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India’s Reality Behind the G20 Curtain
- Vanisha Krishnani
- Oct 31, 2023
- 4 min read
Source: India Today
On 1st December 2022, India assumed the G20 presidency. The Group of 20 (G20) is an organisation of significant and renowned nations such as the United States, Russia, Germany, Japan, and many more. The G20 meetings aim to foster the development of the global economy by promoting regional development in nations individually. Although India promoted the development of economies globally, it masked its underdeveloped aspects and flaws, whilst hosting these dignitaries. The realities of cities such as Mumbai and Delhi were concealed when these cities had the prestige of hosting the G20 meetings.
Let’s shed light on Mumbai, the financial capital of India, which lies in Maharashtra, a state in the Western region of the country. Mumbai is a beautiful city that offers a heap of potential, it is renowned for its mesmerising beaches, iconic landmarks, vast markets, towering buildings, and last but not least, its gargantuan slum regions. The reality of Mumbai is not just its refined posh buildings and markets but also the poverty, which is deeply entrenched within the city. This reality of the city was veiled in December 2022 by giant green sheets strung across large bamboo poles and white billboards (Independent UK, 2022). White curtains and barricades were also placed along the Western Express Highway (WEH). Massive cleanliness drives were organised in Mumbai, citizens claimed that such drives were never witnessed before. This masking of the city by its municipal corporation was referred to as ‘beautification drives’.
This beautification drive was also implemented in Delhi, the capital city of the country. On the 9th and 10th of September, 2023, Delhi had the privilege of hosting dignitaries, Presidents, and Prime Ministers from around the globe for the G20 Summit. The authorities in Delhi had brought in special dewatering trucks from Ahmedabad in case of rains and chances of waterlogging transpiring. These trucks were parked at Pragati Maidan and Raj Ghat, the locations wherein the G20 events were hosted. These dewatering trucks are a symbol of great technological advancement whilst also being environmentally friendly (India Today, 2023). They would have been beneficial to the city during the floods it witnessed in July of 2023. Alas, that was not the case. A region by the name of Coolie Camp in the Vasant Vihar area of Delhi faced a veiling quite similar to the one in Mumbai slums. Coolie Camp is a residential region for the impoverished residents of the city who were camouflaged by green curtains for the G20 event. Roadside huts in the RK Puram area of Delhi were demolished (The Wire, 2023). However, according to the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check’s tweet, the infamous images of the national capital’s underdeveloped regions with green curtains are fake. They believe that these images do not belong to Delhi and are of Mumbai from December 2022. Despite the claims made by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), a multitude of Delhi residents, including Ashadevi from Coolie Camp herself, have not only witnessed this shrouding but have also found it distasteful.
Impoverished human beings and underdeveloped areas were not the sole aspects that required masking according to the authorities of the city. Dogs were also victims of this prestigious event. Thousands of stray dogs were rounded up by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in areas near Pragati Maidan and Raj Ghat. Stray dogs were captured using nets, tied with wires, and put in cages inside ambulances. There were videos circulated wherein the legs of dogs were tied and they were left in alleys, helpless and defenseless. The shelters they were put in temporarily did not provide them with adequate food, water, and shelter. There were also cutouts of langurs put throughout the city to frighten monkeys away from prime locations (Reuters, 2023).
The masking of poverty in the nation and the unwelcoming treatment of animals is not just unfair and inhuman but also hypocritical. The approach of the authorities towards these living beings also contrasts starkly with the theme of India’s G20 presidency which is “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”. This theme is derived from Maha Upanishad, an ancient Sanskrit scripture that translates to “One Earth, One Family, One Future”. Does our “One Earth” not consist of the impoverished and the animals, are they not in our “One Family”? The actions of the city’s authorities have also led to the arousal of questions such as why does development and cleanliness in cities occur only when we host chief guests from abroad? Why is the impoverished section of our society a cause of such embarrassment and shame to the nation that it needs to be hidden when significant dignitaries are hosted? Why is their condition neglected usually? Why are animals perceived as illegal residents of this nation and not as living beings whose home is also this nation as much as ours?
In conclusion, India's hosting of the G20 exposed a stark contradiction between its international image and the harsh realities faced by its marginalized citizens and animals. The practice of masking poverty and mistreating animals during prestigious events is not only unjust but also runs counter to the theme of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" – the idea of one Earth and one family. It prompts us to reflect on the priorities of development, cleanliness, and compassion, questioning why these issues are addressed selectively and not as part of a continuous effort towards a more inclusive and humane society.
References
Dasgupta, S. (2022, December 15). Mumbai slums covered up with sheets amid
G20 event: ‘They don’t want to show our homes to foreigners.’ Independent UK.
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Fadnavis, A; Dayal, S. (2023, September 8). After slums and monkeys, Delhi
removes stray dogs from streets as G20 nears. Reuters.
Howale, A.A. (2023, September 8). Life behind the curtain, or how Delhi’s poor see
G20 city. The Wire. https://thewire.in/rights/in-photos-life-behind-the-curtain-or-how-
Kunal, K. (2023, September 4). G20 Summit: Special trucks brought from
Ahmedabad to deal with waterlogging. India Today.
About the author: Meet Vanisha Krishnani, a voracious reader and a versatile writer. She’s driven by a keen interest in national politics, the US China trade war and is also quite fond of Indian mythology.
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