Gurgaon-isation

Okay, so you know of being Bangalored. And of Plutoed.

Now there's Gurgaon-isation...

To the uninitiated, Gurgaon is a dust bowl that's been built-up by two large builders (DLF and Unitech) and many smaller ones who have sold the dream of 'sadda ghar' to tens of thousands. The capital of Haryana and land of the Jats, it's pretty much like the Wild West where the whiteskins ousted the native Indians who hunted them down (in vain, albeit) with bows and arrows. The Jats still try and hunt down the new settlers by driving like maniacs and banging their old, rickety buses into shiny new sedans every now and then.

To the initiated, Gurgaon is a contrast in concrete. Here's why

1. It has call centres who employ cabs who frequently drive on the wrong side of the road - evidently their drivers think they're already in the US of A.


2. Its full of swank apartments with no roads leading up to them.


3. There are centrally ac'd buildings but no electricity to power the traffic lights.


4. Premium apartments are being sold facing a golf course - but that's likely to be moved to another location five years from now. Only no one really knows it.


5. There's a complete takeover of some services (maids, sweepers, guards, rickshaw-pullers) by just one community (Bengali migrants from Bangladesh). It's what Derek once called the ABCD class in a quiz years ago (ABCD=Ayahs, Bearers, Cooks, Drivers).


6. There are malls that run up high air-conditioning bills but low sales.


7. And malls that have more window-shoppers than real customers.


8. It also has cows that double up as temporary road dividers. And set out every morning along with the fitness-concious joggers who usually end up running their expensive Nikes into dung.

So, if you spot any of these happening in any part of the world... you'll know it's Gurgaon-isation. Time we gave ourselves some more credit, what!

Cheers!