On liberty and suchlike

Hi,

I'll skip the irony in being 'forced' to post on a blog meant for a bunch of 'libertarians'. :) But I guess it's a good way of getting to know the externs. So hello externs, and hello people sitting across the room.

I'm Nikhil, and I'm doing my primary research project with Pascal, who's a hardcore libertarian from France who thinks blogs are a part of a global communist conspiracy and therefore doesn't fancy posting anything.

Our project is on how individuals can offer solutions in the provision of low cost housing to the urban poor. So far we've done quite a bit of reading on what sort of policies the Delhi govt. has implemented in this regard, and where they've failed. We've also talked to a prominent Architect & Urbanist who helped us understand the problems in the way cities have been planned in India, and the various drawbacks in the policies that aimed to provide housing for the urban poor, such as housing them in resettlement colonies. We've also visited a slum nearby to get a first hand perspective into life in a slum. We've also talked to people from NGOs who've worked in slums and with the urban poor in general. In the coming weeks we hope to visit more slums in areas around Delhi, and also visit the Slum and JJ Department at the MCD.

My other project is.... well... I'll get back to you on that.

In Liberty,
Nikhil