Mumbai Musings # 3: Brutalism

My rides in Mumbai’s suburban trains were “brutalizing”, to use an exact word. Civilized people, I am sure, cannot ever enjoy the experience of being forced into extreme physical contact with complete strangers. In India, most people do not even shake hands, preferring to do a “namaste” from a distance. It is astounding that in such a civilization, politicians get votes for running a railway system in which everyone is crushed into everyone else.

This brutalism is also exhibited in the politics of the city – aggressive and hostile to outsiders. Civilized people who earn their keep in markets know that the secret to success of any market order is to keep on adding more and more “friendly strangers” into the overall order. But politicians in India do not survive via markets. They survive via coercion. And such a political system is bound to be brutalistic.

Spent a couple of days in Juhu – on the sixth floor of a posh apartment building. Spent some time on the balcony looking out at the uniform ugliness outside. Reminded me that there is also an architectural style called “brutalism”, pioneered by Le Corbusier, Nehru’s favourite architect, who designed the colourless concrete blocks of Chandigarh. Brutalist architecture was patronized by the welfare state in Europe, contributing to great ugliness there. In India, Delhi’s DDA colonies are an example of brutalism – and nothing can beat them in terms of sheer ugliness.

Viewed from the 6th floor of a Juhu flat, it seemed like all our cities are being brutalized in the most fundamental way – the way we build the houses in which we live. That is, the “character” of our cities.

Of course, there must be civic authorities in Mumbai with the powers to pass building plans. I suggest doing away with them. With all their powers, they have achieved nothing but ugliness everywhere. All that is required in a state of “natural liberty” is relief under torts – so if a building collapses, the builder has to fork out huge compensation. Builders will therefore insure, and insurance companies will pass their building plans. With freedom, a much more beautiful urban India can be built. Civilized, not brutal.