Tomorrow is a big day for a nation that worships cricket. Most cities and towns will be under cricket curfew, all roads will lead to Ahmedabad, and all eyes trained on what’s happening inside the Narendra Modi Stadium. For Amdavadis, it is an extended Diwali celebration and a badge of honour like no other.
Ahmedabad has gotten the world’s attention — and not just owing to all the cricket matches it has hosted over the past few years. In the past decade, it has climbed the charts of the ‘must-visit cities’ category in India for multiple reasons. The city has transformed, developed, prospered — and evolved. But evolved (or rather changed) into what?
Luxury cars with loud music swerving around every corner, bikers performing stunts, accidents occurring due to overspeeding vehicles, and narcotics being seized are the new norm in Ahmedabad. For a city that took pride in ‘being safe’ for men and women equally, at any hour of the day or night, these appear to be alarming trends.
When my home changed
Let me add a disclaimer here: For me, Ahmedabad is home.
I keep going back to my city almost every other month, like I always have since I moved out in 2008. But the changes, not just in the infrastructure and outlook of the city, but also in the perception and priorities of residents, have never been so visible. Most of the recently developed parts of Ahmedabad are photocopies of Gurugram from the early 2000s. Tall concrete buildings have taken over the skyline of the city, several ‘party plots’ have been transformed into food courts that witness a steady footfall till 4 AM, and big cars are (somehow) navigating narrow lanes.
Ahmedabad now has a new definition for almost everything. No, it’s not just the addition of cheese to anything edible and the birth of ‘Oreo Pakoda’. The numerous magnanimous cafes at SBR or Sindhu Bhavan Road have replaced Ram Bhai’s humble tea stall outside IIM Ahmedabad as the new hangout hub. There is a new generation of what I call ‘ARG’ (Ahmedabad Resident Gujaratis). They are young, well-travelled, have the purchasing power and time, exhibit new money flex, and aspire to have a life in a metro. They buy luxury cars, shop in Dubai, and wear/drive/flaunt what they own at the weekly farmhouse party. It is no surprise then that Ahmedabad tops the list in the purchase of luxury cars in Gujarat, which has seen three high-end vehicles being bought every two days in the last five years.
Also read: Indore is now a city of surplus: Porsche, Kulhad pizza, tandoori cold coffee, palace…
‘Gurgaonisation of Ahmedabad’
The city is expanding, horizontally as well as vertically, and is the largest contributor to the Rs 3.17 lakh crore worth of projects launched in Gujarat in the past four years. Don’t get me wrong here, I have no problem with the development, influx of wealth, or more options to dine at. In fact, rapid improvement in infrastructure, better public transport, and constant real estate demands have also ensured ample growth for the city.
But I believe there is an issue when open spaces start disappearing rapidly, parking spaces shrink, drunk driving cases are reported often (mind you, in a dry state), and luxury cars and SUVs cost lives on rather wide roads. The July 2023 incident of a speeding Jaguar crashing into a crowd and leaving nine dead is one among the many spine-chilling incidents of road rash that the city has witnessed. From aspiring to have a life similar to the one in a metro city, Amdavadis seem to have aped a handful of things.
What is more baffling is the possible reason behind this ‘Gurgaonisation of Ahmedabad’ over the past decade. Unlike other Tier-I and Tier-II cities, Ahmedabad has always been a hub of industries. In its early years, textiles, and now, pharma and automobiles. It has had a steady flow of migrants and workers and boasts of some of the most prestigious educational institutes in the country. I meet many people who came to Ahmedabad and fell in love with the calm and ‘no-nonsense’ attitude the city had to offer. From ‘Apnu Amdavad’ (Our Ahmedabad), it has almost become ‘Koi Nu Amdavad’ (Someone’s Ahmedabad).
Views are personal.
(Edited by Humra Laeeq)