The outsider-insider view of Assam: The bane of urbanization

Dr Samrat Dutta

(Associate Professor, New Orleans, USA.

He can be reached at sdutta@xula.edu)

Born in Barpeta Road to a middle-class family where both the parents were teachers, I am a proud Axomia. I grew up in the late '90s when life was slow and development was at pace with the 'lahelahe' model. Having moved to the United States in the early 2000s, I have the good fortune to visit my motherland frequently. Needless to say, there have been marked changes in our beloved Axom both in the urban and rural landscape in the last decade or so. Indeed, Axom is catching up to global urbanization.

As gleaming malls sprout and everyone seems to be in a rush to make that 4-storey building, it feels like, for the most part, a 5-year-old has been tasked with planning the urbanization of Axom. Possibly, there is an urban planner somewhere in the government machinery or a department (I know there is one, but I will feign ignorance), but it is not clear what is the master plan for reshaping the urban backdrop of our beloved motherland. Municipality corporations in Axom, like the rest of India, use a Euclidean-based zoning system, but with a British-era mindset and hierarchy, all development seems anachronistic to modern sensibilities. It cannot be denied that positive aspects of rapid globalization and general economic well-being are evident in all sphere of Axomia life, but the civic sense, sustainability, and foresight appears to be completely missing. It gives me no pleasure to tell you point-blank that most of the urbanization are eyesores that have destroyed once pristine homeland with mythical Axom-type houses with spacious interiors and exteriors. I still remember the days when you did not require a guide to know that you entered Axom from elsewhere. Today, the urban landscape is increasingly becoming similar to that of Uttar Pradesh or Bihar. An immediate question arises: Have we really thought about what Assam will look like in 50 or 100 years? Not really, who cares? We live in a "me first" generation. The true meaning of Lachit Borphukan's words "dexot koi mumai dangor nohoi" is lost. We have forgotten the concept of 'xonor Asom' and replaced it with concrete Axom in the name of modernity.

A common escapist explanation of haphazard growth in Assam is the burgeoning population and the accompanying needs. Such justification is a sophistic argument to hide incompetence and a lack of vision for the future. Take the example of Singapore. In the early 1960s, Singapore was faced with rapid urbanization with growth metrics similar, if not the same, as seen in Axom today. Yet, with integrated master planning and development and dynamic urban governance, Singapore managed to be one of the best-organized places on earth. Another arcane rationalization for cramming structures in tight spaces is the climatic conditions of Axom where floods are a norm. Rural folks tend to huddle in urban settings to escape the annual visitation of the flood and avail better infrastructure and opportunities. Whereas flood is a natural disaster, rural migration due to floods or otherwise is a man-made problem. If flood control were an unsolvable problem, the Netherlands would be under water today. Nearly one-quarter of the Netherlands' land lies below sea level, where flooding from the North Sea is a perennial problem. By building a maze of dams and barriers, the Netherlands has not only controlled the problem but also flourished to become one of the world's top ten countries. Blaming lack of resources, population growth, floods and other factors are pitiful excuses for diverting the bigger issue of accountability for random and irreversible changes in our Axoms' landscape.

As a non-resident of Axomia, it is easy to criticize, but I see the urban landscape of Axom through the insider-outsider lens. The best way to describe the situation is through the idiom "a book is judged by its cover". Visual impression portrays the cultural advancement of society and the mindset of its people. Though it may sound shallow, such an opinion is the outcome of the human condition. The sad part is that we have the greatest asset- human resources in abundance. Indian planners, doctors, engineers, and other skilled workers, many of them from Axom, are reshaping the global landscape. Yet, in our homeland, the same is missing. We have the talent, but the problem lies in apathy and the "me first" approach. The construction madness has almost obliterated Axom-style architecture in many urban centres. In doing so, we are erasing a part of our Axomia identity. On the human side, the congested growth can cause disaster in the next COVID-type pandemic or during earthquakes. There is an immediate need to redefine zoning laws and rethink the draconian "agricultural use" land if we are to maintain the uniqueness of Axom. Moreover, there must be aware of how we envision our future and the growth of civic duties and responsibilities.