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TRAVELOGUE: ROAD TRIP: BELGIUM AND THE NETHERLANDS

July 3, 2025article, travel, travelogue, Uncategorizedamedia hotel, amsterdam, atomium, belgium, brussels, canal cruise, canals, dakota aeroplane, europe, european union, france, grand place, kamlesh tripathi, lovers canal cruise, madurodam, mannekin pis statue, michele, netherlands, paris, rangoli restaurant, road trip.Belgium, shravan charity mission, the netherlands, town hall, travel, valenciennes, windmillsshravancharitymission

We departed from the hotel at 8:00 am after a sumptuous continental breakfast. Soon, our coach was navigating the wide and shimmering roads of France. Today, we were to travel from Paris to Brussels, the capital of Belgium and also the capital of the European Union. From there, we were to proceed to the Netherlands. We realised Europe was so unique. We had breakfast in France, lunch was in Belgium, and dinner was in the Netherlands. It took us three and a half hours from Paris to Brussels. The drive was picturesque, with the ever-changing green landscape and flowing rivers. Notably, there was no honking. The drivers in Europe were disciplined and maintained their lanes, a truly commendable trait.

Our coach driver, Michele, hailed from Italy. As we drove along, we passed both small and large villages, each neatly maintained and typically featuring a church tower. The verdant surroundings and the occasional river added charm to the journey. Before Belgium, we stopped to enjoy a hearty lunch at the Wonders Restaurant.

After lunch, we visited the city centre of Brussels, known as the Grand Place. It is a beautiful square that houses the Town Hall, several Gilded Age buildings, and a circular monument. A popular landmark here is the Mannekin Pis Statue, also known as the ‘Peeing Boy Statue’, located right in the heart of the square. According to an old folktale, it holds historical significance and continues to attract visitors from all over. The square was bustling with shoppers and tourists. We made the most of the vibrant atmosphere, capturing several photographs and enjoying delicious ice cream.

By 4:00 pm, we departed for our next attraction, the Atomium. It took about an hour to get there. The Atomium is a striking historical monument, built in 1957, featuring nine massive spheres connected by 21 tubes. It represents an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times and is considered a national icon of Belgium. It was another excellent photo opportunity, steeped in architectural and scientific heritage.

After visiting the Atomium, we resumed our journey to Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. From Brussels we crossed over to Valenciennes, a border town in France and then circled back to Antwerp, a town in Belgium, well-known for its diamond market. In and around Antwerp, we saw many windmills, canals, lakes, and quaint village houses. My spouse and I were thrilled to witness this exquisite blend of nature and culture. Finally, we entered the Netherlands via the Hazeldonk, on the Belgium-Netherlands border and then reached the town of Breda and then Amsterdam. Our dinner was at an Indian restaurant called ‘Bollywood’, located in Amsterdam. After enjoying a good meal, we checked into the Amedia Hotel, Amsterdam by 9:00 pm, ready to rest for the night.

After a refreshing night, local sightseeing was to follow in Amsterdam during the day. Later, our group was scheduled to travel to Germany the same day. But first, at 9:00 am, we set out to visit Madurodam, a miniature park in Amsterdam, often called ‘Mini Amsterdam.’

After a refreshing night, local sightseeing was to follow in Amsterdam during the day. Later, or group was scheduled to travel to Germany the same day. But first, at 9:00 am, we set out to visit Madurodam, a miniature park in Amsterdam, often called ‘Mini Amsterdam.’

There was so much to see in the park. The landscaping was phenomenal, and the level of detailing in the miniature replicas was truly mind-blowing. Whoever designed the park must have been a genius. Among the many attractions, there was a fascinating 3D flight simulation inside a stationary Dakota aeroplane, complete with realistic sound effects.

There was so much to photograph there, like the verdant garden with miniature canals, boats, luxury liners and the drawbridges that lifted when the toy ships passed through. It was a real delight not only for children but even adults. The landscaping was just awesome with miniature hills, forests, rural homes, and the modelling of canals, windmills, and rural houses was amazing. The souvenir shops within the park were so well laid out and with so much merchandise that it could have tempted anyone to buy in droves. As noon approached, we were supposed to leave the park for lunch, but on that day, our appointed Guru Restaurant caught fire, and we were accommodated in Rangoli Restaurant instead. It’s so nice to see Indian cuisine reaching the nooks and corners of Europe, but you need to book it in advance because the capacities are still low. The change of venue turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The Rangoli Restaurant was just a five-minute walk from the Lovers Canal Cruise Station, so we were able to meet our schedule. We reached the Restaurant at 1:00 pm. After a quick bite, we were on the Lovers Canal Cruise for a boat ride at 1.45 pm. The canals reminded me of the last scene (a motorboat chase) of Alistair Maclean’s famous movie ‘The Puppet on a Chain.’ It was truly the best of both worlds, a satisfying Indian lunch and a relaxing canal cruise through one of Europe’s most beautiful cities.

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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Travelogue: Road Trip: Belgium And The Netherlands

June 27, 2025article, storytelling, travel, travelogue, Uncategorizedamsterdam, atomium, belgium, breda, brussels, europe, european union, france, hazeldonk, kamlesh tripathi, madurodam, manneken pis statue, michele, mini amsterdam, netherlands, paris, peeing boy statue, shravan charity mission, travelshravancharitymission

After lunch, we visited the city centre of Brussels, known as the Grand Place. It is a beautiful square that houses the Town Hall, several Gilded Age buildings, and a circular monument. A popular landmark here is the Manneken Pis Statue, also known as the ‘Peeing Boy Statue’, located right in the heart of the square. According to an old folktale, it holds historical significance and continues to attract visitors from all over. The square was bustling with shoppers and tourists. We made the most of the vibrant atmosphere, capturing several photographs and enjoying delicious ice cream.

Madurodam Park offers a fantastic overview of Dutch architecture and culture, all recreated in miniature. Amsterdam is known as the city of bicycles, canals, and rivers. It draws parallels to Venice in some ways, and gets its water from the North Sea. We entered the park at 9:45 am and were to stay there until noon.

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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SWITZERLAND … TICKET TO MOUNT TITLIS

June 26, 2025city, travel, travelogue, Uncategorizedkamlesh tripathi, mount titlis, shravan charity mission, switzerland, travel, travelogueshravancharitymission

Don’t miss Mount Titlis while in Switzerland.

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INTERESTING FACTS: BULLET TRAIN SHINKANSEN

June 16, 2025article, column, Uncategorizedahmedabad, asia, bullet train, china, clusters, japan, kamlesh tripathi, mumbai, osaka, shinkansen, shravan charity mission, tokyo, travel, zhengzhoushravancharitymission

60 YEARS AGO, SHINKANSEN BLAZED A TRAIL. INDIA SHOULD BE A BULLET TRAIN NATION TOO.
BY INVITATION: KYLE CHAN

    Sixty years ago, on October 1, 1964, the Shinkansen set off from Tokyo to Osaka, marking a new era of rail travel. It’s hard to believe that when the project was proposed, there were protests over land acquisition, concern over cost and whether it was really needed in an era in which air travel was being democratised.
    Similar debates are now happening in India around its 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail corridor. But there are many arguments to be made in favour of a bullet train nation. Decades of rapid economic growth have strained India’s venerable railway system. Highways and roads seem to be filled with traffic congestion no matter how many new lanes are added. A rising middle class has propelled India’s aviation market to third in the world by passenger volume, projected to reach 500m per year by 2030. There is clearly demand for fast, long-distance travel. And there are millions of Indians willing and able to pay for it.
    A nationwide network connecting India’s largest cities at speeds of 300 km/h or more would transform the country. One could zip from Delhi to Mumbai in under five hours or from Bengaluru to Hyderabad in just over two. In China, bullet trains have been so successful that airlines have stopped flying between some cities, such as Zhengzhou and Xi’an. Even for longer distances where flying might be slightly faster, bullet trains are often preferred for their punctuality, comfort, and reduced hassle at the station. Bullet trains, though more energy-intensive than conventional trains, are a much more energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable way for the most populous nation on earth to travel than airplanes and cars.
    The benefits of a single high-speed rail line to individual passengers are obvious: faster connections, convenience, and reliability. But the benefits to the entire nation of a whole network of high-speed rail lines, though harder to quantify, can be far more profound. Existing research suggests China’s nationwide bullet train network improves innovation and work collaboration through greater face-to-face interactions. Regional clusters of cities and their surrounding areas can be turned into a single commuting zone, improving job opportunities for workers. Imagine a Hyderabad-Bengaluru-Chennai high-tech cluster connected by bullet trains. And high-speed rail, like conventional railways, benefits from network effects where each additional line improves the value of other existing lines.
    But what about the cost? The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train’s revised cost is Rs 1.65 lakh crore, which equates to roughly Rs 325 crore per km. While this may seem like a hefty sum, there are some things to keep in mind. One is that the entire railway network needs a massive expansion anyway. Bullet trains can help free up existing track, particularly for freight trains, which was a key motivation behind China’s bullet train program.
    (FAST TRACK: HIGH SPEED RAIL DOESN’T JUST BENEFIT PASSENGERS, IT IMPROVES JOB OPPORTUNITIES BY CONNECTING CLUSTERS)
    Another is that the railways are competing with air and road transportation. While improving existing rail infrastructure might seem like a more cost-effective option, there are limits to how far the present system can be pushed. Conventional track can only support trains operating up to certain speeds due to technical limitations. And running both slow and fast trains on the same tracks severely limits the speed of the fastest trains and causes delays. A slightly faster but still frequently delayed train journey will not be enough to win over passengers from aviation and road transport. A true bullet train service will.
    There are some ways to deal with the cost. One is through standardisation and scale. China created a set of technical and procedural standards that helped lower the cost of each new high-speed rail project. It also deliberately used the scale of its program to incentivise investment in production capacity by suppliers and construction firms. Another way to address costs is, paradoxically, to make use of elevated tracks, bridges and tunnels. This is a strategy that Japan and China both used. While direct construction costs are higher; it reduces problems with land acquisition, which is a prime cause of delays and cost escalations. This approach also helps with safety by keeping track separate from the surrounding environment.
Can a national bullet train network even be built in India? Absolutely. Indian Railways has made tremendous progress in electrification, gauge conversion, and line doubling. The Vande Bharat semi-high-speed trains are a triumph of Indian engineering and manufacturing. The massive Dedicated Freight Corridor, which consists of 2,843-km of new freight rail lines, is nearly complete. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train, for all its delays and problems, has now finished land acquisition. And don’t forget about the many metros popping up across the country.
Finally, are bullet trains just a luxury for the rich? It depends on how the fares are set. In China, many migrant workers can afford to take bullet trains between their work and their hometowns. Even if fares are set too low to return a profit, as is the case for many lines in China, this is more than acceptable. A national bullet train network is an investment in India’s economic and environmental future.

(Chan is a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University)
The Times of India 6/10/24

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POEM: MONSOON MELODIES

June 13, 2025poem, POETRY, Uncategorizedbooks, clouds, downpour, drip and drop, gardens, kamlesh tripathi, mellifluous, monsoon, photography, poem, poetry, rainfall, shravancharitymission, travel, writingshravancharitymission

MONSOON MELODIES

“The vibrant monsoon is a bonanza that revives the flora and fauna. Each drip and drop of rain feels like manna, falling from heaven and breathing life into Planet Earth.”

When the clouds occupy the sky,

And the day becomes overcast,

When the raindrops begin to fall,

My mind slips into a flashback.

When the downpour turns generous,

The world begins to hum in mellifluous,

The gardens swell with spirited life,

And streets flush clear, washed of strife.

The trees stand rinsed and tall,

Leaves shimmer in the rainfall,

Flowers beam their brightest hue,

The air feels clean, the world feels new.

My flashback swells and opens wide,

Revealing the joy I once kept inside,

The cool breeze brushes against my skin,

With the gentle warmth of life within.

The rainy day,

Pulls me out of my hideout,

For once,

Outside appears to be better than the inside.

In the slush and storm, I start my stride,

No longer wishing to hide,

The atmosphere becomes soothing,

When each moment becomes moving.

While sitting on the park bench,

I notice the droplet that lands on the shining leaf,

It remains there for a brief,

And then starts rolling down the leaf,

Taking with it all the heat.

The scourge of global warming,

Momentarily cools under the heavy downpour,

But the Hydra-Headed Monster,

Will soon rise, fears Mother Earth.

Life transforms and becomes mellifluent,
Thoughts become benevolent,
The air, though soaked, feels light and delirious,
Each moment is sweetly reminiscent.

The beauty of life sleeps in off time,

It awakens when the monsoon arrives,

It dresses up when the showers go by,

So enjoy the rain, the biggest gift to mankind.

“Monsoons give renewed life to Planet Earth. Typically, we don’t attach much importance to them. But can you imagine life on Planet Earth without the drip and drop of Rain?”

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AUSTRALIA BRIDGE CLIMB

June 11, 2025storytelling, travel, travelogue, Uncategorizedaustralia, bridge climb, kamlesh tripathi, shravan charity mission, sydney, travelshravancharitymission

BRIDGECLIMB SYDNEY– Don’t miss it if you happen to be in sydney.

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INTERESTING FACTS: GREAT NICOBAR ISLAND … SHOMPEN TRIBE

June 6, 2025Uncategorizedbiodiversity, climate change, environment, nature, travelshravancharitymission

REMEMBER THE ISLAND, THE TRIBE & NATURE (14/10/24 THE TIMES OF INDIA REPORT) GREAT NICOBAR PROJECT BOTH IMPEDE SHOMPEN’S STATUTORY RIGHTS AND END ISLAND BIODIVERSITY BY BKP SINHA & ARVIND JUMAR JHA

Deep within the Great Nicobar Island forests live the Shompen tribe, classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG). Traditionally hunter-gatherers, their lives revolve around forests, rivers and wildlife, their diet a range of forest foods, wild animals and crops such as pandanus lemon, and colocasia. Recognising the significance of preserving their right to life and livelihood, the 1991 amendment to the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, despite enforcing a nationwide ban on hunting, safeguarded Shompen’s traditional hunting rights, specified in the A&N administration’s notification of April 28, 1967.

TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE: Surveys on Shompen show their lifestyle, rites, rituals and practices are linked intricately to the natural world, forming a unique repository of traditional knowledge systems. In their social structure, the community is supreme and family, the smallest unit, their economy subsistence-based. Indian Journal of Medical Research, in its March 2024 publication, documented that the Shompen tribe have a robust ethnomedicine system that uses resources from the wild. This indicates the richness of biodiversity as well as the uniqueness of their indigenous knowledge.

LANDS LOST, HEALTH RUINED– An area of 1044.5 sq km was declared a reserve for these indigenous people in 1957. This gradually shrank to 853.2 sq km with encroachment by outsiders, despite protective measures under the A&N (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956. Significant influx since 1969 was exacerbated by the construction of a 43 km East-West Road through Shompen territory, also impacting their cultural fabric. While the population of outsiders grew steadily, the number of Shompen fluctuated: 131 in 1991, 398 in 2001, and 229 in 2011. Their nomadic and hunter-gatherer lifestyle, combined with an aversion to external interference, is cited as a major reason for these fluctuations. Destruction of habitat is undermining Shompen’s local health tradition. The nutritional mix provided by wild foods (fruits, tubers, honey, fish, and game) has deteriorated. Shompen’s health and nutrition survey 2024 showed chronic undernutrition. High stunting rates were observed in 63% of children; 33% of children were underweight.

LEGALLY PROTECTED– The Scheduled Tribes and Other Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, familiarly known as FRA, defines the community tenures of habitat and habitation as a ‘forest right’. It favours primitive tribal groups and pre-agricultural communities. For Shompen, their habitat is the space where their bioculturally evolved life and traditional institutions coexist. Shaped over centuries, their habitat has nurtured a unique lifestyle, livelihood system, culture, economy, and worldview. Sections 3(1)(e) and 4(1) of FRA, in particular, provide for the recognition of habitat rights of forest-dwelling STs like the Shompen. FRA also facilitates their recognition by defining hamlets as a ‘village’. Further, a gram sabha that initiates the recognition process can consist of a village’s all adult members, rather than voters. Accordingly, processing of ‘habitat rights’ cases as well as those of access to biodiversity, intellectual property and traditional knowledge, was easily possible.

SAFEGUARDS DILUTED– Per the tribal affairs ministry website, FRA implementation in A&N Islands has been limited to setting up committees and organising awareness programmes. Instituting a state-level monitoring committee and training of officials hasn’t been done. While it says Shompen have rights under the A&N (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956, in the tribal reserve notified as reserve forests & protected forest reserve, a Jan 2022 report, for the first time, enters a ‘Nil’ figure under progress to date. Thus, their forest rights and Shompen’s opportunity at empowerment under FRA Section 5 are disregarded. The ‘Nil’ figure also makes their gram sabhas virtually inconsequential in future diversions of their habitat.

THEN THE CONSTRUCTION — Compounding these issues is the looming threat posed by the Great Nicobar Island (GNI) Project. Valued at Rs 72k cr, the project includes a port, a greenfield airport, and other infrastructure constructions. The project deserved stricter scrutiny of environmental and FRA compliance, poised as it is to severely impact Shompen’s already fragile habitat. The project area overlaps with a UNESCO biosphere reserve, nesting grounds for leatherback turtles, habitat of the vulnerable Nicobar megapode, and CRZ 1A areas (ecologically sensitive areas part of the Coastal Regulation Zone, which regulates industrial activity near coastlines). The proposed felling of an estimated 1mn trees puts at risk both the Shompen and the island’s biodiversity.

RECOGNISE THEIR RIGHTS — Unless Shompen’s statutory rights are recognised and adequately protected, any action with such adverse impact on their habitat amounts to a gross injustice. Consequences could be catastrophic, potentially rendering the Shompen as ‘ecological refugees’, just like the Pardhi tribe after the total ban on hunting in 1991. Historical precedents should serve as stark reminders of the perils of disregarding indigenous peoples’ rights and conservation practices. Shompen’s survival and prosperity require an inclusive approach that respects their rights and protects their habitat while acknowledging the importance of the island’s ecological uniqueness. Destruction of their habitat and pressures of large-scale development demand urgent action to recognise Shompen’s statutory rights and preserve pristine natural resources.

(Sinha is a former principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), UP. Jha is a former PCCF & commissioner (tribal department), Maharashtra.

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INTERESTING FACTS: INDIA MUST GIVE TAIWAN A HELPING HAND

June 2, 2025article, Uncategorizedbeijing, bhutan, china, japan, kamlesh tripathi, photography, shravan charity mission, south china sea, taiwan, travel, xi jinpingshravancharitymission

TIMES OF INDIA 18.1.22 : INDIA MUST GIVE TAIWAN A HELPING HAND BY BRAHMA CHELLANEY

    After swallowing Hong Kong, redrawing the South China Sea’s geopolitical map and encroaching on Indian and Bhutanese borderlands, an expansionist China is itching to move on Taiwan. This island democracy is a technological powerhouse central to the international semiconductor business. Taiwan also plays an indirect role in the defence of India because its autonomous existence ties up a sizable portion of China’s armed forces.
     CHINA’S EXAGGERATED CLAIMS
    Beijing’s claim that Taiwan has “always been” part of China is dubious, at best, and based on revisionist history. For most of its history, Taiwan was inhabited by Malayo-Polynesian tribes and had no ties with China until the island’s Dutch colonial rulers in the 17th century invited Chinese workers to emigrate. In that sense, Taiwan is closer to the Philippines than China.
    The world cannot afford to let Taiwan go the way of the once-autonomous Tibet, which was gobbled up by the Mao Zedong’s regime in the early 1950s. Tibet’s annexation remains one of the most far-reaching geopolitical developments in post-World War II history, which resulted in China imposing itself as India’s neighbour and waging unending aggression.
    Today, Taiwan has all the attributes of a robust independent state, and most Taiwanese want it to stay that way. But China’s new Mao, Xi Jingping, calls the island’s incorporation a “historic mission”. Xi is working to implement the expansionist agenda that Mao left unfinished, which explains why he has not spared even tiny Bhutan.
    In the way a porcupine’s quills protect it from larger predators by making it difficult to digest, Taiwan needs to create porcupine-like defences with weapons like anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles. By turning a Chinese invasion into a bloody and protracted guerrilla campaign, a porcupine Taiwan would inflict high costs on China, including major military casualties.
     CREATING INTERNATIONAL SPACE
    But no less important than bolstering its defences is Taiwan’s imperative to carve out greater international space for itself. If Taiwan gains greater presence on the global stage, it will be able to shore up its status as a defacto nation, making it more difficult for China to seize the island in the way it occupied Tibet and Xinjiang soon after coming under communist rule in 1949. The then-independent Tibet, for example, should have applied for United Nations membership shortly after that international body came into existence in 1945, but it never did.
    China, as a step towards annexing Taiwan, is working to wipe out its international identity by bribing countries to break off diplomatic ties with Taipei and by vetoing Taiwan’s presence even in international forums. Its poaching has left only 13 nations and the Vatican is still recognising Taiwan.
    But recently, China has been forced to eat humble pie by a puny nation. Lithuania, with just 18,500 active military personnel, has set an example for bigger countries on how to stand up to the global Goliath’s bullying. Undeterred by China’s sanctions campaign against it, Lithuania has allowed Taiwan to open a de facto embassy. With some other European states- from the Czech Republic and Poland to Slovakia – already seeking to deepen ties with Taiwan, Lithuania indeed promises to serve as a bellwether of sorts.
    THE INDIA CONNECT
    India, locked in several military standoffs with China, needs to think and act creatively, including helping Taiwan by learning from its historical mistake on Tibet. When China invaded Tibet in 1950, India opposed Tibet’s desperate plea for a UN discussion before acquiescing in the Chinese annexation of the buffer, including withdrawing its military escorts from Tibet and handing over Tibet’s postal, telegraph and telephone services that it was running.
    If Taiwan is not to go Tibet’s way, India must do its part to help Taiwan reinforce its defences and self-governing status. India must follow the lead of Japan and the US in strengthening ties with Taipei. And it should emulate the example set by minnow Lithuania and allow Taiwan to rename its “Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre” in New Delhi as the “Taiwanese Representative Office”, while rebranding its own mission in Taipei as the “India Representative Office”.
Make no mistake: Taiwan is on the frontline of international defence against Xi’s totalitarianism and expansionism, which have spawned a Muslim gulag Xinjiang, brutal repression in Tibet and Himalayan aggression. Major democracies must act before it becomes too late to save Taiwan, a democratic success story. If China succeeds in recolonising Taiwan, India’s security will come under greater pressure.
(The writer is a professor of strategic studies, Centre for Policy Research)
Times of India 18/1/22

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AUSTRALIA: THE RIVERBOAT POSTMAN

May 31, 2025article, travel, travelogue, Uncategorizedaustralia, kamlesh tripathi, shravan charity mission, story, the riverboat postman, travelshravancharitymission

This is a place worth visiting.

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INTERESTING FACTS: OLD AND NEW DELHI: A COMPARISON

May 28, 2025article, city, Uncategorizedart, charpoy, chashme buddoor, connaught circus, connaught place, deer park, delhi, food, gurgaon, india, jamnapar, kamlesh tripathi, karol bagh, moongphali, noida, poetry, sanjay gandhi, shravan charity mission, travelshravancharitymission

BIGGER, MESSIER DELHI STILL HAS ITS ARMS WIDE OPEN

…. DELHI IS A RARE CITY WITH A LONG PAST BUT NO HANKERING TO TIE ITSELF DOWN TO IT. WHETHER IT’S PEOPLE OR SPACES, IT ABSORBS THEM ALL WITHOUT RESERVE

Delhi changed for me forever one day in the mid-1980s when a friend took me with him to the site where he was planning to buy a flat. There wasn’t much to see. The large tracts of nothingness, which became what we know today as Vasant Kunj, had no redeeming features. What was astonishing to me, however, was that when I looked towards Delhi, between me and the city stood the visage of Qutub Minar. That there could be a Delhi beyond Qutub Minar was something that made no sense to me. For in my imagination, it was pretty much at the very edge of the city. After all, that was a time when I remember going on a picnic in a bus with family friends to the exotic destination called Deer Park, far from our residence in Karol Bagh.
.         The Delhi that resides permanently in my mind is a cross between the city shown in Chashme Buddoor (the original, not the ghastly remake) and Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye. On the one hand, there are memories of wide open roads, a time scented with languidness, glorious winter mornings, neighbourhoods basking in leafy silence, and on the other hand, the untidy energy, the hustle, the ability to live loudly and publicly, and friends called Lovely, Pinky, Tinkle, Kuki and OK.
    The biggest change Delhi has seen is physical. It has burst out of its seams in all directions and has colonised spaces around it. It began with the conquest of Jamnapaar, which started out as a relocation drive of ‘unauthorised settlements’ under the watch of Sanjay Gandhi, but then took on a life of its own. Noida and Gurgaon are now cities in their own right, with their own cultural imprints, while drawing liberally from the mother ship.
    There are many more cars and there is a lot more money, which gives Delhi more mediums to express itself in. Delhi traffic nips at the heels of those in front, ready to kill to gain an inch of space. The murderous intent is expressed first in sound, achieved by honking persistently, and then sometimes followed by action, as evidenced by the number of road rage incidents. The money is visible everywhere – the old colony markets that continue to thrive, lavish weddings at farmhouses, crowds at high-end restaurants, and homes that overflow with decor.
    Perhaps the biggest loss is that of the Delhi winter. Delhi’s best, most glorious feature is now shrouded in noxious pollution that hangs like a foreboding and stings like regret. The joy of the outdoors, the enlivening experience of bone-chilling cold being thawed out by the sun as one sat on a charpoy and ate rewari and moongphali, basking for several glorious hours, is now an alleged memory, so far removed it has become. Winters are the time now to start muttering about migrating out of the city, while anxiously looking out for an AQI reading that tells us it is safe to step out of the home for a short walk.
    There are other losses, too. The cinema theatres, which served as a practical guide to different localities in the city, included Plaza, Odeon, Regal, and Rivoli in CP; Golcha, Novelty, Ritz, Delite, and Moti, which marked out Old Delhi; and Anupam, Savitri, Sapna, and the infamous Uphaar, which dotted areas of South Delhi. Some of these theatres remain, some have been refurbished, while others lie in dilapidated disuse. Nirula’s exists, but it is hard to believe it was at the cultural heart of Delhi’s upper-middle-class youth once. The classic Delhi restaurants – Kwality, Embassy, Moti Mahal and Gaylord- are still around, but their role today is to serve as nostalgic artefacts. One goes there to savour the memory of a Delhi that once was. And while street food in Delhi continues to be as delicious, the famous names are now tourist spots more than unselfconscious, humble eating places.
    And yet, while Delhi has changed in so many ways, at its core, it feels the same. The life that one leads today is poles apart from one’s experiences growing up, but the idea of Delhi has not shown much change. It still lives fiercely in the present and remains unmindful of the history it is set smack in the middle of. Contrary to its popular image, Delhi is India’s only genuinely cosmopolitan city, in that only a small fraction of its residents can claim to be originally from the city. Everyone is a stranger, and everyone is in the city as a user. Delhi hones our appetite, keeps our competitive edge intact and gives us many opportunities to advertise our success. It might have sprawled in ungainly ways in the last few decades and become even louder and shinier, but there is nothing unrecognisable about Delhi.

(WRITTEN BY SANTOSH DESAI. TOI COLUMNIST AND AUTHOR)
TIMES OF INDIA ARTICLE 12.9.21

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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