRONIQUE DUPONT 99 6 CONTENTS 7. Markets and Intermediaries: An Enquiry about the Principles of Market Economy in the Grain Market of Delhi DENIS VIDAL 125 PART III: MONUMENTS OF POWER 8. The Contemporary Architecture of Delhi: The Role of the State as Middleman A.G. KRIsHNA MENON 143 9. Concern, Indifference, Controversy: Reflections on Fifty Years of 'Conservation' in Delhi NARAYANI GUPTA 157 10. Delhi through the Eyes and Lenses of a Photographer SATISH SHARMA 173 PART IV: IDENTITIES AND POLITICS Il. The Hindu Nationalist Movement in Delhi: From 'Locals' to Refugees--and towards Peripheral Groups? CHRISTOPHE ]AFFRELOT 181 12. Political Profile of Delhi and Support Bases of Parties: An Analysis V.B. SINGH 205 PART V: MAPPINGS 13. Spatial and Demographie Growth of Delhi since 1947 and the Main Migration Flows VÉRONIQUE DUPONT 229 14. Delhi's Place in India's Urban Structure PHILIPPE CADÈNE 241 Chronology ofSignificant Events in Delhi NARAYANI GUPTA 251 List ofContributors 253 Index 257 Illustrations FIGURES Figure 12.1 Vote preferences by economic class (A1l1ndia), 1996 218 Figure 12.2 Vote preferences by economic class (Delhi), 1996 219 Figure 13.1 Percentage distribution of migrants in the National Capital Territory ofDelhi by place oforigin (1951-91) Jacing Ntap 13.7 MAPS Map l.l Delhi: Localities studied and other landmarks 26 Map 3.1 Map of Delhi indicating the different locations from which the residents ofWelcome have been displaced 72 Map 3.2 Official Plan ofWelcome Colony 73 Map 12.1 Parliamentary constituencies of Delhi 213 between pages 240-1 Map 13.1 Spatial expansion of urbanized zones in the Delhi Metropolitan Area from 1950 to 1997 Map 13.2 a & b Increase and decrease of population from 1981 to 1991 in different zones of the National Capital Territory of Delhi Map 13.3 Annual growth rate of the population from 1981 to 1991 in different zones of the National Capital Territory of Delhi Map 13.4 Population densities in different zones of the National Capital Territory of Delhi in 1991 Map 13.5 Location of resetttement colonies in Delhi Urban Agglomeration Map 13.6 Location ofsquatter settlements in Delhi Urban Agglomeration Map 13.7 Delhi Metropolitan Area: the Central Urban Agglomeration and its peripheral towns Map 13.8 Number of recent migrants in the National Capital Territory of Delhi in 1961 by state of origin (duration of residence: five years or less) Map 13.9 Number of recent migrants in the National Capital Territory of Delhi in 1971 by state of origin (duration of residence: less than 5 years) Map 13.10 Number of recent migrants in the National Capital Territory of Delhi in 1981 by state of origin (duration of residence": less than 5 years) Map 13.11 Number of recent migrants in the National Capital Territory of Delhi in 1991 by state oforigin (duration of residence: less than 5 years) Map 14.1 Headquarters of large-scale firms: the share of the public sector Map 14.2 Local control ofindustrial production Map 14.3 The density of banks in cities and towns larger than 50,000 inhabitants Map 14.4 Research and development institutions controlled by the central government Map 14.5 The universities Map 14.6 Cities and towns with more than 100 newspapers in 1989 8 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Map 14.7 Production units by economic activity Map 14.8 Economie places controlled by Delhi Map 14.9 International hotels Map 14.10 Foreign exchanges PLATES between pages 98-9 Plate 5.1 Kulbir Singh: Delhi Transport Corporation Bus Driver Plate 5.2 Dharma: Goods Cycle Rickshaw Puller Plate 5.3 Sona: Hand Cart Puller Plate 5.4 Sriram: Horse Cart Puller Plate 5.5 Rajnath Tripathi: Auto Rickshaw Driver Plate 5.6 Rajender Prasad: Blue Line Bus Driver Plate 5.7 .Jitender Singh: Bullock Cart Driver Plate 5.8a & b Khari Baoli Bazaar Plate 5.9a & b Ajmeri Gate Plate 5.10 Kuldeep Singh: Four Seater Driver (Phut-Phut) Plate 5.11 Deepak De: Passenger Cycle Rickshaw Pu11er Plate 5.12 Gulab Kumar Chaudhary: Taxi Driver Plate 5.13 Omvir Singh: Tempo Driver Plate 5.14 Virpal: School Rickshaw Driver Plate 5.15 Srinivas: Three Wheeler Goods Carrier Plate 5.16 Vijay Kumar: Truck Driver between pages 156-7 Plate 8.1 The aura of Delhi: the Capital Complex. Plate 8.2 The aura of Delhi: the wide tree-lined avenues in Lutyens' bungalow zone. Plate 8.3 The Revivalists: Ashoka Hote!. (Architect: B.E. Doctor) Plate 8.4 The Modernists: the WHO building. (Architect: Habib Rehman) Plate 8.5 Utilitarian modernism: the School of Planning and Architecture. (Architect: TJ. Manickam) Plate 8.6 Utilitarian modernism: the AGCR building. (Architects: The CPWD) Plate 8.7 Government housing in the 1950s: Bapa Nagar. Plate 8.8 The reaction to utilitarian modernism: an upper-dass house in Panchsheel Park. Plate 8.9 The reaction to utilitarian modernism: an upper-<:lass house in Defence Colony. Plate 8.10 The self-finance housing scheme at Saket. (Architect: Kuldip Singh) Plate 8.11 The mega projects emerging out of the implementation of the Master Plan of Delhi-1962: The Bhikaji Cama Place District Centre. (Architect: Raj Rewal) Plate 8.12 The mega projects ofthe 1970s: Exhibition pavilionsfor the Trade FairAuthority of India provided the opportunity for experimentation. The entrance to the Hall ofNations. (Architect: Raj Rewal) Plate 8.13 Major institutional complexes: the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. (Architect: J.I<. Choudhary) Plate 8.14 The mega projects of the 1980s: the SCOPE Complex. (Architect: Raj Rewal) Plate 8.15 The post Iiberalization architecture ofthe 1990s. Plotted row-hou~ingin Shivalik Enclave. between pages 172-3 Plate 9.1 'Echoing empty monuments.' Entrance to NajafKhan'sTomb (c. 1782), opposite Safdarjang Airport. DST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 9 Plate 9.2 'Oblivious to the geography ofadjacent villages.' Humayunpur, a village engulfed by Safdarjang Enclave. Plate 9.3 'Villagers and boutique owners trying to take advantage of each other.' Hauz Khas Village.