Delhi is a city that has welcomed friends and foes with open
arms. A city where I have grown up witnessing the best culture, mannerisms and heritage. A city that boasts of its stories of brotherhood. Ask any second or third generation
Dilliwalla about the Delhi they have seen, and pat comes the reply – the city
that celebrated Id with as much fervour as Diwali, where adab was a
piece of jewellery every Dilliwalla wore with pride. I remember as kids, we
would walk down to India Gate late at night to savour an ice cream without any
fear. Evening drives meant so much fun as the old Fiat sailed through the
spacious roads of Lutyens Delhi.
Sadly, over the years, Delhi is losing its sheen that made it the
jewel in the crown called India. While it has become the epicentre of forever happening
political eruptions, the culture has also been cruelly eroded.
Flamboyant first generation billionaires with strong political
connections, zooming SUVs with loud, thumping music, zero patience on roads,
abusive language, intolerance at its best, licensed guns looking for petty
excuses to prove their mantle, crowds outnumbering the capacity almost
everywhere, women security at its worst…the list is endless and the hearts of
Delhites like me bleed as we see our city succumbing to cultural pollution.
Who does it or who instigates doesn’t matter anymore. People
who stay here are part of the family and as family members, we all ought to take
onus. It hurts to see the bad impressions the city holds with people
everywhere, of being polluted, rash and unsafe. Who makes it unsafe? It’s the people
among us. Everyone is in a race to be ahead, and in that race, we often miss
the basics – if we want peace, we gotta live in harmony, else the whole system
goes crackling. For, when there is dispute amongst the family members, the
neighbours enjoy the show!
Disappointed by the increasing cultural pollution in Delhi, I
have often been tempted to move to greener pastures. However, to avoid is to be
an escapist. I remember a scene from the movie Rang De Basanti, where a
determined Madhavan tells his dejected friends that it is easy to criticise and
abandon the house. But, it calls for courage and responsibility to clean up our
house. Being citizens of Delhi, it is our responsibility to remove the tarnish
and give it a cultural face lift.
When Delhites visiting elsewhere can follow the rules, why
dirty our own house? Let the beasts be chained behind and let the responsible
citizen in us take charge. Winning is not about outnumbering or outshining, it’s
about bringing a smile on faces. Enough of litter in our culture, its time
Dilliwallas do the cleanup act!
Your frustration is so clear there.
ReplyDeleteIt is painful when one starts feeling unsafe in one's own city.
One definitely feels dejected when their city is turning out to be totally opposite to what they had contemplated!
ReplyDeleteMust agree, Delhi is beautiful but the dirt and litter here and there is a disgrace. I visited their last year and fell in love with it. If only there was a little bit less pollution.
ReplyDeleteComing from someone who stays in Kerala.
But trust me, the condition of other cities are not that great too!
Beautiful argument dude. EVery city is facing the same problem. Hope it changes.
ReplyDelete