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Delhi A City Of Believers With A Difference

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by HariLakhera, Aug 16, 2019.

  1. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    DELHI A CITY OF BELIEVERS WITH A DIFFERENCE

    Some of us Delhites are believers with a difference.

    1. We believe in the maxims that if you have it, flaunt it. We live in the Political Capital of the country and everybody is somebody here and you are not somebody you do not belong to this city of ‘carpet beggars'. We drop names at the drop of anybody's hat. ‘Don't you know me?', ‘Don't you know who my father is?', ‘Phone lagaoon kya? (Shall I call my contact)?' We use all such phrases whenever caught up in any wrongdoing. We are power brokers and can fix anything.

    2. We believe in settling our scores by equal opposite reaction starting with fistfights to pulling out the gun. We have proved to the whole country in particular and the world at large that we do not keep issues pending. We believe in instant justice, justice to ourselves. We do not hesitate to pull the gun and kill the toll booth attendant because he asked for Rs 27/- as toll tax. You would like to call it ‘road rage' but we call it ‘right of way'.

    3. We believe in showing off. Our penchant for showing off is reflected in our huge wedding pandals, big cars, and farmhouses. Above all what use having money if it cannot serve you? We do not mind firing guns when we get high and care a hoot as to who is injured or killed.

    4. We believe that women are an object of pleasure. If we like someone we want to have her and that is all. Our youths have exhibited it in many ways: teasing, kidnapping, raping in movies cars and even killing. We have made some 100 localities in Delhi not safe for women as also confirmed by the Police.

    5. We believe that we belong to Delhi but Delhi does not belong to us. Like many other Delhites, we came here from other places. Those of us, who came from the other side of the western border after partition in 1947, have seen bad days and today through the hard work we have achieved tremendous success in trade and business. We have every right to party hard too. However, we make sure that we are seen with the right people at a party. To quote Suhel Seth:

    “ In Mumbai, the people you invite are normally the people you care about, and then you keep inviting them for the rest of their (and hopefully your) life. Whereas in Delhi, they follow the Telephone Directory syndrome; keep changing the list based on who is becoming more important. The worst sufferers are retired bureaucrats: one day they are Lords, and immediately on retirement, they are treated (and told) as paupers

    In Mumbai, people talk to you at parties. In Delhi, they look but rarely talk –they look over your shoulder to see who's coming and how relevant that person is. In Mumbai they look you up and down, in Delhi they keep looking up because they know the tragedies that abound beneath. So the next time you feel you are being used as a crutch, knock your head and you will realize you are in some Delhi party."


    6. We- rich, neo-rich and not so rich, believe that though we are in minority as against the vast majority of poor Delhites. We believe that this majority should elect some of us as their representatives to think about their good if we feel necessary. Charity begins at home and once elected it is but natural that we recover our expenses and make our future secure.

    7. We believe that no sacrifice is big enough when it comes to getting our work done. It includes buttering, sycophancy, opportunism, bribes, backbiting, kidnapping, killing and what have you. The important thing is the bottom line- the end and not the means.

    8. We believe that we have the best physical features. Above we are the descendants of the Aryans. We are fair in color, tall and handsome. We are the original metrosexuals. Our women are hot and sexy but that does not give the upper hand. We oblige them by marrying provided their parents can afford our dowry demands. Here we do not believe in partiality even if the girl belongs to our people. If we are blamed for dowry-related killings, it is only because people do not understand the business of marriage.

    9. We believe that Delhi is India and India is Delhi. Everybody south of Vindhyachal is Madrasi. Mongolian faced eople from some North Eastern States have strange social norms. Their women are of loose morals and therefore can be teased or bashed.

    10. We also believe in ‘Shakti’ the Goddess of power, namely Vaishno Devi. Every year we visit the Shrine and pray to the Deity to grant us Dharma(Righteousness) Arth (Material), Kama (Contentment) and Moksha (Enlightenment). We do Jagaran (Nightlong worship of Shakti) with great pomp and show. We employ professional Bhajan singers and keep the loudspeakers at full volume for the whole night. Nobody dares to complain because they know we are engaged in Dharmik (religious) activities.

    We believe in so many other things but that is for some other time. Fortunately, the majority of Delhiites do not believe in all the above. I am one of them. This is called ‘apane muh miya mithu' (patting your own back) but then modesty is not the virtue of the majority. By Mata's grace, I have a little bit of Dharma, Artha, and the Kama. It is said that paying a visit to religious shrines and taking a dip in the Holy river cleans you of all the sins you might have knowingly or unknowingly, willingly or unwillingly committed thus far in your life. I do not know if Moksha is possible in this life.
     
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  2. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    This is when I lived in Delhi. Now I am in Memphis, USA. I hope you will enjoy it anyways.
     
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  3. Sandyr46

    Sandyr46 Gold IL'ite

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    Frankly I never liked Delhi and after the Nirbhaya incident I decided to write off this city for good and am glad I did that !
     
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  4. Balajee

    Balajee IL Hall of Fame

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    In Delhi even cops don't take a chance with people who violate the law, particularly the traffic cops. Heaven knows who is connected with whom. Our car still has stickers for entry into defence ministry and other restricted areas as my wife was working there. Once my daughter jumped the red light and a cop came rushing to her, saw the outdated sticker and waved off the car! .

    I don t know about Bombay parties but my experience in Delhi is people who can't tell you from Adam come and talk to us. Who knows who is a prospective big shot in the corridors of power!

    Yes, while Delhi weddings pale in grandeur when it comes to say, an Ambani wedding, They are loud, garish and obscenely obese.

    And yes, Delhi is a dangerous city. Last year one guest at a restaurant shot another who was served before him.
     
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  5. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    I have lived in Delhi for almost 30 years in total and 20 years at a stretch. I have seen the various shades of Delhi. These are some of the negative shades. There are as many positive shades. Delhi to a great extent is a city of migrants. People from all over India and the world live here. There have been occasional conflicts but mostly there is harmony. There is a bit of Punjabi culture and neo rich syndrome but at the same time Punjabis are known for their helping nature. The city is crowded but not as crowded as other capitals in the world. There is 24 hours power supply now. The Metro covers almost all parts of the city. The city particularly the residential colonies developed by DDA are neat and clean and there are parks all around.
     
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  6. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    Delhi is surrounded by people with hot heads -Haryana and Western UP. These areas have gained much by the growth of Delhi and NCR. Land costs have skyrocketed and the farmers of yesteryears never thought of the richness coming to them so fast. They were initially at loss to figure out what to do with that money, as it happens in such cases. Now they have become wiser and know that money once spent does not come back and they no more are land owners.
    Having said that, I still love the city. It has given me so much.
     
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  7. Sandyr46

    Sandyr46 Gold IL'ite

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    Maybe. I still feel a lot safer in Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai even a couple of cities in Kerala must say. I would rather stay away from Delhi.
     
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  8. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    I guess there really was a very bad experience. I have lived in Mumbai and consider it the most safe city for ladies.
     
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  9. shyamala1234

    shyamala1234 Platinum IL'ite

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    We lived in Delhi for some years. Never been a part of political circles. Otherwise I like Delhi...especially New Delhi. Punjabis are jovial. They live well, eat well and keep their homes beautiful.
    Syamala
     
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  10. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    Any city in India is always mixed bag irrespective of Ravana or Rama or Krishna at the helm - I should say.
    2. See the headlines and various columns in regional newspaper which would vouchsafe for my views and opinions.
    3. In Delhi - New Delhi roads are wide. Carrot halwa dryfruits in winter is too good. Sardarji or and punjabi hefty and tall - make south Indians from kerala, Chennai and other places look dwarfed.
    5. Seeing me taking bath In winter too daily - punjabi landlady astonished . Instead of sesame oil, I was using regular bath soap which gave me terrible irritations at odd spots at odd times in office. Friend suggested stop using soap in winter.
    6. Curd never formed overnight. It took few days despite covering the vessel with winter clothing. Curd at ajmal Khan road expensive.
    Transport worst. Rickety.
    6. No civic sense by drivers. Traffic violations galore.
    7. After buying new scooter, first time with spouse as pillion went for first time in the morning joy-ride around 7 via buddha jayanthi park. After few hours heard navyman's kids two were kidnapped and murdered over there. Terrible.
    8. In 1976 New Delhi was 4 times costlier than madras and twice costly than Bombay.
    9. My Bombay Hindi was laughed at, as they spoke chaste Hindi and I struggled with masculine feminine gender while constructing sentences and speaking hindi .
    I lost blue arabesque shawl of my spouse in minibus pusa road in that misty 7 O'CLOCK morning narrated in the thread
    3s-spouse, Shawl & Sister-in-law
    Thanks and regards.
     
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2019
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