Jug Jug Jiyo Dilli

Yay, Hooray. So apparently it's Delhi's 100th birthday. Somehow everyone is in a frenzy. But let's get the fact straight. How the hell is it Delhi's 100th Birthday? Delhi has been a capital before those darn britishers, with their high tea the funniest accent and the worst possible food known to man, came. I don't see anyone celebrate those conquests by mughals, but yeah since they're British, let's do what they say. And just so you know what I am saying here's a re-look at the slab of coronation park

Darn. Anyway, even if we are celebrating 100 years no one really does bother if Delhi finished it's 100 years. Firstly no one can even give respect to the place which started it all. That's right, coronation park. It's in shambles, statues broken, unkempt and people and govt's combined lackadaisical attitude has done it. I'll stop being sarcastic now. Being an outsider who came a few years back, I never really could understand this city. Here are some of the things I can't figure out.

 >The curious case of Delhi drivers Yep they're all curious, and thanks to them there's a long traffic jam. Even if it's an 8 lane expressway as the one on Delhi Gurgaon and there are mangled remains of a car away from the road people have to slow down and see it. Then others join in and all of this continues to add up till you hear it on the radio Expressway par traffic slow hai, ye khabar di humaare mirchi hotshot ne

>Tera baap kaun hai I've never heard of this slang anywhere but in delhi "Tu jaanta nahi mera baap kaun hai". What do I care. However doing this shows a really bad side of the people and a disrespect for his father's hard earned name and the fact that he couldn't properly raise his children. But forget that, whenever someone drops that line, this is the first thing that comes to my mind for them.

>The constipated posh That's how I refer to them, and though not all are like that, but I've seen quite a few myself. They come in their Mercedes, BMW strut their way in flaunting their gucci, prada armani (men and women)but don't have the decency to stand in a queue like others, because unlike them, we're lowlifes, and some of them have been living for so long cooped up in a rich person's utopia, they've forgotten poor exist.

 >The Artists Don't think am talking about real artists, these are the ones for whom the world is their canvas. And dare I tell you what they use for paints and brush. Pan stains and urinating on walls has almost become a fashion trend. I've been thinking that these people should be encouraged to show the world how they paint Delhi. And in some places such as CP which has been painted red and yellow the most, the argument "Idhar paas me koi toilet nahi hai" won't hold.

Am too short on space to write anything more for such fine people or others that I missed out. And I still missed out on our beloved (Understand the irony) Leaders. Because the amount of love I have for them cannot be shown on one post alone.

But then Delhi is still a good place, with lots of nice people you meet, unknown friends you make in the bus to and fro work or anywhere else. However that cannot change what others think of Delhi, though it shouldn't bother you at all but I've taken the liberty to draw out a rough example

Maybe, just maybe, as we celebrate the 100th anniversary King George's decision to rule from Delhi, we can start to be the change. A world class city does not have it's people polluting it's river, or allow the govt. to function the way it is doing. Neither do the people take it's city for granted as we are.

The author would like to take this opportunity to wish Delhi it's 100th Happy Birthday with mixed emotions.

I am in favour of the 2G scam. Here's Why?

"A. Raja murdabaad(Down with A.Raja), jail me daalo(Put him in prison)" these were the first things that people wanted when 2G scam came to light. Even though my post comes late when everything has almost died down, I still have a strong opinion that 2G scam should have happened. Here's my points in favour of it. 1. Slow Govt. Machinery- 2G license was to be auctioned much earlier but the govt. and it's slow approach delayed it for years adding to the cost of license. 2. Loss to exchequer is irrelevant- Here's my main argument, the core of this scam lies in the fact that he received kickbacks from telecom companies to sell 2G licenses at 2001 prices which were a fraction of the actual cost. Of course he used those kickbacks to build this plush bungalow

But now let's take a look at what would have happened if the govt. did get that Rs. 1760000000000 which is the estimated loss. The license price now shot up would have added to the cost of telecom companies. They in turn would have passed the burden to us. Would it have been possible for you to enjoy roaming at local rates, or that 2000 sms pack at just 70-80 rs, or how about those free calls or that reduced rate which is as low as 1/2 paisa per second. I really don't think so. We would have still be living battling high phone prices. And as far as the money is concerned, we already know how much of it is actually used. A good amount of it would have probably been spent on Money Guzzling schemes like MNREGA which benefit only a few people. Furthermore, most of the money would have been pocketed by our OH SO BELOVED NETAS never to be seen again. That loss never happened. A.Raja may have gotten a good amount of kickback but that is nothing compared to what would have happened if that money reached the exchequer and then to our babus and netas. Of course I think corruption is a bad thing, but then even I am selfish. My low call rates are all thanks to the 2G scam. Furthermore the money is in the hand of the corporate sector who do a much better job in development than the govt. The author in no way is justifying corruption. However he blames the govt's sluggish pace which is the main reason behind scams.This blog is also in response to a blog by Reema Jain, See her version of the scam here