the battle

I like this - from 'inhaling the Mahatma': "what makes India such a wonder, such a contested place... (is that)... Indians have not retreated into themselves yet. They're fully engaged in the battle of life. We like this environment of tamasha (fuss). Everyone must have their rights. Everyone is fighting to be heard."

That certainly accords with the din and dash of daily life in Delhi. There is an urgency in the air as spaces on roads and footpaths are contested. A thin line divides those who are comfortable and those who are not. Nerves show in job interviews and door to door CV spruiking, in the taps on car windows and the hawkers cries. The battle for betterment is everywhere.

People are complaining about the impact of Mumbai on tourism, and business. The taxi drivers recite their woes like a mantra: "last January much busier, those terrorists ruin it for everybody" said one last week. The line just got thinner.