Many will remember with gratitude Laurie Baker and his contributions to the concept of “budget houses”, but much of it is unknown to the present generation (“ >Laurie Baker: the man, his work and his tales ”, ‘Open Page’, May 5). The question, “Where is India, mother?” and the answer, “Oh somewhere far away, across the seas,” may be all too familiar in several Indian families abroad and the present day ‘hybrid’ Indian youth who only wait to leave India in order to learn about it! On the other hand, here was an icon who chose to discover India. My only regret is that the openness of Laurie Baker who said, “one need not plan a house to last for more than 50 years” made me sceptical about the strength of a Baker construction. Instead, I opted for a traditional, ‘modern’ house.
M.G. Warrier,
Thiruvananthapuram
