Delhi, old and new

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There is Old Delhi, the ancient city by the Jamuna; and there is New Delhi, built by Lutyens and the capital of the Raj, just in time to be intercepted and utilised by the new rulers of Independent India. Then there is old Delhi and new Delhi in lower caps. The old Delhi of grandfather-in-law Nehru, mother-in-law Indira and husband Rajiv is now being quickly overtaken by the new Delhi of Sonia Gandhi. The power centre of India is now is her residence at 10 Janpath in the new New Delhi; and the chief of staff within the visage of Ahmed Patel, loyalist politico from Gujarat.

Sitting here in the departure lounge of the IGIA in Delhi, the airport built around what was once Palam village, one gets the sense of the growing power and self-confidence of the capital of Bharat. The profits from the 'Shining India' part of the Indian economy have gone to prop up the capital region, throwing up infrastructure, jacking up real-estate prices, and giving a sense of super-confidence to the professionals here. Indeed, there is an air of satisfaction among the entire spectrum of adjacent entrepreneurs, scholars, journalists and activists – that they did good by locating themselves in the Delhi area, which of course includes Noida in Uttar Pradesh and Gurgaon in Haryana.

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