Talking Shop: India’s New Home-Truth

“People who advocate

simplicity have money in

the bank. The money came

first, not the simplicity…”

—Douglas Coupland

The Gods have been kind enough to spare me from Coupland’s edict, for I have neither any real money nor a good man’s true simplicity. I have been left hanging somewhere in between on both fronts. And believe me, in today’s day and times, that is nothing short of a miracle, a divine blessing, for I have been sprung from the charlatan’s curse—that of salivating each time I am peppered with the enticement of pristine villas in the hills or beachfront cabanas, cool winds or lapping waves keeping me company while I take my morning stroll, steaming cuppa in hand and a faithful dog ambling along, bushwhacking everything in sight. That dream-like privilege is best left for the modern-day ‘Upper Middle Class’ to enjoy and bask in. I would just rather focus on the average Joe and Jane in my land who are living on dole-outs, facing near penury.

The gap between the haves and the have-nots has never been wider than it is today. A cause for angst and pain is the fact that it is openly visible for everyone to see. A source of consternation and frustration is the fact that those who are seeing this are casting a blind eye, choosing to focus on what the evening holds in the way of festivities and what the morrow will bring in, in the way of further embellishments to an already gluttonous life. Worst of all is that those who can make a difference and narrow this chasm are choosing to focus their energies and largesse elsewhere—fluttering flags on parapets, counterfeit and fatuous goals on tables or gaudy embossment on clothes—making things viler and dreadful for those lacking the material means.

Sudden, strange take-off

There is a sudden, discernible and explosive take-off in the offers of ultra-luxury second-home options for those who may deign to delve in bawdy indulgences. The offers are as evocative as they are provocative, begging the burning question—today, with most daily essentials falling a hapless prey to price hikes and inflationary pressures, how many have the wherewithal or the inclination to dip into such extravagance? Apparently, quite a few, if we go by the sheer number of projects out there. There are thousands upon thousands of properties up for grabs in the hills of Northern India or on our beaches, be it farmhouses, villas, cabanas or plain-vanilla flats, spread across the breadth and visage of our mountains and along our vast coastline.

Himachal Pradesh offers properties in Shimla, Mashobra, Kasauli, Naldehra, Solan, Tirthan, Jibhi, Banjar, Sainj, Tattapani and Kullu-Manali. Move towards Uttarakhand and you can choose from Nainital, Almora, Bhimtal, Bhowali, Ranikhet, Dehradun, Mukteshwar, Mussoorie, Dhanaulti, Chamoli, Munsyari and Chakrata. For those who want to be close to the hills but not on them, there are Banjar, Mandi, Sundernagar, Swarghat, Bilaspur, Joshimath, Ramnagar, Pantnagar, Corbett Park and Kaladhungi to choose from. And if it is beachfront properties that are your thing, Goa is not far, and neither are Kovalam, Marari, Alibaug, Varkala, Sindhudurg, Calangute, Sinquerim, Salcete, Arpora, Baga, Vasco-da-gama and Candolim. Mind you, this is just the beginning of a long-winding list of options up for grabs.

Very painful comedown

Let us forget fancy getaways, focussing instead on those being targeted by sellers. Not only are prospective buyers in a mighty mess, the properties they already own and live in in metropolitan India are too. Incomes have dwindled in a slowing economy and unemployment rates are at all-time highs, ensuring that maintenance and upkeep of existing properties are not high on the priority list. Lower or no salaries means EMI pressure and distress sales. Add in the builder-authorities nexus that allowed sub-standard construction and we have high-rise condos that are falling apart. Scores of ‘completed’ residential projects have been termed ‘sub-standard’ and are being refurbished by courts and navratnas. ‘Rescued and revived’ projects are being demolished as they are dangerous to live in, with antsy compensation being provided. Ironically, this is a large part of the ‘sudden wealth’ being targeted by today’s luxury villa- and cabana-sellers.

Another trait being milked hard is human frailty and aspiration. Builders and sellers, having got a whiff of fortune from the ‘Work from Home’ culture that COVID-19 brought in are going all out to woo prospective buyers, even though ‘Work from Office’ is back. India’s aspirational class, having conquered the suburbs that dot our metropolises—clubs, pubs, restaurants et al—now face the proverbial dangling carrot; a home away from home. Hills and beaches are easy sells to them, a desperate class trying to hang on to its once-blatantly-paraded veneer of ‘plenty’. The truly rich don’t advertise it and quietly go about the business of running a life-riot, but distress-sellers are still making a heady show of the “I am off to my house in the hills” syndrome.

Troubles thus abound

A boom that just isn’t thus continues to play out. Paradoxically, it is causing trouble from the environmental perspective too, with beaches getting filthier and mountains slithering and caving in under people pressure. Sure, there is some respite for the local people in these ‘new destinations’, with earnings rising due to increased demand from the descending city-people. It is a temporary breather, though, for this mindless over-exploitation of fragile natural resources will eventually kill the bride who brought in the dowry. That, however, is tomorrow’s story. A country that is seeing over 81 crore people being provided free food-grain to have their next meal is, for the moment, worried only about today. The middle class, caught in a flux due to suddenly depleted fortunes, is willing to go anywhere to tide over today. Kal ka kal dekhenge (‘let’s survive today and worry tomorrow about tomorrow’) is the new Indian ‘my villa’ norm.

At the end of the day, some philosophy to get your goat… The poor often dream of having the dinner table of the rich, whereas the only dinner table anyone needs, rich or poor, is one with dinner on it. In that vein, let’s remember what John Brunner said: “After all (is stated and done), the rich get richer and the poor get children. Which is okay, so long as lots of them starve in (their) infancy.” Let’s chew on that and eat it too, if we can, for that is one facet of life that all of us know, but few choose to do anything about. Life is everything but fair, isn’t it?

The writer is a veteran journalist and communications specialist. He can be reached on narayanrajeev2006@gmail.com. Views expressed are personal