What is so special about Delhi?

I do not remember for which mega event it was a few years ago that the torch was carried through a few streets of Delhi. And, it was the cinema stars like Miss Bipasha Basu who held center stage then. Things repeated just a few days ago. This time it is for the 2008 Olympics, at Beijing.

The Olympics host city changes, every four years (every two years, counting Winter Olympics). But the Indian city the torch passes through never changes: Delhi, Delhi and always Delhi, for Asiad, Commonwealth Games, Cricket World Cup (?) and of course, the Olympics. Why so? It is the country’s capital, is that why?

Then, I must tell you I do not know when San Francisco became the capital of the US. Is Delhi the sports capital of India? Not in my reckoning (in the National Games the state of Manipur scores best). Perhaps Delhi has the best roads. Even if we granted that, a few kilometers of good roads could be found in any city of India. Or, the required stretches can indeed be temporarily dressed up! Will there be a lack of politicos in other cities? Ha, we have come to the crux of the issue. None of the others will have a full slate of Cabinet Ministers to do the honors!

I have blogged once before bemoaning the fact that as far as projecting the country outside it is always through the lens of Delhi. It is as though outside Delhi India does not exist (http://raghurame.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/02/india-s-only-big-city.htm). "Delhi is not just the microcosm of India; it is the whole of India!"

This is much to the disadvantage of the country, in my humble opinion.
Perhaps the other cities are wary of the security headache that comes with the prestige of having the torch relay go through them. The denizens of these cities are perhaps much relieved that they would not have to put up with traffic jams not merely through the running of the relay but even as the torch was taken in a car caravan to the airport for a fond farewell, as happened in Delhi that day.

Who would want to take care of the arrangements for the political prima donnas? And this time, the added worry was Tibet. But, coming to think of it, the protest could have been muted in other cities for want of a larger base of protesters. It would have been a coin toss. Perhaps well advisedly the other cities washed their hands off this few hours extravaganza with no tangible economic benefits.

As a Delhiite I steadfastly refuse to be part of this circus here. When we get rid of this Delhi fixation, please let me know. If it were ever to be taken to another city, I may even visit that city and stand by the roadside behind the barricades to cheer the torch on.

Raghuram Ekambaram