A tale of two cities : Mumbai and Delhi

Born and brought up in Delhi I, would not leave it for anything in the world.

Mumbai seems much better than Delhi, because here people have not yet become apathetic and insensitive to others. Some semblance of empathy and considerateness still exists here. No doubt it is a difficult city to survive in, considering the travelling time involved, the mixed hues of varying cultures and religions coexisting in this mad city, the chawls amidst the mansions, it is only mad, not insane like Delhi. Mumbai is definitely more beautiful, more cosmopolitan and better mannered than Delhi. Businessmen do business like business, not the wheeling-dealing which Delhi businessmen often resort to. Delhi businessmen are known to be unreliable, wily and prone to cheating. In fact they wouldnt even trust themselves! No Gujarati or Maharashtrian likes to do business with a Delhi businessman for these reasons. In the "capital" Delhi, the Guardians of law (including the police) are not free from this all-pervasive system of manipulation cheating and corruption and we, Delhi-ites are the hapless stoic observers of this state of affairs!

On the one hand Delhi-ites profess to worship the female deity-Devi Mata, and simultaneously top the world in constituting the Rape capital of the world. Leave aside girls and women, even children, both boys and girls, are not spared here. No one feels safe in Delhi, after 7 PM. One is saddened to live in Delhi, but it is unavoidable. Comparatively Mumbai is safer for women and there they get the respect and privacy they rightfully deserve! Sex-starved people of Delhi consider it their right to ogle any woman from 16 to 60, apart from their own kith and kin. When their own kith and kin gets eve-teased, then they go mad with anger. What horrible hypocrites, Delhi-ites have become. Conscience is sadly, a dead duck in Delhi and Delhi has become a city of "living corpses", who go through the motions without feeling anything. It is only during elections that Delhi comes alive to the beat of lying politicians, only to return to its state of  living corpses again. Delhi is a curious mix of Punjabis, South Indians, immigrants and a host of other categories, but all have become equally de-sensitised to any human and humane feelings.

Traffic snarls of Delhi are something to be seen to be believed. While driving in Delhi Traffic, its a crazy impetuous race, and let the other person be damned. Or even killed ! Better killed ! Thats how inhuman we have become. While marrying in Delhi, one has to show off what one is not, and gift at least a good high-end car  in a daughter's marriage. The marriage must be hugely opulent, expensive and maharaja-style, since Show-Value is valued more than intrinsic value. Lavish should be the description. Even after all this financial strain, pain and effort in the marriage, the newly wed bride is liable to be burnt alive by greedy in-laws who are hungry for much more !  The only language respected here is the language of money. Even Black Money is enormously respected here. The only people who feel safe are the police, politicians, and the property-dealers in sparkling white shirts and white pants. Alarmingly toxic pollution levels, highly corrupt governmental machinery, impure water and air, disrespect towards one-and-all, and generally poor living conditions mark the Delhi of today.

The Life-line of Delhi, the Yamuna river is now just a smelly drain, polluted by ashes of the cremated, garlands and other religious stuff. Delhi's dirty drinking water leaves everyone, especially tourists with gastro-enteritis. Early risers and morning-walkers are greeted with mosquitoes, flies and polluted air as they step out at 6 AM for some "healthy" morning exercise. First-time visitors to the grand historic city of Delhi are greeted with mountains of stinking garbage on all entry points whether they arrive by road or rail. Preserved monuments like Humayun's Tomb and Qutub Minar too are regularly littered with plastic, bottles, bags, and  garbage. Earlier invaders ravished and ravaged Delhi nine times, now we Delhi-ites are doing the same to its environment, culture and ethos. Rich pompous pests from Punjab, Hooligans from Haryana and Goons from Ghaziabad have entered Delhi and made it their home..In Parliament sessions, the MPs make a mockery of the established legislative system by behaving like illiterate goons. Goondas and gun-men rule the city, today.  Lutyen's Delhi is sadly a Luti-Hui Delhi now, probably no longer fit to represent India as its capital.

Mumbai on the other hand is relatively honest, and a taxi-wallah still gets satisfied with twenty two rupees only, without haggling for two hundred like Delhi. In Delhi the Taxiwallahs and Autowallahs fleece the visitors with no limit to their greed. That is if they spare the female customers from their unbridled lust. Mumbai is already the financial and business capital of the country, and considering it is more educated emancipated and erudite it can easily represent as the capital of Emerging India.

Born and brought up in Dirty Deplorable Dangerous Decadent Delhi, I am however still under its hypnotic spell, and would not leave it for anything in the world.