The New Normal, Central Vista & CARE!
StateOfDelhi.in was quiet for quite a while. With so much distress around – satire is not what people look forward to so this blogger decided to shut up as times were not normal. Then suddenly today in the afternoon our man AK said that we have to learn to live with the given situation. The abnormal is the new normal – so one peeped out of the cocoon!
Delhi has this long history of being destroyed and then being rebuilt. If you are a believer, then Delhi used to be Indraprastha – the capital of Pandavas. There are also claims that Indraprastha was a city of significance of the Mauryan empire. Don’t be surprised if some samosa-seller in Delhi claims that his ancestors sent made-to-order samosas to the courts of Ashoka. There are no limits to the ingenuity of Dilliwalahs.
Delhi is actually a city of cities. Now if one is allowed to extend that rationale then one can call Lutyens Delhi as one of the cities within the city of Delhi competing with Mehrauli, Siri, Tughluqabad etc. And these cities and Delhi per se have been crushed, looted, and rebuilt many times over in the past. So why are people surprised if significant structures of Lutyens Delhi are brought down under that grand plan called the ‘Central Vista Project’? So why so much noise? And what’s Rs 20,000 crores for such a project? And why should the government or the PM have a change of heart just because there’s this tiny virus threatening lives? The two are mutually exclusive events – as mutually exclusive as demonetization was to the decline of Indian economy. And they are not touching Khan Market, so take it easy Dilliwalahs!
Talking of the PM – one desperately needs to understand why is PM CARES Fund (Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund), has been named the way it is. Ordinary citizens such as you and me put in our money to the Fund to help our fellow citizens who are in a situation of sorts and yet it is the PM who ‘cares’ and not us! And doesn’t this make the PM look like the mutual fund manager except that the mutual fund guys know a bit or two about what they are doing. Or at least they used to!
By the way, do you know what you are doing? Confused and yet cocky (that’s a true-blue-blood Dilliwalah for you), Dilliwalahs surely know what they are doing – they are gaining knowledge. Webinar after webinar – they are all watching everyone and anyone who is offering gyan. The only break they took was on the day AK opened up the liquour outlets. And mind you that night every Dilliwalah was ready with content for a webinar of his or her own except that no one was surfing – it is a trifle difficult to do that with a glass in one hand and namkeen in the other!
StateOfDelhi Suggests: Stay home. Stay safe. And make your own samsosas – and laugh a little at your inadequacies!
Interesting observations, and with the desired spice and flavor of Giraj! It’s a common knowledge and prudence that what should be the priorities of the government at this critical juncture…Hope senses prevail over
It has been an experience in itself to stay home, eat home and of course work from home. Dilliwallahs have their own character and the city is silent without the most common one liner, tum jante nahi mera baap kaun hai, at the drop of the proverbial hat aka problem!!
The rulers of Delhi gave great importance to traders and business people. Business people were invited to set up shop in Chandni Chowk by the Mughals. They knew that economic prosperity was necessary for political and military success.
It is a measure of our times and political thinking that we opened wine and liquor shops before we could open other businesses.
Another gem from Giraj sir ! He impresses with his consistent line and length of bowling with a deliberate faster or a slower-one to surprise us from time to time.
Just to add to his wonderful delivery a small thought about an average Delhite in the following lines, Cheers !
There is a little spring in the walk of Delhites ever since they have discovered that they are significantly contributing to coffers of the state Government by stepping over each other to get their favourite brands of Daru .
They it seems are suddenly feeling humbled by the realisation that they may have survived the sudden prohibition imposed on them by the government, on the other hand, the government itself was gasping for breath because the tipplers were not consuming the tipple.
Perhaps after the lockdown the Delhi government will allow people to enjoy their drinks officially in the open spaces, the Metro and ofcourse turn a blind eye towards the practice of CAR-O-BAR a very popular practice ,which was pronounced illegal a while ago.
Brilliant Dhanajay – you get the pulse right!
This Central Vista Project is going to be the biggest blunder of the Modi Govt . One of the most graceful places ever created will be wiped off by the jokers and tall glass structures will replace the ever graceful buildings of the sarkari architecture which had a purpose to accommodate the Sarkari Tantra of that era. You can renovate them from inside to make it more functional as per the needs of today. One thing I am not able to gather ” when there are no fresh posts created in the Govt. system , everything is outsourced then why there is a dearth of space in these buildings .
As always, write up is racy, pacy, cheeky and spicy perfectly in sync with the present issues and times. Cheers!!
Thoroughly enjoyed reading through you Blog Giraj ! Your tongue n cheek fluidity has a confluence with my thoughts. That’s where we meet…
Remembering History from school days and moving on it dawned on me that only the winners-survivors wrote the History Books, but the untold beautiful story and zest to survive shall remain buried under the Monuments of Archaeological Survey of India. The last and lost voices of the dead people who gave this masterpiece city to us and allowed us the courage to Dare and Dream. I completely am in tandem with you that we need to spend in keeping the true essence of the Delhi’s Dil living inside the ‘Central Vista Project’. Change is absolutely fine as long as it is connected with the emotive umbilical chord of our memories. What is finally of relevance is weather the PM- CARES or NOT…..we do….for Delhi…
Waiting to see Dilliwalah’s once lockdown is over-what would be the new norm -?
Waiting giraj for your next blog . ?