From Delhi... To California

The re-election of 77-year old Ms Sheila Dixit as chief minister of Delhi has only confirmed my thesis that:

1. The Congress is happy with just the BJP opposing it, because then it appears a lighter shade of black.
2. The Congress and the BJP are both silent on many issues because they have a tacit agreement on letting most things remain as they are. There is no real “competition”; rather, there is “elite accommodation.”

Thus, the re-election of this Congresswoman should not be viewed as evidence of good government. In actual fact, life in Delhi has been getting worse with each passing year. The re-election has occurred because the democratic process is rigged.

Note that the BJP’s campaign was based on just two ideas: one, that the Congress is “soft on terror”; and two, that the Bus Rapid Transit idea is a flop. Not a word was spoken on the ugly and inherently corrupt State monopoly-monopsony over the retail trade in alcoholic beverages. Not a word was spoken on shutting down the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which monopolizes real estate development. These would be first on the agenda of any liberal party, which stood for Capitalism. Such a party would also champion economic freedom, which is extremely low in Delhi today.

Of course, I would not be a candidate. Because I do not fancy taking on the responsibility of running this land-locked megapolis. I have my sights fixed firmly on the coast – the Konkan coast, where I dream of hundreds of brand new free-trading cities coming up. Keep Delhi, Sheila. I’ll take Karwar.

Actually, New Delhi is a disaster because of the Congress. They laid out the roads all wrong. Whereas all over the world, city roads are laid out on a “grid pattern,” the roads of Delhi are laid out in a succession of T-junctions. The idea was to save on traffic lights in an era when car ownership was low. But today, Delhi has more cars than Bombay, Calcutta and Madras combined. And every T-junction is a traffic disaster.

This is basic design failure. The city has to be re-designed. All the roads have to be properly laid out. Ms Dixit has been building flyovers for many years – but they have solved nothing. And the new Metro covers just 30 per cent of the population. So the number of cars on the roads will keep on multiplying – what with the Nano soon to come. There is no “vision” of a great, successful city – as with Shanghai. There is just the desire to keep on muddling along, running the same old rackets – like the DDA and the government shops that sell warm beer in blistering hot weather.

Delhi reminds me of that old song by Tom Waits, “Warm Beer, Cold Women.”

And it looks like things are going to remain much the same here forever. So I’m packing up and heading down to the Konkan Coast.

My song: California Dreamin’ – on such a winter’s day!

Above are the Mamas and Papas, great performance.

This is Jose Feliciano, one voice, one guitar.

And no eyes.

Dream On! On Such A Winter's Day!