More Things Change, More They Remain The Same

While in Antarctica, we used to dream about life back in Delhi. The things we did and the things we missed. It was a different world altogether and appeared to be more hospitable than the world we were in. I longed to get back home. I expected a whole new Delhi on my return- probably foolishly so.
When my longing was finally fulfilled, I am left shaking my head in frustration. The Delhi landscape has changed drastically. The old roads are no longer recognisable. Flyovers, metro, BRT, roads and many more projects are on their way to completion, supposedly to give us a better quality of life. The pleasant looking and slow moving low floor buses are a welcome change from the raging, blood spewing Bluelines. BRT appears to be a good project.
But the spirit of Delhi remains the same. The roads are more crowded than when I had left. Delhiites continue to be as rowdy and arrogant as ever. Road discipline is still abysmal, politeness and patience are unknown virtues meant for the weak, outsiders are still meant to be looted. It is a city on short fuse. I won’t be surprised if some survey shows Delhi to be the most inhospitable city in the country.
While in Antarctica, we had newspapers upto 5 years old in our stock to be used for various purposes. They helped us reminisce about life in Delhi. The latest newspapers carry the same stuff as those newspapers. Nothing has really changed. Delhi continues to be a city without a soul, and Delhiites contine to be a people without a sense of belonging. Antarctica was definitely more safe and hospitable.