In the quiet yet eclectic setting of their home in upmarket Vasant Vihar, JK Organisation’s director Nidhipati Singhania sits comfortably with his two sons and special executives of JK Cement Ltd, Raghavpat and Madhavkrishna Singhania, reminiscing about his experiences of the city he has resided in for over 25 years and the one that has a special place in his heart. “When I shifted to Delhi 25 years ago, I would often take my children for a drive to Rashtrapati Bhavan and India Gate. We would take the car inside the premises and through India Gate which is now barricaded completely. The freedom to go wherever we wanted, whenever we wanted characterised Delhi and its culture, and people made it what it was,” says a jovial Nidhipati.
Both his sons did most of their schooling in Delhi but went abroad for higher studies. Home for them, however, is still Delhi. “I was born in Kanpur but came here when I was five. I finished a part of my schooling in Delhi and then went to the UK for higher studies. And though I have spent as many years outside Delhi as in it, if I had a choice to move somewhere else, I’d decline because this is home,” says Raghavpat, the elder of the two siblings.
Madhavkrishna says Delhi is a city of convenience and one that has to be experienced to be loved. “The city’s infrastructure has been upgraded quite a lot with the Metro and international airport, and it has in a way become a symbol of development over the past decade. The fact remains that Delhi is a melting pot of cultures. Each day sees a new resident but the city still manages to preserve its history,” he says.
The changes in the city have been quick and tangible for both good and bad, say the brothers. As Raghavpat points out: “As kids, we were free to roam around the city even though there were no cellphones at the time. Now safety has become a major concern. Also, with the increase in population and vehicles, parking is a problem in every area.”
But the city’s transformation has also led to new cultures setting in. “A remarkable change has been in the shopping culture. A decade ago, nothing imported was available in the market. I remember, a trip to Bombay meant imported chocolates. Now that the mall culture has set in, everything is easily available,” says Raghavpat.
Referring to the major transformation in the city, Nidhipati says, “We have been in Delhi for a long time now and I remember when we moved to Vasant Vihar, my boys could walk down to their school. Now I do not think anybody would allow their children to do so. That’s the difference.”
Adding that Delhi must work harder to preserve its heritage, and that today the city lacks basic infrastructural planning and is a victim of brain drain, Nidhipati says, “We say we do not have planners, but when there are so many people from India who are planning for people of countries all over the world, why can’t we? Why can’t we use their expertise do to some planning here? We have witnessed an increase in population and infrastructure has increased too. But then why are we allowing vertical buildings to come up? Why not go horizontal and go out of Delhi with infrastructures where people can stay in the outskirts of Delhi and come to the city for work? In the US, you will find people staying in the outskirts and coming in only for work.”
The family, which has had a long association with the city, says that if worked on properly, the city could offer the best to all its residents. All it needs is a bit of tweaking. “I have seen the best of Delhi in my time. I remember walking through Lutyens’ Delhi and the greens of the central and south regions. Of course, infrastructural development has also turned out to be both a blessing and a curse. Blessing because we have now structures that we can be proud of, and curse because the development has paid its price in terms of an increase in labour migration and hutments all across the city. Structural planning is the only solution,” says Nidhipati.
Raghavpat adds the national capital is also being divided into regions, and surprisingly people take pride in it. “People would pompously identify themselves with the region they reside in. It’s degrading to the society of Delhi. We are a great city, and we must preserve its culture and unity which are both its souls,” he says.