 |
Friday, June 16, 2006 |
|
This is the last in the series of Cultural Insights for doing business in India. Just wanted to say these observations are based on learnings over 18 years of doing qualitative research in India. It's interesting to see how some things have changed, while others remain constant, over generations.
The complete series: Many thanks - to all those who have commented and linked to this series of posts - I love the conversations around these issues - keep them coming - and I will add my two-cents shortly! 5:37:35 PM  comment [] trackback []
|
|
Here's one lady's fight against clout and corruption ... she's 64 years old and lives alone with her mother who is 92 ... and has been fighting her influential neighbour for 15 years to get justice. She's a friend of mine, and I'm reproducing a letter she wrote here, with her permission. "I have the misfortune of having one Mr Siddharth Bhandari whose father
is well-known Romesh Bhandari who was India's Defence secretary, Governer
of Goa, Tripura and U.P. He has enlarged his bathrooms which are over
our bedrooms. Made a staircase over our kitchen, from 8th to the 9th
floor cutting through the slab, even though the flats are in different
names and a drainpipe which is bringing torrents of water into our
house but is right next to our open balcony. Not only has it opened up a
couple of times but is tempting for any one to climb through. I am
64yrs. old and my mother is 92 yrs old.We two senior citizens are
living alone. After 15 yrs of trying to get the Municipal corp to do
something, I had to file a writpetion in the High Court Even this was
blocked from coming on board till I wrote a letter to the then Chief
Justice. Then directions were issued to the BMC that "directed to depute
an officer to visit the site and thereafter if necessary to give
appropriate directions" Read an interview with her in the Mumbai Mirror here. The inspection was made and bathroom extentions and staircase declared illegal. Mr. Bhandari then made an application for regularisation of the irregularities.This was also rejected. Then I was informed that he has reapplied for regularisation. I have the correspondence with me. It is a clear cut case of illegality. How can there be reapplication? They havn't reduced the bathroom size or broken the staircase. Even then, after the letter informing me of re application, dtd. 7th Jan 2006, 5 months have gone by. There is no action whatsoever by BMC. Now the BMC wants that i should again get a court order for demolition - then they are in the clear. The society had taken a view that this matter was between the two of us and yet as told to me by the treasurer, permission has been given to him post facto. Flats in the building belong to the Shipping Corp. Letters to various officials there have had no effect. Their representative is the Secretary." Aparna Chawalla Update: Angelo has a follow-up post on this, with some terrific action points. Do go there and take his suggestions. Its wonderful to see someone who doesn't know the lady fighting for justice, and isn't an Indian himself, take the trouble to research and list out names of concerned officials and possible action plans. Thanks Angel-o! 4:10:17 PM comment [] trackback []
|
|
|
Copyright 2009 Dina Mehta
