Chapter 5 - Ek Haseenah Thi (There Once Was a Maiden): The Vanishing Middle Class and Other Neoliberal Thrills

Summary

Escape routine. Escape mundane. Escape usual. These 2—3 bedroom apartments with fitted modular kitchen and air conditioning in every room are specially designed to keep the world outdoors. You can hear your own body pumping, gurgling, and finally drifting off to sleep under a star clad universe when the world is whispering… in awe of your escape.

The above quote from a burgeoning industry in housing in gated communities evocatively captures the narcissism of buying one's way out of the sharpening inequalities that have accompanied India's turn to neoliberalism. With names such as Hamilton Court, Regency Park, Windsor Manor, Malibu Towne, Beverly Hills, Orange County, Boulder Hill, Sierra or Hiranandani Chelsea, these privatized enclosures are concrete manifestations of the desire to escape the world that lies just outside their walls. But, as the ad clarifies, the pleasure of the escape rests upon the envy of others left far below.

These high-rises stand out as sparkling lighthouses in a sea of darkness when routine power outages submerge the surrounding areas in darkness. Security guards, surveillance cameras and identity checks jealously guard these private enclosures, including their own schools, playgrounds, walking paths and health spas. Accompanying this privatization of living space is a culture of consumption equally walled and guarded in malls and multiplexes.