Clash of the commons - Rupika Malhotra

When school ended, I had made a promise to myself- My University will NOT be near my place. I had had it with the school being just a few minutes away from home. Dad dropped and picked me up from school, my class teachers lived right next door, and bunking classes would just be impossible with mom shopping in the same mall in which me and my friends hung out after sneaking out of school. If it had been my way, I would probably have taken admission in a university on the North Pole. But well, belonging to the conventions that hold the family thought, dad just wouldn’t let me go outside Delhi. Like monsters would eat me up if I start staying alone. Anyway, since I really did not have much of a say in that one (being the eldest daughter of the family gives you space for only limited rebellion); Delhi University was the best option that I could pursue (keeping in mind my needs- college was substantially away from home, and my parents’ wants- I was still staying with them). Just when the overwhelming sense of achievement began to sink in (College was a safe 100 minutes away from home), I realized how big a pain it was to travel for 3 n a half hours every day in the local DTC bus (changing it at 2 bus stops). I will, however, have to admit that it was a hell lot of fun during the first few months, especially when I was lucky enough to get a seat, sit back, and observe the daily drama that dominated the internal momentum of a Delhi DTC bus. I remember quite vividly that one rainy evening when a middle aged housewife was fighting (literally) with a dark young lad who must’ve pushed her bad. (Pardon me if I’m sounding like a sadist who enjoys observing fights. I am not a sadist. I do however enjoy observing fights) After a point, however, it was getting too much. Ever seen a DTC bus from the outside? Looks misbalanced- either tilted to the right or left, depending upon which side more people are hanging from. From the inside, well, I don’t know. I never really got a chance to ‘look’ at a DTC bus from the inside- there are always too many people sticking on to you from all the sides, so that all you can do is barely breathe. So when the Delhi metro was connected to parts of the NCR region a year ago, I bid the Delhi DTC a goodbye and sighed in relief.

If you are someone who has travelled via public transport in Delhi, you will probably understand the dynamics that govern the interaction of various categories of people inside the Delhi metro. I, personally, like to think of the Delhi metro as a perfect example of that one and only place where one can witness the ‘clash of the commons’ most deftly. It’s amazing to see how a middle aged housewife is sitting beside a young college going girl who is sitting beside a young professional, who in turn offers a seat to an old lady. The differences are not just based on age- you will find a whole range of people travelling together, from one destination to the other, belonging to different backgrounds, cultures, origins and backgrounds. A few weeks back, I was travelling in the yellow line (that runs from my college campus to Connaught Place) and talking to my dad on the phone (he likes to be well informed about my whereabouts, which is sometimes irritating, but isn’t that how dads are?), when I suddenly had to cut his call because of the shouts and abuses that were being hurled at someone in the vicinity. Turning myself around, I observed a rich (don’t blame me, she had an Iphone) young college girl fighting with a recently married and what seemed to me a housewife (totally based on empirics like her dressing and conduct). From the things they were saying to each other, all that I could figure out was that the fight must’ve began due to something else, but it ultimately boiled down to making personal remarks and comments. The housewife was commenting on how spoilt the rich brats these days are, and the young girl just couldn’t stop pointing at how lack of education in people makes them stupid and dumb enough to not let them travel in the metro. The Clash of the Commons- is on! It is actually an everyday affair-just like the news on TV or a bad hair day during the monsoons (girls would understand best). But awesome in its own sense- nowhere else can you observe such a direct and dramatic interaction between people from such different backgrounds. No wonder I never get bored while travelling in the metro!

To think of it in a different perspective, isn’t the Delhi metro’s Clash of the Commons representative of the city itself? Those of you who have lived in Delhi even for a little while, or have read about this historic city would understand best. This is one city, where people, from different realms of the society come together, interact, work, clash, become friends and companions, and this intermingling leads to an all new alignment of cultures and opinions, and leads to the birth of a different culture altogether- a culture truly representative of Delhi itself!