A Lingua Franca is Shaped by the People, Not by Government Dictates

New Indian Express

29-06-2025

Demolitions are in overdrive once again. At the height of the furnace-like heat wave, the 'Madrasi Colony'—a cluster of jhuggi jhoprhi, a mini-slum near Baramulla in the Capital—was razed to rubble. Unauthorised constructions—extensions in Batala House in the vicinity of Jamia Millia House—fared no better. Operation Clean-up wasn't confined to Delhi. Food lovers were stunned to learn that Chachi's legendary kachori-jalebi outlet just outside the BHU's Lanka Gate and Pahalwan's equally famous and not-very-much-younger lassi stall, a short distance away, had met the same fate. There was no news about the iconic Keshav Tambul Bhandar that attracted Banarasi paan addicts like a strong magnet. All these, unauthorised constructions on public land had evolved over many decades as tourist traps much before the advent of social media, thanks to the words of mouth echoing across generations.
Evicting squatters has been an almost continuous process in BJP-ruled states—Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand—for quite some time. Large swathes of land have been reclaimed and the ugly blemishes on the face of beautiful cities—holy and historic—removed.
Not very long ago, on the eve of the G20 Summit hosted by India, Chandni Chowk had experienced a facelift. Squatters were removed and the lost glory restored to this jewel in Shahjahanabad's crown. Motor vehicles were banned, hawkers who spilt over the main road were removed and pedestrians were prioritised. Electronic rickshaws made historic buildings and eateries accessible. Havelis (old mansions) were expensively restored; but the ambitious revival lost breath in a blink. Squatters are back. The garbage-free stretch of the main street is constantly shrinking and the policemen posted seem to look the other way all the time. The traffic choke points in the vicinity of Jama Masjid continue to be a nightmare and though the Metro has re-connected 'Purani Dilli' with ageing New Delhi, the whizzing two-wheelers, and cycle rickshaws pulled by beasts of burden, add to the atmospheric cacophony.