I am now in Bhubanashwar, the capital of Orissa - a very old civilisation. I am close to the Sun Temple of Konarak and the beaches of Puri. But I don't see any tourists about. Although ganja is legal here. I bought some from a legit shop - and the up-market hotel I checked into didn't serve beer: LICENSE! What a change from Goa - where beer is legit and ganja isn't. Is this the same country, with one parliament, and the same laws?
The scenery from the train window was wonderful throughout - starting with the splendour of the Western Ghats through the rocky landscape of the plateau right through to the quiet beauty of the Eastern Ghats. What a beautiful country we live in, I thought. And how much free space - abundant is the word to describe how much land we possess to live in. I saw so much unowned, uncultivated land - including all the mountains, each and every one.
My travelling companion was a naval officer whose village lay, he said, 25 kms out of Bhubaneshwar. He said he owned 7 acres of "agrilcultural land" - and added that the going rate for such land was about Rs. 1,25,000 an acre. He added that you cannot build a residence on such land - LICENSE!
I noticed that all the cities and towns I passed through were uniformely ugly and overcrowded: Dharwar-Hubli, Bellary, and the coastal cities and towns in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa I passed through in the morning, like Vizianagaram.
The naval officer disembarked at Khurda Road - just 15 short of Bhubaneshwar. I saw only open land all through this 15 km journey. And when I arrived in Bhubaneshwar, it was overcrowded and traffic was impossible. Chaos, Dirt and filth. And there is no road to the upmarket hotel I now live in - just a patlee gullee. And there is an E-Class Mercedes parked within. I asked the guy how does the car get in and out. He grimaced. The morning newspaper was full of ads for cars. And Bhubaneshwar is a "new city" - like Chandigarh and Gandhinagar.
Made me think that we suffer from the predatory rule of "urban development authorities" that are entirely unelected - and these monopolise the supply of urban (residential and commercial) land as well as roads. We are being squeezed dry by these twin administrative monopolies. This is where we need "democracy" - so I champion urban self-rule and not grameen swaraj - which is nonsense.
The newspaper contained a photo of some urban "demolition" going on in nearby Cuttack. Same old story.
There was also a story of some "land acquisition" in and around the port of Paradip by The State for the Korean firm Posco. Why does Paradip, the deepest port in India, only export iron ore and bauxite, and import nothing? Why can't Property be Protected and why can't Posco buy land?
The train offered me an opportunity to think up an example of the Primacy of Private Property. I had a reserved berth in a 2AC compartment. My temporary property right was protected by the guard - and no one was allowed to infringe my absolute right to possess that berth undisturbed.
Yet, there were thousands of poor people hanging out of two unreserved 2nd Class compartments ahead of mine. What would have happened if Property did not exist? Obviously, everyone would have occupied everything and chaos would ensue. In a communist society a "comrade" would come up and demand the keys of your car in the name of "brotherhood." It is this "brotherhood" that is stealing land outside Paradip. It is as if my railway guard had allowed all the unreserved 2nd-classwallahs to take over my berth. What is the "Role of the State" in a Free Society? To protect Property? Or to prey on it?
"Peace, Freedom and Justice are the three blessings of Civilisation," said Bastiat - and that Justice is ultimately founded on the Principle of the Inviolability of Private Property. And the value of "agricultural land" increases with roads. People spread out - and there is lebensraum. Overcrowding ends. There is no "population problem." Bollocks! This is a shortage of roads.
This is the Predatory Urban Development (or should we say "Destruction") Authority.
The fourth blessing of Civilisation is beautiful cities. Think about it. And compare our current civilisation to that of the ancients.
Read about Baba Ramdev's "call to arms." Give him Haridwar, I say. Let him be the Mayor of that Holy City - where you can freely smoke ganja-charas on the ghats, with all the other "holy men." Why then, maybe I'll drop by in Hardwar to have a smoke along the Ganga.
Bum Lehri! Tere Jata Se Ganga Behri!
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