"KILLING" DELHI

It pains me no end to see my city being killed 'slowly, silently, softly'. And, all in the name of providing better infrastructure for (to) the people, by the people and of the people. And, of course for the "Common Wealth" games.

So, the era of flyover constructions are still on...my god its almost a decade since flyover started mushrooming all over delhi...work of Metro is on full swing...and, to top the latest addition is construction of multi-level car-parking.

South Delhi has taken the mazimum brunt...lavish wide roads cut down to almost single width ones, the tree-lined green covered roads has been uprooted to give it a barren look...pockets of jungles/open spaces have given way to multi-level car parking.

I felt my city being raped...its hot, dusty, serpentine traffic traffic queues moving at a snail pace, power cuts, cranes dotting the skyline...that soothing, plush feel of south delhi is history. And, therein have a point:

South Delhi, developed because of the Asian Games. Why cant the government instill life into Greater Noida when half of the infrastructure is already there. Why not develop Gurgaon?? Or for that matter Faridabad?? Why, cramp south delhi?? True, the government is building a new games village across the yamuna but why not also have new stadiums built there???

Is it due to lack of funds or due to the perennial differences between the Mayawati-ruled UP versus the congress-led Delhi?? Or, that Faridabad & Gurgaon falls in Haryana?? Why, cant two states jointly hosts these meets given that international events are jointly hosted too??

Do i smell the burning smell of politics?? And, this is exactly what pains me...politics of for-the-people is fast turning out to be against-the-people even in Delhi...a place, where politicians of diff shades of grey and black converge... a place, which boasts of being the home to a number of 24-hours television station..a place, which have survived and flourished cutting across ages..be it the atrocious muslim rule or the slavery of British Raj.

My, guess, is we will survive even this period!! But, now we are a matured democratic society...and, we ourselves need to determine our future..whats good for us, whats benefits us and what gives us pride!

Lets raise our voices...lets involve ourselves...lets love our cities!!! Wherever we live..wherever we ARE!!