India’s only metropolis - Delhi

Singh

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There is only one metropolitan city in India. That one city is Delhi. The rest are all provincial towns.

Mumbai’s identity is behenji-turned-mod, with the behenji element as core. That shows through, repeatedly, in the actions of its various Senas. It has, for years.

The south Bombay and Bandra elites will, of course, protest that Mumbai doesn’t belong to the Thackerays, etc. Those are pointless protests, because the city belongs far less to them than it does to the two Senas. The very fact that for decades there have been significant political forces that claim the city for the ‘sons of the soil’ and treat migrants as outsiders is problematic.

Of course, the elites who live their lives between apartments in ‘towers’ and evenings at pubs might not feel this very strongly on a daily basis. They surround themselves with others like them, and live in their bubble.

But then, in Bombay — sorry, Mumbai — almost everyone lives in their own bubble. It’s a huge collection of ghettoes. There are Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Parsi ghettoes, and a few general rich people and poor people ghettoes. Even within these ghettoes there are further stratifications, strictly observed in most cases. For example, there are Gujarati buildings, Sindhi buildings, Jain buildings. There are buildings where only vegetarians are allowed and others where alcohol is banned. Of course, there are rich people buildings where everything goes. But in those, there is usually a separate ‘staff lift’ for the maids, cooks and drivers. Don’t get me wrong, I love Mumbai for many things. But these are the things I don’t like about it. And the traffic, the absence of space, and the year-long heat.

Bangalore’s climate cannot be faulted, and it is still a less insular place than Mumbai. The part of Bangalore — sorry, Bengaluru — that wants to be a global city, like Thomas Friedman imagines it is, is always in conflict with the part that wants to be a Kannadiga town. In the Kannadiga corner are two powerful forces: the Kannada language chauvinists, represented by groups like the Kannada Rakshana Vedike, and the Hindu right-wing, represented by groups such as the BJP, the RSS, the Bajrang Dal, the VHP and Ram Sene.

Most readers will remember the attack on women in a pub in Mangalore. Few of them would have heard that similar attacks happened to women on the streets of Bengaluru through 2008 and 2009. Those were passed off as ‘stray incidents’ and no one claimed ‘credit’ for them. Karnataka, including Bengaluru, in some measure, seems to accept that it is okay to attack women who dress in Western style and don’t speak the local language. It is also a place where dancing was banned, and pubs shut at 11 pm.

The town holds the same sense of resentment towards outsiders that Mumbai does. It also has the same class of ‘outsiders’ living their lives between office, MG Road, Brigade Road, some of the new IT ghettoes, and the airport. Some of these folks may believe they ‘belong’. Get real. Even the local Tamil population, after all the centuries they’ve been there, don’t ‘belong’.

Kolkata is, of course, undeniably Bengali in character, though it doesn’t have any overt politics of exclusion. It used to be a great city called Calcutta. But now it’s a city of those left behind, not in the same league as Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru in any field, including ‘culture’. Less said of Chennai, the city formerly known as Madras, the better. If you are a rich liberal from another town you are better off going to New York, where you probably have more friends anyway. In any case, you will never ‘belong’ in Chennai.

Which brings me to Delhi. It is the only city in India where anyone from anywhere in India or the world can come and set up home. No one, not even the Punjabis and the Jats, own the city. There is no organised group trying to stake claim to the city for ‘real Delhiites’. There are no mobs trying to throw immigrants out. If you are from North-east India or South India, you will face difficulties. But eventually, the city will accept you. Contrast this to the politics of insider and outsider that the North-east has seen for decades. Think back to how many thousands in the North-east have been killed or rendered homeless merely because they were not ethnically ‘locals’.

That doesn’t happen in Delhi. This place may seem coarse, but it doesn’t have the real barbarians: the Senas and unions that attack ‘outsiders’. Anyone from anywhere can claim to be a true Delhiite. That is why Delhi is the only metropolis in India.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/edito.../India-s-only-metropolis/Article1-507830.aspx
 

tarunraju

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I agree with the article with regards to bigger cities, but the xenophobic groups don't quite operate in smaller cities, they're isolated. For example, nobody is going to harm a Bihari in Nagpur, a non-kannadiga in Mysore, and so on. So the situation in big cities cannot be extrapolated on every other place.
 

Yusuf

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I am in delhi and I must say I am very highly impressed with the city. Bangalore has lesser trees than delhi for sure. Traffic is smooth as what I have seen so far. The girls are good too!!! One thing that I have seen is that most roads are pretty narrow but still not seen much traffic. I think that is the result of the metro which is world class. Quiet crowded during peak ours. I think they need to add more coaches and trains. Food is bloody expensive. More than bangalore even. I am getting slaughtered here. Imagine a Dosa for 70. Not having that though. Enjoying the local food.
 

thakur_ritesh

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I am in delhi and I must say I am very highly impressed with the city. Bangalore has lesser trees than delhi for sure. Traffic is smooth as what I have seen so far. The girls are good too!!! One thing that I have seen is that most roads are pretty narrow but still not seen much traffic. I think that is the result of the metro which is world class. Quiet crowded during peak ours. I think they need to add more coaches and trains. Food is bloody expensive. More than bangalore even. I am getting slaughtered here. Imagine a Dosa for 70. Not having that though. Enjoying the local food.
1. there are huge green spaces in between, in fact once you enter the space it actually feels as if it is not a part of delhi, its so lush green, and once inside the traffic noise disappears, and one can find such space almost every where.

2. check out GK-I N block market for girls, few of the best you will find in the town or hit out to some 5star disc

3. i thought most roads are pretty wide, generally 6 lanes, i guess you are talking specifically about old delhi, right?

4. man south indian in delhi will be expensive compared to what one gets down south, but still try the road side ones, they are not bad, and quite cheep, run by south indians themselves.
 

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I am staying in Karol bagh. The roads around here are are all four lane. And with parking on either side, hardly any space left. even in new delhi near the secretariat the roads are four lane. but no traffic. Its all calm and smooth. I am loving the city. Wouldn't want to be around though when the temperature goes into the 40s.
As far as girls are concerned, they are all over the place. And they are all good. Don't think you need to go to specific places. All well dressed and good looking. I guess a lot of them are punjabis.
Sikh culture is very much part of delhi and adds to the charm. Lot of marwaris too.
 

Armand2REP

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I disagree with the headline completely. Mumbai is the true metropolis of India. It is the financial heart of the country as well as the largest urban area. When people think of the modern India, they think Mumbai.
 

sayareakd

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I been to mumbai twice, that too at the stock exchange, but i dont like that city, that much.....
 

NSG_Blackcats

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I am living in Delhi for last 9 years. I love this City. There are some amazing things about Delhi, but there are also some negative points.

Amazing things about Delhi.

1. The greenest city of all the 6 metros.
2. World class Delhi Metro
3. Wide roads in most of the places. (Some exceptions in Old Delhi)
4. Great Historical places.
5. I just love the food here.
6. You will face no discrimination irrespective of which part of India you belongs to. (fails to understand why attacks happen against NE students)

Negative things about Delhi

1. Worst metro for women.
2. You will be horrified by the behavior of DTC and blue line bus conductors.
3. Traffic Jam will be a nightmare for Govt. in coming years with a huge increase in 4 wheelers.
4. You are from NE, need to be careful. There are many incidents of racist attacks against NE students.
5. Yamuna river, one of the most polluted river in Delhi
 

thakur_ritesh

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Saya I think majority going from delhi to Bombay wont like the place much, my first impression of the city was of other than the sea and the yummy vada pav there is nothing else to show up when compared to the national capital.

Roads are so damn congested with road dividers in really bad shape, and with the metro project underway it takes hours to move from one place to another especially if someone has to cross from west to east, something that previously used to take a few minutes, I was more recently doing to and fro with in andheri west and to other places and it was one hell.

Other than that, city is damn professional, and in all my interactions with locals there I have not seen or felt the much hyped north divide. If one is specifically talking about Bombay as a work place, one has got to love the city, but physical infrastructure is pathetic to say the least.
 

Singh

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I am living in Delhi for last 9 years. I love this City. There are some amazing things about Delhi, but there are also some negative points.

Amazing things about Delhi.

1. The greenest city of all the 6 metros.
2. World class Delhi Metro
3. Wide roads in most of the places. (Some exceptions in Old Delhi)
4. Great Historical places.
5. I just love the food here.
6. You will face no discrimination irrespective of which part of India you belongs to. (fails to understand why attacks happen against NE students)
Absolutely spot on.
Delhi is a capital in need of a matching country. :p


Negative things about Delhi

1. Worst metro for women.
2. You will be horrified by the behavior of DTC and blue line bus conductors.
3. Traffic Jam will be a nightmare for Govt. in coming years with a huge increase in 4 wheelers.
4. You are from NE, need to be careful. There are many incidents of racist attacks against NE students.
5. Yamuna river, one of the most polluted river in Delhi
1. Metro is bad if you are claustrophobic, as are many metros worldwide. However I have not heard of any cases of molestation against women ?
2. I thought DTC guys were okay but those private buses need to be taken off the road asap.
3. Traffic Jams are already nightmares. And wait till they make the failed BRT Corridor all over Delhi. Disaster.
4. Those were not racist attacks but crimes of opportunities. Notice only a particular age group, in a particular area and of a particular sex was targeted. And I kid you not, there are more North Easterners, Tibetans in Delhi than in any other city of India(incl. NE cities) and there population is only increasing. And North Easterners are particularly hired in the retail sector because of their work ethics.
5. Yamuna is the only river and its damn polluted for sure.

My negatives

1. Attitudes and Unprofessional work ethic
2. Increased rural migration.
3. Plethora of useless agencies - MCD, PWD etc. And short horizon of planning.
4. Expensive. Super Expensive.
5. Weather
6. Police - Crime - Judiciary
 
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tarunraju

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I disagree with the headline completely. Mumbai is the true metropolis of India. It is the financial heart of the country as well as the largest urban area. When people think of the modern India, they think Mumbai.
Metropolis is where people of all cultures become an abstract social entity, with no scope of communal clashes. That's not happening in Mumbai. It does happen in Delhi. Which is why the assessment, and to a large extant it's right.
 

tarunraju

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1. Metro is bad if you are claustrophobic, as are many metros worldwide. However I have not heard of any cases of molestation against women ?
I think NSG meant worst metro (as in metropolis, not public transport) for women (unsafe).
 

Singh

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^^ Yes it is the worst metro for a woman, (because the girls here are prettier :p )
 

Armand2REP

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Metropolis is where people of all cultures become an abstract social entity, with no scope of communal clashes. That's not happening in Mumbai. It does happen in Delhi. Which is why the assessment, and to a large extant it's right.
People of all cultures go to Mumbai, it is the multi-national hub. Mumbai is the New York of India, while New Delhi is the Washington D.C.
 

tarunraju

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People of all cultures go to Mumbai, it is the multi-national hub. Mumbai is the New York of India, while New Delhi is the Washington D.C.
You still didn't get it. People of all cultures go to NY, but the scale of pluralism in NY leaves no scope for communal conflict. Even while maintaining communal identity, the communities become an 'abstract' society, like the New Yorkers. It's the same with Delhi. People from all parts of the country (and the world) go there, and become that abstract society, that unfortunately, doesn't happen in Mumbai (there's pluralism but with a scope for conflict). There are several 'xenophobic' elements in Mumbai who disturb communal peace. Such a thing doesn't happen in Delhi. Yes, Mumbai is a 'bigger' city than Delhi, and the two are some of the country's biggest cities, but it's Delhi which qualifies as the New York-like metro, not quite Mumbai.
 
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amoy

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I'd love to see pics of these Metropolis be it Bombay or Delhi. Or give me a link?

A great deal of my knowledge about India is from a Japanese artist's writings with sketches of Indian life and relics。 or through such links as
http://bbs.tiexue.net/post_2526982_1.html
 

p2prada

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People of all cultures go to Mumbai, it is the multi-national hub.
People of all cultures go to all cities in India. Over 60% of Bangalore's population come from outside the state.

Mumbai is the New York of India, while New Delhi is the Washington D.C.
Delhi developed as a Union Territory for over 50 years. Which means it has been under President's rule rather then the elected govt for a long time. A lot of money is spent on Delhi since it is the capital of the country. A lot of essentials like Fuel is cheap compared to other cities.

Cities like Mumbai and Bangalore are rich. But, Delhi is better managed with lesser corruption. Even the leadership under the Chief Minister Shiela Dixit has been good for Delhi. That's why Delhi takes the cake compared to Mumbai or Bangalore.
 

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