Sammendrag
This thesis looks at the historically segregated city of Pondicherry. Once a symbol of French colonial power, the small urban area of city was divided into “White Town” and “Tamil Town” in order to maintain political and economic control – thus dividing its population. The creation and maintenance of identity in contemporary Pondicherry is linked to belonging and the use of urban space – further juxtaposed by certain ethnic stereotypes and expectations towards “us” and “them”. By expanding upon the historic background of colonial Pondicherry – this thesis aims to understand how the identities of Franco and Tamil Pondicherriens interact with urban space, each other and the defined roles superimposed on other members of urban Pondicherry. In order to better understand the creation of a divided Pondicherry, this thesis works with the segregated urban structure of Pondicherry in a historic context, before entering and exploring the contemporary urban spaces within its city limits – and discussing the contrasting anticipations regarding future heritage preservation and development in Pondicherry. This will serve as a canvas to better understand how divided cities are created and maintained.