Delhi, a landlocked city in northern India, is a metropolis and part of the national capital region. As the capital of India, it hosts significant government institutions, including the seat of Parliament and the Supreme Court, making it the center of India’s political and judicial processes. Delhi has a rich historical legacy, reflected in its diverse architecture and demographic changes over time.
The city played a major role in history as it was constantly invaded and served as a seat for numerous rulers. Every change, the most recent being the partition riots and mass migration of 1947, has led to a change in the demographics and, in turn, the culture of the city. Moreover, being the national capital, it is an important location when it comes to civil society to raise voices. The most recent farmers’ protests and protests against the CAA are examples.
As a Union Territory with its legislative assembly, Delhi combines both central and local governance. It is led by a Chief Minister and a Lietenant Governot. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been in power in the city-state since 2015. The AAP government has focused on improving essential services like education, healthcare, and public transportation. As one of the world’s most populous cities, Delhi faces challenges such as air pollution, traffic congestion, waste management, and urban planning. The AAP government has focused on improving education, healthcare, and public transport, especially the expansion of metro services.
Politically, Delhi is a battleground for various political parties, with the BJP, Congress, and AAP all playing important roles in shaping the city’s policy landscape. Delhi’s status as the national capital gives it a unique political significance and a place at the center of India’s decision-making process.
A city that blends ancient history with modern infrastructure, Delhi is home to iconic landmarks like the Red Fort, India Gate, Qutub Minar, and the Lotus Temple, alongside vibrant cultural and shopping districts.
One can sympathise at a human level. However:
India is the world’s most populous nation with no population control measures whatsoever; heavily deforested, environmentally degraded, severely polluted (Delhi the most polluted city in the world); we are a nation of scofflaws and jugaad in the negative sense of the word, inching towards the limits of non governance.
Unless we at individual level make concentrated effort to be law abiding and the govt enforces law impartially, we are enroute to becoming what a US Ambassador to India once famously described India as – a functioning anarchy.
Govt land, illegal construction encroaching onto adjacent railway tracks etc. If people are going to exchange their votes for squatter rights and then use jugaad to game the system to make pukka houses and obtain documents, the underlying premise is malafide.
There is a saying – In a democracy people get the govt they elect and they deserve.