They call it hot, I call it warm.
They call it crowd, I call it a party.
They call them brats, I call them brothers.
They call it bad, I call it bliss.
They call it traffic, I call it festival.
They call it dirty, I call it dressed.
They call it a sinner, I call it a saint.
They call it a barren, I call it loam.
They call it Delhi, I call it home.
NEW DELHI! It is.
Okay I admit. These are not my words but a forward I got like ages back and with which I fell in love. So I saved it. But I don’t really agree with it TOTALLY. And the only reason that made me not fall for such a masterpiece completely is the pre-COMMONWEALTH GAMES scenario.
Commonwealth games. A matter of pride and honor for every Indian. It surely is.
But this commonwealth is not only revolutionizing Delhi, oops New Delhi but making it more of some NEW-new Delhi. And something that I won’t be surprised of after the games is the government changing its name to NEWEST -New Delhi or whatever.
Basically, what got me thinking is that this place, our capital is changing so freaking quickly. To be precise, I haven’t seen Delhi changing so rapidly in last 20 years of my life (though I don’t remember all of it, still.) than in the last one year.
In snap of months, not the roads, but the routes have changed. COMPLETELY. It almost took me hours to get to a place and to realize how I’ve reached this place, where I used to be wandering about with my eyes closed, easily (Not literally though). I was disappointed.
It’s not only the routes or the roads; it’s so much more to it. The rupee has finally got a symbol, a very beautiful and traditional one, one that defines India perfectly. But again, why now? Why not earlier, like 10 years back? Or 5 years back? Everything was same; except the deadline for commonwealth games. I would say human nature. We dress up only when somebody is coming over or we are going out but when we are home, we all love your pajamas’.
But then our country should be dressed all the time. Don’t you all think? Just for us and not to please some athletes who will supposedly like Delhi or India only in the TV interviews and blab about it negatively when they go back to their homes.
This commonwealth, I agree is making India more global, but at what cost? Rising daily commodity prices? Making it more difficult for the lower class people to afford their bread for the day? Hiking the taxes? Increasing the price of everything? To put it straight, making the gap between the upper class and lower class people wide enough only for the government to play in between.
I’m not detesting the games, neither I’m against the growth, but I’m seriously finding this whole putting up thing nerve-wrecking. If it’s to be beautified, why not do it permanently? There is no need of such temporary changes, new constructions, changing roads, symbols, everything, just for a 15 day game period. I might be sounding so negative, and deep down I also know that all of this is for us, our future, a pretty one. But the only thing that is ticking me in my mind constantly is “WHY NOW? WHY NOT EARLIER?” Just.
Now as my sister read it, she imagined me debating and fighting over this topic. Weird she is. Nonetheless, my best friend, my best critic too. And honestly, I’m not fighting, or debating, or shouting at the top of my pitch, but just writing down what I’ve been felling lately, about this place, which I call HOME.
To just summarize the idea of Commonwealth games, as per me: it is taking up the COMMON man’s WEALTH to play GAMES with it. Ah! Anyway, I think I should just rest my inner voice which hates the government, a little more than much. And with a hope that someday, it won’t be about any *angrez* but only us, I’m going to start liking the common-wealth-ly consequences and planning’s. I hope.
P.S. love Delhi (or New Delhi). I always did. Will always do.
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