How Modi failed the legacy that is Banaras

On July 16, the prime minister cancelled his trip to his constituency Banaras for the second time this year, because of the tragic death of a 20-year-old worker at the site of his planned rally. It's been over a year since Modi became prime minister with Banaras as his constituency. He has visited the city twice since being elected and cancelled two trips. He has made many promises, of developing the city as a smart city with Kyoto as a model, of preserving its ghats, culture and arts, and of supporting its artisans. All in all, though, little progress has been made towards the city's development as a functioning place to live on a very basic level, let alone as a heritage city or a city of the arts.

The developments in Banaras over the past two or three years include these: broken roads have been fixed, some roads have been expanded, traffic flow has been re-planned and traffic policemen positioned at busy crossings. New underground sewer pipes have been installed. Assi ghat has been cleaned up. A new programme for music and yoga has begun, each dawn by the river at Assi ghat, primarily to promote tourism. An ongoing music and dance festival called Ganga Mahotsav has been upscaled, made more showy.

These initiatives have all been undertaken by the state government and local leaders, not the PM. And although successful, they are arguably few, given the time span. But Banarasis are so unaccustomed to positive change in their city that the slightest instance brings disproportionate appreciation.

Local Banarasis like to say: the preparations leading up to the PM's planned visit on July 16 and his previous planned visit on June 28 showed the hypocrisy typical of our politicians and political system. Frantic, all-night cleaning was done over the few nights prior to both dates. Some of the city's dirtiest areas, such as the railway station and certain neighbourhoods, transformed overnight after remaining untouched, or at least looking untouched, for years. Hi-tech stages were erected (with parts brought in from Delhi and crores spent). Meanwhile, on the day itself, the city came to a standstill. Ordinary people suspended work and daily life, since so many roads were blocked for security that it was almost impossible to get anywhere. If you decided you wanted to keep working, you would be delayed for hours, so the wisest decided, and advised each other, to lie low and postpone urgent tasks.

It's quite clear that when the government actually wants to do something, it does happen. It's also quite clear that the PM has his mind on other things, and not really on preserving the collective heritage that is Banaras, nor building a model for smart, sustainable urban living, in any manner that is impactful and meaningful.

Successful models for heritage preservation and sustainable development abound in the world. If you really wanted to do it, you would. And you could and you should.