Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Impressions of Indore

Chhote chhote sheheron se, khali bore dopaharon se, Bunty aur Babli jhola utha ke chale...

What is it that defines a 'chhota sheher'? By population, Indore city is a large town of 1.8 million residents - double the size of Chandigarh.

And yet, Chandigarh is not a city you associate with being a 'small town'. It's almost 'metro' in its attitude and way of life. Indore, on the other hand, is still a chhota sheher at heart.

I would define a chhota sheher as one where the residents are still very worried about log kya kahenge. Many choices an individual makes are within certain 'acceptable' boundaries. Boundaries set by the elders and some amorphous being known as 'society'.

One important point to note here is the large population of banias in Indore - traders and businessmen from the Jain, Maheshwari and Agrawal community. That partly explains why Indore is far more 'traditional' than Chandigarh!

Punjabis are far more freewheeling and freespending, while banias tend to be quite attached to prathas- or social conventions.

Which is why my cousin's mother-in-law - a sweet old lady - found me rather vexing. No sari, bangles, no sindoor, no toerings... "Kam se kam bindi to pehen ni chahiye", she murmured, after silently observing my kurta-and-jeans-clad frame for two days.

Kam se kam logon ko pataa to chale you are a 'decent married woman' is what she meant. But was too polite to declare, in so many words.

As they say - in Indore, do as the Indoreans do. Which is why a hoarding for Dena Bank featuring Juhi Chawla - without any bindi in Mumbai - has a prominent red dot painted on - in Indore!

Ek alag soch
'Progress' is a strange creature. Mother-in-law does not mind my cousin taking guitar lessons or choosing to have only one child (a daughter). But, she insists that bahu wear only saris. Bahu would much prefer to switch to salwar-kameez - but accepts silently.

Meanwhile, Indore is on the radar of all consumer marketers. But does junta here think and behave like Mumbai or Delhi? Not yet.

Both Dominos and Pizza Hut set up shop here... and subsequently shut down. "Sau rupaye ka pizza kaun lega?" reasons Lucky, a young nephew studying 'MFA' at the local Vaishnav university.

Ditto with the Lee-Levis variety of outlets which he says, hardly any students patronise. The unbranded options give them more bang for the buck and offer acceptable quality/ variety.

That ain't good news for all the malls and multiplexes which will soon throw open their doors in Indore. But perhaps housed in a mall - with a concentrated 'feel-good' ambience - the same brands may have better luck. And hopefully, sales.

As of now, Lucky is quite kicked with the local 'Vishal Megamart' (a chain which offers 'Fashion Street' kind of clothing in a/c environs). For now, 'value' scores over 'snob value'. But values can, and do, change over time.

What is 'value' anyways?
Consumers are complex creatures. That's evident from the consumerism practiced at this cousin's home.

A battered and seldom-used semi-automatic washing machine stands in one corner. The television is an ancient model of BPL and there's no cable connection. "Bachchon ki padhaai affect ho jayegi", is one reason. 350 bucks a month is too much to shell out - is the other.

However, the same household has a computer, with a broadband internet connection. Why? "Bachchon ki padhaai ke liye zaroori hai". Even though they aren't planning to take up 'hi-fi' careers, an investment in a computer is seen as 'worth it'.

And now, jijaji wants to buy a laptop. "Kaun sa brand achcha rahega?" he asks. I wonder why he needs one. The answer is surprising but simple: dhande ke liye.

You see, jijaji is an 'investment advisor' and although he has a loyal client base, there's a whole lot of competition now from new players. The likes of Citibank, HDFC Bank and HSBC have set up shop and their army of young, locally recruited MBAs is on the prowl.

These MBAs wear suits and ties and make jazzy presentations on laptops. "Is liye mujhe bhi laptop lena padega," he grins. "Impression jamaane ke liye".

What the Citis and HDFCs can't do is offer the 'personalised' service many clients require. For example, there are ladies who will specifically ask jijaji to come to their homes after their husbands have left for work - they wish to make certain 'private investments'.

Yup, these housewives want to make FDs or post-office savings - of money received from the maaika, or quietly salted away from the household budget. Like many other clients, these women use our address to receive their official correspondence.

"Hamare ghar mein roz ke itne courier aate hain ki sab delivery waalon se acchi khaasi jaan pehchaan ho gayi hai," says my cousin dryly. The perils of 'customer relationship management'!

The future
And yet, the picture I have painted so far does not tell the complete story. Although still small and not very visible, a 'new' Indore is coming up.

The new Indore consists of nuclear families, multi storeyed apartments, women clad in Babli kurtas and an emerging professional class.

This Indore houses a 'Bombay hospital' and an 'IIM'. Of course, IIM is only technically part of Indore - physically it's 16 kms outside of it and mentally, a completely different world.

But there are local MBA schools like 'Prestige'and 'IMS' which, by Indore standards, are decent. The students may not be CAT-level but speak fairly good English and don't look all that different from college kids in Delhi or Mumbai. They also have more 'freedom'.

Lucky explains the difference thus: "On Valentine's Day, Prestige had an 'official program' where students even auctioned roses...At our college (Vaishnav) when a group of boys and girls went to the local ice cream parlour a professor jumped onto a scooter, located us and dragged us back to the campus".

That's not to say Lucky is bechaara. He has plenty of friends who are girls - but no girlfriend. And, that's a conscious choice. Shaadi to arranged hi karni hai, he reasons. So, bekaar ke lafdon mein kyun padna?

It remains to be seen how long young people like Lucky - who still form the majority - continue to think this way. Until then, Indore's 'small town' status will remain safe. And so will the sale of bindis!

35 comments:

  1. hey RASHMI
    chote chote shehro mein khali bore dopharon mein tum jhola uthaake chalein....tum chale tum chale aur blog likh diyee..
    (ok aadaab!!)

    well the types of Lucky who have fun with galz but end up doin the right thin for them,mom-in law who mk u wear the sari n de bindi but are lenient enuf to allow the transition to the salwar -dress, the jijajis who still beleive in the traditional styles of management and are yet capable of giving a sore throat to the gyaani MBAs with certain (but not compelete) modifications to their lifestyles and the banias - the biggest threat to the Walmart kinds are those that not only define the culture of the chota shehar but the entire nation and we all take ( n have taken some or the other time) pride in this culture ,however western (read : modern) weve become here in the metro. Metros ..ha! aint are fingers enough to count all in India ???

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  2. Indore sounds like Utopia for family life.

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  3. You said

    "One important point to note here is the large population of banias in Indore - traders and businessmen from the Jain, Maheshwari and Agrawal community. That partly explains why Indore is far more 'traditional' than Chandigarh!"

    I say:
    I don't agree with this thing. Just existence of Marwadis can't result in backloging of a town (or city). Even in Pune, there is a lot of crowd of Marwadis or if you take examle of your own Mumbai, there is almost 50% crowd of Baniyas (Both Marwadi and Gujrathi). But this existence doesn't make Mumbai a backward city.. Infact it is the most forward city of ths country.. There can be lot more examples of the same..

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  4. people who live at a place more or less make its culture. those who inhabit it cmng 4m outside hv 2 follow suit n fit into the frame. hv nt bn 2 indore, but agree to most of your points, having read abt indore n met ppl!

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  5. nice read and well written! found nothing offensive abt it!

    Keep writing is all I can say!

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  6. I differ in my definition of a chhota sheher slightly.

    A small town is where people are not yet perpetually bored, where chaps play cricket on the local maidan instead of roaming around on bikes, where the local katta has not been replaced by the pool club, where ganne ka ras is still available on street corners, where people are not afraid of strangers and where the entire mohalla turns up to welcome newcomers and celebrate homecomings.

    I live in a small town.

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  7. Good to read about Indore from an outsider's perspective. Made me think about my "shehar". Just to add to what you wrote

    1) In most "bada shehars" you have a old city which at its soul remain the "chota shehar" be it Mumbai, Delhi, Pune or Indore. At Indore we have an aggressively growing "bada shehar" and a cutely preserved "chotta shehar" separated by a quitessential mark of progress an overbridge above the railway line that passes through the heart of the city.

    2) In every bada shehar the malls, and multiplexes run because of the so called "modern face" of the city. I was one of those who felt that this section is too small in Indore and so put my foot in my mouth stating that such malls/mutiplexes/discotheques will not do well in Indore. To my surprise those who opened shop did not just do well but are regretting as to why they did not plan bigger projects.

    3) Dominos (Pizza Hut never opened shop here) story though true is old and does not find many parallel. Today in Indore national coffe chains are thriving and mc-donalds has dropped anchor.

    3) Though less visible and active only in specific spaces - the city has a much larger "metro like" diaspora then what you believe. The explosion of malls/multiplexes will just help them be more visible and hence expand faster.

    4) There is another definition to the "bada Shehar" - Liberal society's ugly face - increased sex related crime and flesh trade - both of which also thrives in Indore. Recently NDTV had done a story on how college girls living in hostels find it easy to make money by going on a weekend trip to Mumbai with friendly "customers". As for crime - just read through the two major hindi dailies from the city and you would know that there is a thriving "bhai" culture of extortions, kidnapping and Suparis.

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  8. Rashmi, your observations are quite profound but these people are just a subset of big indore. This is the info a outsider would get of Mumbai if he has just been to Chinchpokli or interacted with that kind of people only.

    also you have mixed 2 things.. picture of indore and picture of marwari community.
    by the way i know people in your mumbai who are supar rich but still has same attitude towards savings (not spending on brand names, a titan shows time and a rolex will also show time).

    Note: i too belong to indore and i am not offended by post.

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  9. I am really amassed at the way the article is written. If this is defination of small city, every middle class in any city would qualiy for the defination

    My household located in Hyderabad would absolutely fit this description and I am sure Hyderabad and the area I live cannot be termed as "chote sehar"

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  10. yes exactly, i agree with Goofy. it is exactly depicted in "hyderabad blues".
    it is a generation trying adopt to western culture at the same time holding back their indian values.

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  11. These were my impressions of Indore. Impressions are, by definition, subjective. I also gave the Chandigarh comparison to illustrate what I meant by big-town, small-town!

    To my mind, progress is about having more exposure, more choices. So yes, malls and multiplexes, internet access and satellite TV provide those things to an extent.

    I have no doubt that the food courts and hypermarts will take off immediately, while in the longer run so will other branded outlets. Of course, Mac is a hit everywhere :)

    The important difference between chhota and bada sheher is that in metros women can choose to be far more socially and economically independent. They may, of course, choose not to exercise that option but that option exists.

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  12. rashmi,
    You know that you have arrived in abig city,
    when you leave Bhai Sahab/Bhaiya and say Oye/Boss/SunYaar.
    You start to touch knees intead of feet or you shake hands instead of an embrace.
    You are suspicious of your country's progress and people around you.
    Your expenditure on security increases.
    Even if you have not been to happening places in the city, you admit of being there as others know about those places.
    List is endless. And it shall keep growing.
    On a whole we are unique set of people in the world.We loath at any change from outside, yet deep inside we yearn for it.So the computer, MBA, Washing machines etc etc.Just that the ones at the bigger cities have more avenues to be flumoxed and the ones will have their day very soon.

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  13. "The important difference between chhota and bada sheher is that in metros women can choose to be far more socially and economically independent. They may, of course, choose not to exercise that option but that option exists."

    ehuem
    this is not the differnece between the chhota sheher and metros...its women like u who think that you are more socially and economically independent, even women in villages are independent forget about the chhota sheher... independence doesnt mean wearing jeans and tee and not saree ...its in the minds and hearts which is well given to all indian women...u have been in a big city for too long to understand it ... ppl are happy the way they are in small towns and dont need others to tell me what to do...

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  14. Reading through your post, reminded me of Delhi years and years ago (O K ! I'm just 25 :P but Delhi HAS changed!!!).
    I have seen khets disappear and be replaced by buildings.
    I have seen roads come up atop roads.
    I have seen road-side tea-stalls give way to McDonalds and PizzaHuts.
    I have even seen the price for a movie ticket go from Rs.6 to Rs.150 (THIS is majorly disconcerting).


    Woh Dilli ki dopaharein.
    Woh loo ki chalti leherein.
    Woh 2 rupiye ki double-roti.
    Woh dukaanein chhoti chhoti.
    Woh nange paaon nikalna.
    Woh garm zameen ka jalna.
    socha tha kho na jaaye...
    mera sheher bahot yaad aaye...
    mera sheher bahot yaad aaye....


    Not bad eh ? ;)
    heh heh heh!

    Damn..Kansas City just doesnt have it!

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  15. I too am from Indore and I don't find the post offensive. But definitely it looks confused. First of all I couldn't understand how Rashmi (from Mumbai) suddenly finds so many observations about an alien town, and that too with confidence enough to write a post on it. If I go by your definition, I don't think that Indore is a small town. Actually what I feel that it is very difficult to give this generalization. It all depends in what social circle you belong to. One Indore is small and the other is big. Even in Mumbai I believe, if you life is restricted to a locality, you will fid it a small city. As far as the traditional part goes, again its different. I feel that you should have avoided this generalization. Comparisons are tough but it still remains the fact that Indore has the only multiplex in the whole of MP (its a different story that the rest of MP is far more conservative than Indore). The GF/BF thing again depends on the social circle.

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  16. Rashmi said
    "To my mind, progress is about having more exposure, more choices. So yes, malls and multiplexes, internet access and satellite TV provide those things to an extent.

    The important difference between chhota and bada sheher is that in metros women can choose to be far more socially and economically independent. They may, of course, choose not to exercise that option but that option exists."

    I say

    Now there is something wrong here.
    In your own words the availability of the option matters - which is very much available in most cities including Indore. If most women choose not to exercise the option - do you call that a "chotta Shehar".

    The fact that more women exercise the option in Mumbai as against an Indore is making a subtle difference to your mind.

    While you are at the point of women's independence - you might want to comment on The Soap Horror url("http://cool-discussions.blogspot.com/2005/11/soap-horror.html")

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  17. How could you didnt mention the roads when talking of Indore? Or for that matter the fact that Indori Chappan Dukan and Sarafa Chat market do more business than the pizza places!

    I love my small town Indore! :)

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  18. hi luverian
    nice reply, however ws hoping to read more on ur page but cudn't open ur blog..

    ppl, i thnk rashmi has right to be selfish with her views. its her blog n we luv readin it. n afterall indore is not just yours, its hers too .. so wat if she's from iimA. we must dare to think beyond iim's :) now i'm not pro iipm, infact i thnk rashmi has done gr8 favor to the younger india by exposin iipm especially the ppl frm chote shehar who get convinced of such ads . also i thnk baniya kids dnt need management frm iim or any1. they are better. ambani didnt' need it. graduates frm so called iims are only servants to da likes of mcdonalds. thy r brainwashed to serve them. atleast rashmi didn't succumb to that temptation of mnc salary. good rashmi. u deserve an applause. also, while chote shehar give less choice to women than bade shehar, women i guess hv been too much oppressed since ages no matter where they hv been.. also, u can be a good feminist too rashmi. ever read germaine greer? u'll like her. i wonder wat ur views on bindi wud be if u had been a 'Man', but i thnk i lk bindi's. even madonna looks cool in a bindi.. perhaps u also need this assurance from westerners that bindi is cool and not anti-feministic bondation on the weeker poor sex .. SIGH!

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  19. I pity the puerile folk here who can't take a dig at themselves. Man, 'Docs Dope' indeed. Uffffff....

    Good post Rashmi. I am from Goa and am quite familiar with the small town environment. Nice observations.

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  20. //Both Dominos and Pizza Hut set up shop here... and subsequently shut down.

    Really?? I never knew such eateries have to shut shop anywhere in India due to poor business.

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  21. Well actually, AFAIK Dominos had to shut down its shop in some parts of Mumbai too - because people would call up and ask for delivery to other people's houses.

    Thats not really a small-town problem, per say.

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  22. Indore sure is a chotta sheher, but being "mini-mumbai" there is no reason why a mumbaiya shouldn't feel at home there. Indore is notrious for its bad traffic and roads, pretty much whole of MP is plagued with the problem, still the relaxed lifestyle is what is bringing the IT people there slowly. Not many know that IT biggies CSC and Impetus apart from Webdunia are at Indore. Having spend close to 8 years there I hope it remains the cute "chotta" sheher, lest it bursts out of congestion and pressure on resources as Pune is doing now.

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  23. Hi,

    Nicely written post, and an honest expression of feelings. Thanks..!

    I am from a small town Akola in Maharastra, and I actually find the small-city life better. I actually like girls who wear bindis, and I feel nice when I see married women wearing saaris and bindis, and merging with the rest of the house culture. And I dont think that big-city life actually is provably better.

    It looks better with a shorter foresight. But not proveable in the long run.

    The current western "pop" culture is unsustainable, and it deteriorates pretty fast into being "unhuman". Whereas, we have been sustaining our culture for a very long time, though, not without problems.

    I had written a post on comparison between small and big city life.

    http://gaurang.org/blog/archives/2005/05/small_town_life.html

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  24. hey rashmi;

    Coincidently ive written an article on similar lines with similar title........it can be read at:
    http://www.meriawazsuno.blogspot.com/
    for those who are interested....

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  25. Hi rashmi,
    I have been a regular reader of your blog since a long time…..
    Thanks for writing some good stuff through these many days.
    I must say that the frequency of the posts has decreased….. :--(
    Well now some thing about the current post.
    Don’t mind but you really seem to be confused about your subject.
    I guess that you are a big feminist! And that leaves an impression on many of your posts! You talk about the baniyas, the iim the marts the bindis, your relatives from Indore! But some where around, you lose the real picture of Indore. Pretty bad. Your description of a “chota- sheher” should have been general description.
    I mean there are a few things about it which may be true but not all.
    First off …the baniya community although huge in population does not represent Indore as a whole, there are many other communities who have a vibrant culture.
    Now about the Dominos and Pizza Hut and the sau rupayye ka pizza...
    I do agree that people of Indore are not spend-thrift. Well its like
    The general attitude over here is if we can find more munch in our local
    Chappan or sarafa or rajwada and a bang for the bucks why should we go to
    Spend Some where else? I feel there is nothing wrong about it. Its pretty good to
    Save money isn’t it?
    Now you talk about the local Vaishnav colleges….. I too am a grad from a
    Vaishnav College and am proud about it. I am doing pretty well in the worlds second biggest software company .and the case is similar with many of the college mates and pass outs and other indorians. So there is nothing bad about it as to look down upon it or its students. Vaishnav trust is doing a very good job by fulfilling their social responsibilities.
    Then you talk about the iim I as not being the part of Indore. I feel that here physical distance should not be a constraint this is a very similar case with most of the BIG schools ….and yes let me tell you one thing that there are N number of students from Indore who make it to the IITs, IIMs and many of the top colleges in India every year. So mind it when you say “The students may not be CAT-level “.
    And about relationships ….. Tell me how many GF-BF relations grow up into committed relationships in the cities? and it only happens in the west that certain Ms Britney spears marries her childhood BF only to divorce him the very next day So I guess Mr. XYZ’s choice to be ‘single and not looking’ is ok and off course its his personal choice.
    And the Bindis: - I am sure you would adore the bindis when Madonna “sports” it.
    I mean why should a married woman hesitate to declare that she is married?
    And how does, not wearing a bindi relate to a choice (read freedom).
    And yes I don’t think your metros offer choice to women to pass safely on streets in the night without a fear of some thug or a bad guy lurking some where around.
    And reaching your home comfortably without getting stuck in traffic JAM!
    So when the next time you visit Indore,(did you really come to Indore first off?)
    as some body said please don’t wear those feminist glasses and leave your prejudices. Then you will discover what is right with it.
    I LOVE INDORE my dear “chota sheher”!
    yes offcourse this was just to do with the post and nothing with you.
    so keep writing and giving food for thought.
    thanks,
    regards.
    satya.

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  26. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  27. Quiet A Post Rashmi,

    I was born in Indore in 83, Did my lower standards in Choithram. Spent Initial Year Or More & Often Visits In Indore & Since 89 I've Been In Delhi, Visited that place a couple of times in between

    The Memories I Have Are Either Of
    1.) Childhood Days,
    2.) Grandparent Stories ( Who Themselves Are In Delhi Since 88)
    3.) Media/ Newspaper..

    I remember the food
    1.) "Poonha with Sev"
    2.) "French Toast"
    3.) "Mutka Kulfi"

    But I Think Indore has much more potential which but I don't know why the people in Indore have decided to close the doors, I remember & also from the stories I hear from my folks & grandparents the whole place was so destined to be trendy that was 1970 - 1980. There was this yankiness & cosmopolitan nature in the air. It was perhaps everything Delhi & Mumbai was atleast in terms of future. But suddenly it all seems its the city I don't know, or perhaps the whole "cultural/tradtional/orthodox" talk gives me claustrophobia & make me paranoid . I dont mean being cultural is out or not fashionable, it is totaly yanky, its just the "orthodoxy/fundamentalism" that sounds so "hollow & unequalitarian & hypocritical" that scares people away . I don't know being a Delhiete, people in delhi are in delima about carrying the burden of legacy ( most of it painfull, the remanents of partition, migration , 84 riots, the strugle to come up) ahead & they have been quiet successfull by moving ahead, though they still havent forgotten their roots , roots still remain. The some of the media news about Indore like Hindu fundamentalist attacks on Valentines day, destroying an array of franchaise ( some pizza joint , archies ) keeps me away.

    As far as Madvadi's are concerned I mean even punjabis at times seem equally tradtional but what I have seen is punjabi's on other hand have been flexible & not take down by some society experiment gone haywire. that doesn't make em great , its just that the whole flexibility dynamic thing clicked for them, but again that came at cost , it camas a result of a religious/ social renaissance. The tradionality of Madvadi's is beautiful ( Madvadi Dressup, the shadi's , the food, the whole family thing), but if it becomes a reason to be fundamentalist/orthodox defy to change ( eveyone has to evlove , no one has a choice, its the rule of the nature, In what manner it depends on you, With Ease or with struggle it depends on you) might just kill the whole essence.

    But I geuss its gotta do more with the geography of indore than its people. MP has been the literarily backward places, even though it has quiet a decent Educational Infra, though not taken & marketed carefully anyhow fundamental societies in cities like Jabalpur & Bhopal might have attributed to what Indore is now.

    - Indore even had a stock exchange once
    - Choithram hospital was one of the first places to have cancer treatment Nuclear Camera's in - The country, I know cause My Dad was working on it.
    - The mills in Indore had an excellent array of computing machines in india considering that era.
    - It even has some Nuclear research facility.
    - It has a IIM but I don't think it has any radical influence on the society anyways.

    What I think need to be done in Indore is :
    - Unbaised Education. Good Education Infrastructure.
    - Culture/Heritage Marketing.
    - Irradication of Fundamentalist/Orthodox Forces.
    - Status Of Metropolitan.
    - Perservance Of Heritage.
    - Aforestation To Restore Green ( Pollution in Indore Is Killing )
    - Improvement & Standarisation ( Planned ) Infrstructure, More Of Township than some isolated multi storey apparmtents.

    To add a bit more I think the whole thing can be taken in stride in more sport spirited manner accepted atleast for validation of truth. Why is there so ademant not to change, not to listen to what someone says, do some soul searching & be truhtfull to your self rather than telling the world we are perfect we are so good, we are the best, let the world make an opinion , empower yourself to be the best so that others say it rather than you yourself boasting about about your greatness, which actually may be not true. As far as India is concerned nobody says Delhi & mumbai & ... represent India... the context of the whole discussion was can Indor Be Another true cosmopolitan metropolitan city or not.

    No one would actually justify orthodoxy/fundamentalism what ever it may be in religion, culture, business, technology being stagnant in name of tradation.Think for your childeren , generations ahead are they gonna praise the decisions you making right now or are they gonna curse you. Be visionary enough to see where you'll be 10 -20 years from now rather than where you are now. Accept Evolution Gracefully.

    I wish Indore was the same place I knew or perhaps interpreted it was as a kid.

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  28. hey rashmi
    it was kewl method of converting your daily experiences &grievance agnst your ppl &town in a funky way ,anway if india still didnt had that type perspective saas,we would have crossed the western genre of bahu's &babi's &i appreciate the town of indore for its betterness than my place hyderabad, is like kuch bhi dho hazam karloonga,whatever you want you can put into it &they accpet it without soching abt its affect.

    i appreciate budha baby's thoughts hhow conditionally he/she explains the need of the time,but the thing we got to know is what may come we have to be flexi to it but not bend to that stage that we forgot our age old traditions,they have been well designed to fit our lives &give us niche over others.i think i bluttered a lot
    bye cya

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  29. Bull shit arguments. some dumb ass lucky and god knows how many more asses have contributed to this lady's horrific mindset and lil knowldge is always dangerous.. and gets to disastrous propositions if u try a resarch thesis on a subject your GPA has been anything but average...

    "adjal gagri chalkat jaye"

    Bekar ke log hamare shahr ke baare mein resrach kar jaye.. ha ha.. cmon gimme a break..

    no hard feelings, but dont really appreciate my home town being called all the stuff which it really aint it.. and just FYI indore has a mall,three mc'donald's, 3 multiplexes, baristas,ccd's,jefferies,3 pubs, pvr's,inox's,globus, lee and levis show rooms along with reebok, nike , adidas, pizza hut never came to indore. right.. go take a hike now

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  30. Hey ...
    whatever anybody says i love indore ...i am from delhi but studied in indore for my grad/post grad and ended up marrying an 'Indori'... Indore is the place in the world where i wanna live ..everycity has pros and cons but i somehow see more pros in indore than any other city

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  31. Any of you who needs more information about indore city may visit the best portal of indore - www.indore360.com

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  32. hi rashmi...
    may be u r thnking tht u had done agrt job through ur critics..bt let me remind u its very easy to abuse ten to apriciate..ok nw tell me wht u hav contributed in ur city..did wearing jeans nt wearing bidis makes a city modern..it wasnt u it was the sys which hd groomed it n u simply lived in it...abt money y saving is bad n y one shud follow ur atitude ki kya fark padhta hi pizza 100 ka ho ya 200 ka...u hav ur stile of living they had there...yaar tum to ji nahi pati hogi ye soch soch ke mai kaha hun america kaha hai wo nude ghum rahe hain mi kapdo mai...wo dollors khrch kar rahe hain mai 1000 kya yaar mai kitni giri hui hun..bapre this thought may be horrifying fr u...n wht abt ur cellphones ur laptops ur life stile nething does tht resemble america..shit man nothing..n ofcourse ur food same chicken same panneer how boaring it shud be pork(pig) in my meal so ten i can be called bade log frm bade desh...kahe ko yaar apne hi desh ko badnaam kar rahe ho..dusre ko nicha dikahne se pahale khud bhi niche..ho dekh lia karo..aur ye jo standards hain tumhare chote bade ke tum tak hi rakho..kahi aur analysis karo jaha koi sense nikle yaha mat karo..aur han apni mother in law ke aage jo thikh lage so wo phnana jitna lage utna pahanna aur na lage to na sahi..bhai aap bade shahr ki hain..malls mai ja skti hain...paisa khrch kr skti hain...kuch bhi kar skti hain..keep urself cntroled else there r mny ho cn lose there out of ur cntrol..
    bbye
    tkcr

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  33. n dear face the reality by deleting comments u cnt change the thing.. be a sport...jb tum likhke logo ko padhwa skti ho to log bhi likhke tumhe aur sbko pdhwa skte hain..

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  34. I really don't know why are people getting so defensive about being from small towns? I have never been to indore, but could identify with what she said beause my in laws live in another baniya dominated small town jaipur. I like that fact that rashmi is a feminist but don't think she is prejudiced. All she has said is that small towns don't offer women that much choice. Bindi, saree or in fact any thing else is cool as long as its not forced upon you. Maadonna was never forced to wear a bindi, now was she? The problem in a lot of small towns is that women can't do what they want to because they or their families fear "log kya kahenge?" The anonymity and fast pace of life of a big town on the other hand offers that freedom. Often in many baniya families a daughter in law isn't given a choice in terms of her attire, more so in small towns. Though the laid back pace of life and relative safety are advantages that small towns do offer. All rashmi wrote about were her own impressions...and a lot of small town people often lament about the fast pace of life, lack of safety and coldness and insenstivity of a big city as well...it's nothing to get offended about...they are facts just as the conservative attitude of small towns is fact!
    Loved your blog rashmi

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