Spaces of becoming – Space shapes public and public (re)shapes their own spaces

Protests, conflicts & power dominance at Republic day Parade

Author(s): Vaishali Aggarwal

Abstract / Introduction (download full article at the bottom)

Fights over the ‘right to the city’ have emphasized the interests of the four main actors within the city development of India since the first cases of revolting social movements in Delhi. The four actors can be classified as the social movements, the public, media and the government. The case of India Gate in Delhi is illustrative not only of how the differences between the actors come into the surface but also of how these actors change their priorities, their stance and their tools, in order to secure their position in the city. Many scholars have analysed the role of social movements and how it evolves in the process.

But what about the role of government as an entity that is in between the interests of social movements, public and media? How and why do they change their stance when a movement takes place? What are its limitations? The India Gate case can give the answers to these questions, as it examines the multiple transformations of this space over time. This paper emphasizes on the idea of Space. How space shapes public and public (re)shape their own spaces. India gate. This space has been stuck between the idea of being a space or a branded space. It was assumed that media plays a prominent role in acting as a watchdog in democracies, but this paper looks at how media, if used rightfully, can be forced for a good in oppressive regimes and therefore, a vigilant and alert media can act as an external trigger or an emergency-wake up call for the youth of India to take the cause of freedom seriously.

Rightfully as put up by Ritish (2012), an external event or issue may allow for the manifestation of a flash fandom in the form of flash activism. Since, social movement’s needs mass media attention for amplification of their claims, the media also join the movements to create the news. Lastly, the consequences of the media coverage for social movements, in terms of organisation, reaching political change and obtaining favourable public opinion is comprehended in three different case studies.

Publication: ISOCARP Congress Proceedings, pp. 1416-1428
Year: 2019