India, May 11 -- When Chandigarh was envisioned by Le Corbusier and his team in the 1950s, it was meant to embody a vision of organised, humane living-free from the chaotic sprawl of older Indian cities. Yet seventy years later, the city's ongoing issues with informal settlements, and their recent demolition, reveal the persistent gap between idealistic planning and the messy, evolving realities of how cities actually grow.

In recent weeks, Chandigarh witnessed a wave of demolitions targeting slum clusters, particularly in Sector 25 and parts of Dhanas. The drive, undertaken by local authorities following high court orders, displaced hundreds of families. The situation calls for an analytical look-at planning intentions, legal mandates, ...