Sunday, September 28, 2008

"More bombs than I expected".

I guess that would be my initial answer to the question "How's life in Delhi?". There are many other interesting and less violent facets to life here, but inevitably, the multiple recent terrorist attacks in this part of the world have a way of moving into the forefront of one's thoughts.

Delhi is a massive, complex city, and spending any good amount of time here arouses strong emotions. The long, rich history of the city evokes wonder and respect for the powerful rulers who at various times, built the city into one of the word's richest and most impressive; ruins large and small are scattered about the city, hidden along the sides of clogged roads and within tightly packed slums.

A perusal of the daily newspapers, however, tends to produce anger for the numerous injustices faced by the city's residents, especially the lower classes and the poorer masses.

The bombings are the latest injustice to be borne by Dilliwallas long used to a security and policing apparatus that is inept, neglected and overwhelmed, one that is utterly unable to serve and protect the city's citizens. The government has systematically failed to properly fund basic law enforcement agancies with the sad result that policemen are paid the pitiful sum of about $200 per month and live and work in ramshackle stations with filthy water and bathrooms, ludicrously outdated communications systems and inadequate transportation. They are poorly respected for their ineffectiveness, and feared for their willingess to resort to violence and intimidation, as well as their widespread corruption.

As diplomats, we are largely shielded from these injustices, and the adversity that we face is usually in the form of inconveniences, no more. Mostly, we are able to profit from all that Delhi has to offer: verdant parks and gardens, wonderful shopping and a rich and complex culture that proves endlessly fascinating.

India's contrasts and contradictions are alive and well in the country's capital which is hardly "New". While Singapore-like shopping malls have sprouted in the suburbs and luxury hotels overcharge like perhaps nowhere else in the world, Delhi's past is even more evident than these often-garish symbols of modernity and progress. It is the site of countless conquests, sieges and assasinations, massive ego-driven vanity projects and revered shrines, temples and mosques.

Trying to absorb these sights and symbols is utterly overwhelming, exhausting and frustrating. Won't stop me from trying.