After spending a little over 4 months in this city, I think it is time for a comparative post like the one I did for Melbourne . So here goes…
The first thing that almost everyone said when I mentioned that I was moving to Gurgaon, was, “Oh gosh! Why? It is not safe! You will definitely come running back!” The supporters of the city were few and far between. These are people who have read the news reports; visited the city sporadically, or visited ‘Gurgawa’ which is the older rustic part of the city. For sake of convenience, I will refer to the newly developed part, which is where I live and work.
To anyone who first visits this city, it does indeed look like a swanky, fast-paced symbol of 21st century India. As you drive by the glitzy glass offices that house some of the biggest organizations in the world, you imagine yourself working and / or doing some business here. The metro line running overhead is reassurance that you are in a city with public transport of international standards. There are malls with all the big international brands advertising their wares. This is probably a feeling that you would get when entering the Central Business District of most large international cities like Sydney, New York, Dubai, Shanghai etc. All in varying degrees obviously! So, Gurgaon scores high on the ‘awe’ scale, in comparison to, say, Mumbai, where all you see and smell is the small shanties that are everywhere you look as you enter.
As you continue to move a little more in to the city, you realize that the metro line disappears, the buildings get less impressive and the roads get worse. So, the sheen wares off and the reality of most emerging cities in India hits you!
One will find it difficult to manage without some form of personal transport, as the public transport is almost non-existent with a few over-full buses plying and the metro connecting only a small part of the city. The radio taxis and auto rickshaws are an expensive alternative. In comparison, Mumbai has public transport that goes to practically every nook and cranny of the metropolis.
The city is known for its gun culture, and a gun-related murder is reported every week. After a recent shootout in a Gurgaon hospital a leading news opinion reported that, “it isn’t safe to get into an argument anymore given you don’t know if your opponent is carrying a gun”. Even though there was a fear of being caught in the middle of freak riots, political demonstrations and bomb blasts in Mumbai, one never ever feared getting shot over a petty argument!
The people from this part of India are said to have the harshest tongue and the hottest head. Well, I would tend to agree with that, but at the same time, would say that I have come across some who have been kind in both word and deed. Also, there are enough people here from all over the country and world to balance the equation. I got the necessary help and support when setting up house, and, the unnecessary abuses and aggressive gestures for being the only one to follow traffic rules on the road. In Mumbai, you will probably meet similar kinds, but with no time to help or abuse!
This is a city where the farmers became millionaires overnight by selling their land, and business men are making a killing selling to them and clients who are used to paying in dollars. So, it is not unusual to see this money being flaunted. The residences are big and extravagant, with at least one luxury car parked in the garage. There are shopping malls all across the city selling almost all international brands of foods, cosmetic, apparel and accessories. The price of everything here ranges from expensive, more expensive to even more expensive. On the other hand, Mumbai is a city that accommodates lifestyles of any budget.
With so much open space available, the town planners have made good use of this wherever possible. The roads are wide, so travel is fast and you can reach most parts of the city in less than an hour. Every residential complex has one or more parks / playgrounds, which is a rare sight in Mumbai. There are a couple of large bio-diversity parks in the city, which is assurance that the authorities here value a good ‘walk in the park’. The houses here are big, even if it is a one bedroom apartment, so I feel good that I can stretch my arms in my 3 bedroom house without touching any of the walls. I also enjoy walking around the housing society I live in or on the roads, without having to dodge a sea of humanity!
I can see that Gurgaon is in a transition phase and a drastic change is needed, be it in the way it is managed, the law and order, the public transport and the people’s attitude towards it. There are things I like about it, and things I don’t, just like any other city I have lived in. I don’t know if I am going to be here forever, but as long as I am here, I am going to try and enjoy it!
The first thing that almost everyone said when I mentioned that I was moving to Gurgaon, was, “Oh gosh! Why? It is not safe! You will definitely come running back!” The supporters of the city were few and far between. These are people who have read the news reports; visited the city sporadically, or visited ‘Gurgawa’ which is the older rustic part of the city. For sake of convenience, I will refer to the newly developed part, which is where I live and work.
To anyone who first visits this city, it does indeed look like a swanky, fast-paced symbol of 21st century India. As you drive by the glitzy glass offices that house some of the biggest organizations in the world, you imagine yourself working and / or doing some business here. The metro line running overhead is reassurance that you are in a city with public transport of international standards. There are malls with all the big international brands advertising their wares. This is probably a feeling that you would get when entering the Central Business District of most large international cities like Sydney, New York, Dubai, Shanghai etc. All in varying degrees obviously! So, Gurgaon scores high on the ‘awe’ scale, in comparison to, say, Mumbai, where all you see and smell is the small shanties that are everywhere you look as you enter.
As you continue to move a little more in to the city, you realize that the metro line disappears, the buildings get less impressive and the roads get worse. So, the sheen wares off and the reality of most emerging cities in India hits you!
One will find it difficult to manage without some form of personal transport, as the public transport is almost non-existent with a few over-full buses plying and the metro connecting only a small part of the city. The radio taxis and auto rickshaws are an expensive alternative. In comparison, Mumbai has public transport that goes to practically every nook and cranny of the metropolis.
The city is known for its gun culture, and a gun-related murder is reported every week. After a recent shootout in a Gurgaon hospital a leading news opinion reported that, “it isn’t safe to get into an argument anymore given you don’t know if your opponent is carrying a gun”. Even though there was a fear of being caught in the middle of freak riots, political demonstrations and bomb blasts in Mumbai, one never ever feared getting shot over a petty argument!
The people from this part of India are said to have the harshest tongue and the hottest head. Well, I would tend to agree with that, but at the same time, would say that I have come across some who have been kind in both word and deed. Also, there are enough people here from all over the country and world to balance the equation. I got the necessary help and support when setting up house, and, the unnecessary abuses and aggressive gestures for being the only one to follow traffic rules on the road. In Mumbai, you will probably meet similar kinds, but with no time to help or abuse!
This is a city where the farmers became millionaires overnight by selling their land, and business men are making a killing selling to them and clients who are used to paying in dollars. So, it is not unusual to see this money being flaunted. The residences are big and extravagant, with at least one luxury car parked in the garage. There are shopping malls all across the city selling almost all international brands of foods, cosmetic, apparel and accessories. The price of everything here ranges from expensive, more expensive to even more expensive. On the other hand, Mumbai is a city that accommodates lifestyles of any budget.
With so much open space available, the town planners have made good use of this wherever possible. The roads are wide, so travel is fast and you can reach most parts of the city in less than an hour. Every residential complex has one or more parks / playgrounds, which is a rare sight in Mumbai. There are a couple of large bio-diversity parks in the city, which is assurance that the authorities here value a good ‘walk in the park’. The houses here are big, even if it is a one bedroom apartment, so I feel good that I can stretch my arms in my 3 bedroom house without touching any of the walls. I also enjoy walking around the housing society I live in or on the roads, without having to dodge a sea of humanity!
I can see that Gurgaon is in a transition phase and a drastic change is needed, be it in the way it is managed, the law and order, the public transport and the people’s attitude towards it. There are things I like about it, and things I don’t, just like any other city I have lived in. I don’t know if I am going to be here forever, but as long as I am here, I am going to try and enjoy it!
Comments
Post a Comment