Monsoon for Dilliwalahs and other matters of soul

First there was the heat wave. Then came the rains. Dilliwalahs are now confused about what is worse – the summer heat or the monsoon showers. When they looked up to skies welcoming the monsoon clouds after the sweltering heat of a record-breaking summer season, little did they anticipate what was in store for them. All Nehru-era structures in the capital faced the wrath of the first monsoon showers.

The Terminal 1 of the Delhi airport had a roof collapse, something that Nehru had not foreseen. Terminal 1 is actually what used to be the only terminal building of the Delhi airport’s earlier avatar – Palam Airport. It is here that commercial operations were shifted from Safdarjung Airport in 1962 – a couple of years before Nehru passed away. So it seemed logical to put the blame on him, Airport Authority of India and its role in maintenance notwithstanding.  Another logical reason for absolving the government of this tragedy could be that the airport is named after Nehru’s daughter, Indira Gandhi.

Pragati Maidan was conceived during Nehru’s daughter’s tenure as the Prime Minister. She perhaps failed to foretell that one day India will host the G20 Summit and the entire complex will have to be reconstructed just about 52 years later. And as a part of that rebuilding exercise, a tunnel will be required to be built to allow for easy movement of traffic. Had she anticipated that, she would have instructed the engineers and architects of that era to ensure that there was sufficient provision for drainage of rain water. That she missed out on this could be attributed to inadequate parental guidance from Nehru. We are fortunate that the ruling party is not going ahead for a dharna at Nehru’s monument, Shantivana or else there would be more traffic snarls. This perhaps could be due to lesser number of MPs that the ruling dispensation has managed to get elected in the 2024 elections.

Next to Shantivana is Rajghat – the monument of Mahatma Gandhi. This is where one often finds our man AK and his troupe protesting and invoking the soul of the father of the nation. Speaking of soul, this blogger is very confused about the weight of the soul. The math simply doesn’t add up. Here’s an explanation. When our man AK was arrested, his people claimed that while his body may be in Tihar Jail – his soul is with the people of Delhi. Subsequently it was revealed that he had lost 3.5 Kg weight so one believed that weight of his soul is 3.5 Kg. That’s logical, no? He was then allowed to come out and campaign for the Lok Sabha polls. The soul and the body would have then become one. Then how come when he went back to jail his weight had dipped by 7 kg? How come the soul became so heavy? Whether it was introspection or guilt – one can never tell.

StateOfDelhi Suggests: Check Google Maps the next time it rains in Delhi and if you find there are no flooded tunnels or waterlogged roads, then head for one of the many roadside joints that specialize in making pakodas. Mercifully there is no dearth of such options in Delhi. While Nauroji Nagar Pakodewala is a clear favourite of Dilliwalahs, there are interesting options such as Pakode Ki Dukan and Ganesh Stall in Karol Bagh, Vinod Snacks and Sitaram in Lajpat Nagar, and New Vishal Corner at Nehru Place. There are multiple options available in Chandni Chowk too and one can sample pakodas there from just about any vendor or kiosk – all of these are good for your soul during rains.