Why mammals fly and Rafale does not
All that fuss over the redevelopment of some zones of South Delhi took an interesting turn – a hilarious one at that. Law mandates that all environment clearance reports for such projects should accommodate not just the flora and fauna but also animals and birds found in the specified area. It seems that the report for Nauroji Nagar has monkeys, cats, cows and dogs under the ‘List of common birds’ found in this region! Seems that those behind the reports did not play ‘chidiya urdh, totah urdh‘ as kids. They now have a good enough reason to take their parents (and their community at large) to court seeking compensation for a deprived childhood! With the courts being so benevolent these days – the officials stand a good chance to be heard.
It is not just the monkeys, cats and dogs who aren’t flying (no! we won’t risk talking of cows) – it seems those Rafale machines aren’t flying in the Indian airspace anytime soon too. What’s flying is crap and it is all over the place. It has become a classic case of claims, counter-claims, denials, half-truths, hidden agendas, hidden deals. In all this cacophony – our man AK became simply inaudible and invisible (stuff that this blog feeds on – our staple diet). Not one to let limelight bypass him (and disappoint us), he has opened up anther front claiming that the draft amendment to Electricity Act, 2003 proposed by the BJP-led government is aimed to benefit power companies close to Modi. The ‘suit-boot ki sarkar‘ slogan has suddenly started to gain currency and from different quarters. But then Delhi being Delhi – everything seemed inconsequential to the Dilliwalahsin light of the Supreme Court’s verdict on adultery. The social media was abuzz with the consequences (and privileges) that suddenly accrue to Dilliwalahs in light of this landmark judgment. Environmentalists, Rafale deal-makers, suited-booted community with friends in high places can take a walk – Dilliwalahs now have some more pressing things to figure out.
StateOfDelhi Suggests: Talking of suit-boot – let’s take you to a boot-maker who makes hand-crafted shoes – a tradition that’s being followed by his enterprise since 1955. Nestled in a cluster of government flats at D Block, Moti Bagh is Basrurkar Market. This is a typical NDMC market with a post office, a sweet shop (that sells more of Chinese food), chemists selling medicines for pets (plus for sapiens) and a couple of electronics shops among a block of groceries sellers. On the opposite side of this quaint, laid-back market is Bholu Ram’s Om Boot House. They excel in made-to-order, hand-crafted shoes and apparently the shop is quite popular with the expats (the vast expanse of Chanakyapuri next door anyways belongs to the firangis). So this autumn – venture out to Moti Bagh’s Basrurkar Market and walk tall in Bholu Ram’s boots (Warning: You won’t be able to hurl these nice pairs at politicians though).
