On the contrary: Wanted MBA for CBA

One of our principal failings as a nation is that we cling to the delusion that the British haven't left; what other logical explanation is possible for our unswerving adherence to the principle of non-cooperation? Why, in Gandhi's name, are we so divided on the principle ofthe "greater common good", the global mantra of most progressive civilisations.

Whenever an ill-conceived "modern solution" is foisted on us by the powers-that-be, it automatically becomes what Arundhati Roy, aka Voldemort, describes as "a war between modern, rational, progressive forces of 'development' and those inspired by the neo-Luddite impulse - an irrational, emotional 'anti-development' resistance, fuelled by an arcadian, pre-industrial dream. Basically a Nehru vs Gandhi debate. This lifts the whole sorry business out of the bog of deceit, lies, false promises and increasingly successful propaganda (which is what it's really about) and confers on it a false legitimacy. It makes out that both sides have the greater good of the nation in mind, but merely disagree about the means by which to achieve it."

Juggy Marwaha, MD, JLL, a leading property broker, has descended from lofty topics, like biryani reviews and the ban on booze in cabin baggage to indignantly tweet, "A few Page 3 socialites' time pass thingy cannot stop the development of our city by objecting to the steel bridge…" Dude, socialites are featured on Page 3, socialists are lucky if they make the Oped page, but I digress? Juggy's bleat passes for wisdom among the broker brigade who clearly "need a check-up from the neck up", as my Aunt Josie, who has since shuffled off this mortal coil, would say.

The reasons for our sloppy thinking on what constitutes modernity are legion; as a mere actor/champagne socialist I must admit to a limited understanding of this complex subject, but would strongly recommend Dipankar Gupta's book, "Mistaken Modernity" to readers looking for enlightenment. My cousin, Dr Lalita Kamath, who teaches urban development at TISS, attributes our passive acceptance of flawed development policies to middle-class apathy, Stanazolol-ed by rising real-estate values. Scandinavian countries, which probably have the most equitable distribution of public funding, are governed by democratic socialists with strong middle-class roots who ensure that the interests of those at the bottom of the pyramid are protected. Closer to home, with urban property prices doubling every decade or so, people like us no longer have to rub shoulders in lower-income group housing with the less fortunate, or exchange bodily fluids with the great unwashed on what passes for public transport in Bengaluru. Having sold our ancestral properties for mind-boggling sums we have fled to palmed meadows or lakeshore manors where our pet peeves of yesteryear like faulty phone lines and unreliable domestic help have been replaced by modern irritants: poor connectivity on the road and online.

Which brings me, by an admittedly circuitous route (what can I say, this is Bengaluru), to the main thrust of this column. Why has Namma Metro got it so horribly wrong? Phase 1, which cost us Rs 11,609 cr to build, straddles an 18.22 km stretch between Byapannahalli and Mysore Road and 13.2km between Sampige Road and Nagasandra, and while we gasped at the costs and the rape of MG Road, we rationalized it in the name of development/traffic congestion.

Therfore, a plan to reduce traffic density should have started with the HSR-Electronic City route with Phase II linkages from Whitefield to the IT corridor. Techies, the highest percentage of car owners, reside in the Koramangala-HSR belt or in Whitefield and generally follow a fixed route to work: that's like duh, totally obvious.

So how, in the name of Kempegowda, did Byapannahalli rear its ugly head? Will some MBA stand up and do a CBA: a cost-benefit analysis of Namma Metro? Possibly, we will benefit from the exercise instead of foolishly being doomed to repeat our folly and blunder.