I got a chance to visit New Delhi recently in connection with office work. From my earlier two experiences of "Bharat Ki Rajdhani", I braced myself for the torture I will be facing during my stay of over two weeks there.
My last visit to national capital was 9 years ago in year 2000.
Going back down the memory lane, I remember very well the feeling of apprehension that took over me the moment my train chugged into New Delhi Railway Station 9 years back. Before leaving home, I was thoroughly made to rehearse the "Do's and Dont's" when in Delhi......like :
- Always pretend that you are a regular visitor there and keep your facial expression such as "Oooof....aaj yeh train itni late Q chaal raahi hai.....Mujhe aage ki bus pakadni hai....."
- Never ever accept anything to eat or drink from anyone....mind again.....anyone. Even if it is prasad of your favourite God, just don't touch it. It might be laced with anything.
- Never look into the eyes of autorikshawala, taxiwala, porter or any human kind who will be all over you even before you step out of the platform. Just breeze through the crowd by any means, pushing, shoving, trampling over them...anything...but never make an eye contact with them. Chances are you may be hypnotised to accept their great offer and you will be taken for a memorable ride.
- Go and announce your destination only at the Police manned "Pre-Paid Taxi Auto" which seems to be the best option to take you to your destination alive and kicking.
Now imagine how a person's face will look like when he has all such things on his mind. Try as much as I could, to keep a poker face, after alighting from the train.....a cross section of society representing auto drivers, taxi drivers, porters, guides, godmen, beggars, etc. zeroed in on me, their faces alight with the knowledge that a new "Bakra" has arrived to be taken for a memorable ride. They are, I was convinced then, far more better at reading body-language without the aid of all the pages written in several books on this subject. Somehow I found myself out of the station and hurried towards the Pre-paid booth supervised by a Traffic constable. I always wondered where all the dacoits of Chambal Valley went after they found looting a bit un-economical when all there was to loot was already looted by them in nearby towns. The moment I saw the faces of all the taxi-auto drivers, the answer stuck me! They rehabilated themselves as auto-taxi drivers in New Delhi, and what more, they carry on the same job more smoothly now with no fear of being found themselves unemployed or without revenue.
Perhaps the fact that I flashed my "sarkari" identity card, prompted them to allot me a taxi and I proceeded towards my boarding place in a contraption that looked straight out of 1971 Indo-Pak war. The sounds it made while starting itself was enough to make people scamper away from it. Some tough cookies who didn't budge from its path were taken care by honking continously supplemented by choiest curses in hindi, punjabi, haryanvi depending on their appearance. The traffic snarls were unending. The air around was so thick that one could take in a handful from the window and smell it again for details. The people to whom you asked for directions took great pleasure in seriously giving ones taking you exactly to opposite of where you want to go. But since the taxi was pre-paid the driver added some more expletives and double-checked the way because anyway not a single rupee would be added to the already decided fare.
I offerred prayers very sincerely to all the Gods up above, when I finally threw down my luggage in my hotel room and joined few other colleagues from other offices. With some time still on hand, we promptly decided to go and watch a late night movie at a nearby theatre. When we were on the verge of stepping out of the hotel, the manager enquired where we were going and almost screamed at us in a grandfatherly manner to get back and sleep in our rooms. "Hum Delhi mein rah ke, kabhi late night show ko nahi jate. Aap ko theek thaak wapas aana hai ya nahi?" After that none of us ever made the suggestion of late night movies and even began to dread the broad daylight ones!
There were several suprises in store during the stay. The power scenario was grim. I wondered what treatment the person coming to check up the power meter must be getting from the consumers. Or whether there was any need for him to come and take the reading, when the meter never moved during the few hours when they actually had power flowing through the cables. Finding a reasonable restaurant was like searching for an oasis in desert of "thelas" which was the most preferred point even by well-dressed office goers to munch on something to sustain the day. And even if we did find one, the rates were exhorbitant enough to make you lose all your appetite.
With all this flashing back in my mind, I readying myself for another encounter with New Delhi of 2009, with only difference that instead of chugging into a station, I landed at Palam airport hoping to find same scenario outside the airport.
But I really was in for a surprise. I could not believe the smooth passage from pre-paid booth to better maintained Van and even more better looking taxi driver, who didn't resemble a dacoit but was more closer to someone selling movie tickets in black rates. Well surprise, surprise and more surprises. The ride went without hitches and only an occassional honk was all that the driver needed to breeze through the traffic on wide tree lined roads. And the air? Wow there really was air around which you could breath!!! Then I began to look closer and notice the great transformation that has taken place since my last visit 9 years ago. New Delhi did look NEW !
Someone really woke up to the grim situation and turned around New Delhi from where it was heading to. The credit I suppose must go to several agencies working in tandem. The traffic was smoother. The Green Buses with large windows was a great sight as compared to smoke belching rattlers strung together and held in place perhaps by the commuters themselves! The shift to CNG fuel for auto, taxi and bigger modes of transport really did the trick. The power didn't go so frequently. And moreover, in almost every market there was a decent eating place which didn't empty your wallet. I will never forget the tasty chicken stuff I devoured at "Manjit Chicken" in Hari Nagar area. And what else, I really enjoyed my stay there. Shopping, eating out, going out for a stroll, getting into auto without fear of being looted.......
I thank all the good souls responsisble for this turn-around of national capital. I even look forward to going to Really-New-Delhi again, and catch up with my several buddies who have settled there, which was unthinkable before August-2009.
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