I have an e-mail invite to an NGO book release on
Delhi development. Hazard Centre's book will be
released by Shabana Azmi (social activist and ex-M.P.
Rajya Sabha) at a function presided over by Prabhash
Joshi (senior journalist, activist and social
thinker). Dunu Roy (Director, Hazards Centre) will
make the introductory remarks and Arundhati Roy (noted
writer and social activist), Rajdeep Sardesai
(political editor, NDTV), Shanta Devi (activist, Sajha
Manch) and Ram Singh (activist, Sajha Manch) will make
guest comments.
Within my professional fraternity, comparisons are
drawn between Ms Roy and myself since both of us
graduated in Architecture from Delhi School of
Planning and Architecture in early '80s, 'led' strikes
in it, rejected the option of architectural practice,
etc, and also since we produce public-domain prose. Ms
Roy might find the comparisons insulting since she is
an international celebrity. I find them odious
because, unlike Ms Roy, I did not quit the profession
at all and remain, ever since post-graduating in
Planning immediately after I studied Architecture, a
Planner.
For years I've been chronicling the drift in
development thought, anarchy of NGO driven discourse
sans checks on competence and integrity, development
professions and institutions being made sick in the
process, etc, all with engagements in recent years in
Delhi development because development law in Delhi is
uniquely strong and provides a handle to try
intervene.
Had I known Ms Roy had any interest in all this I
would have asked she lend her name to saving our alma
mater ? premier institution with professional
custodian role vis-à-vis development, especially Delhi
development ? from the possibly terminal crisis it is
going through, following an inquiry instituted
mid-year that found long-standing idols in it standing
on feet of clay atop steadily slipping SPA.
It is a pity Ms Roy will, instead, re-engage on
ex-professional turf to launch a Delhi development
book by an NGO that many consider has contributed
significantly to marginalizing professionals, a
process of key causality in the SPA crisis, as well as
to massive obfuscation serving to undermine confidence
in, and so providing leverage to those seeking to
subvert, the uniquely strong statutory framework for
Delhi development. It is a pity Ms Roy will do so at a
time when reform underway on several fronts is eroding
the institutional framework whose subversion has
brought Delhi development to stand where it
unfortunately does.
I am sure Ms Roy's endorsement, like most celebrity
endorsements of development products, is inadvertent.
But it will be inadvertently accepted since, unlike
beauty/film/media/sport stars, activist-writer
celebrities are trusted to carefully consider what
they endorse. Oh dear.
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Delhi development. Hazard Centre's book will be
released by Shabana Azmi (social activist and ex-M.P.
Rajya Sabha) at a function presided over by Prabhash
Joshi (senior journalist, activist and social
thinker). Dunu Roy (Director, Hazards Centre) will
make the introductory remarks and Arundhati Roy (noted
writer and social activist), Rajdeep Sardesai
(political editor, NDTV), Shanta Devi (activist, Sajha
Manch) and Ram Singh (activist, Sajha Manch) will make
guest comments.
Within my professional fraternity, comparisons are
drawn between Ms Roy and myself since both of us
graduated in Architecture from Delhi School of
Planning and Architecture in early '80s, 'led' strikes
in it, rejected the option of architectural practice,
etc, and also since we produce public-domain prose. Ms
Roy might find the comparisons insulting since she is
an international celebrity. I find them odious
because, unlike Ms Roy, I did not quit the profession
at all and remain, ever since post-graduating in
Planning immediately after I studied Architecture, a
Planner.
For years I've been chronicling the drift in
development thought, anarchy of NGO driven discourse
sans checks on competence and integrity, development
professions and institutions being made sick in the
process, etc, all with engagements in recent years in
Delhi development because development law in Delhi is
uniquely strong and provides a handle to try
intervene.
Had I known Ms Roy had any interest in all this I
would have asked she lend her name to saving our alma
mater ? premier institution with professional
custodian role vis-à-vis development, especially Delhi
development ? from the possibly terminal crisis it is
going through, following an inquiry instituted
mid-year that found long-standing idols in it standing
on feet of clay atop steadily slipping SPA.
It is a pity Ms Roy will, instead, re-engage on
ex-professional turf to launch a Delhi development
book by an NGO that many consider has contributed
significantly to marginalizing professionals, a
process of key causality in the SPA crisis, as well as
to massive obfuscation serving to undermine confidence
in, and so providing leverage to those seeking to
subvert, the uniquely strong statutory framework for
Delhi development. It is a pity Ms Roy will do so at a
time when reform underway on several fronts is eroding
the institutional framework whose subversion has
brought Delhi development to stand where it
unfortunately does.
I am sure Ms Roy's endorsement, like most celebrity
endorsements of development products, is inadvertent.
But it will be inadvertently accepted since, unlike
beauty/film/media/sport stars, activist-writer
celebrities are trusted to carefully consider what
they endorse. Oh dear.
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now
http://companion.yahoo.com/