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Leaving Delhi
3

Chanchal Kumar

Leaving Delhi.

Won’t start by saying it was bad. It was good, in that I survived. Delhi is like a festering wound that stops to plug. Every time I have to visit it, I hope it will be better than the last time. But no.

Anyway, Delhi could be slightly better if:

  1. Water

Since the people are who they are. Cue: *Ye Dilli hai mere yaar, Bas Ishq, mohabbat, pyar*. I hope you understand that Delhi is the capital of India. And like every capital city in the world, it too, is the best city in India. Every amenity is provided. And the politicians? Let’s not get into that for everyone’s safety.

Anyway, I visited Delhi to receive my M.Phil marksheet and passing certificate. And I was lucky I passed, lmao. I totally thought I was going to flunk it. Had to make circles around the university though. But I had already guessed I would have to. What I hadn’t guessed is that I would be admitted to a PhD course. So that’s a win. Or is it? Welcome 3 more years of perpetual headache. I’m thinking of the act of lynching in South Asia. I thought it could be a fascinating study. I mean, the cause in India is clear. But what about other countries? My supervisor suggests “… Your topic is best addressed via an anthropological approach. Cultural anthropology with a sociological perspective.

Best. And Dr. Debraj Mookerjee has an interesting point to make.

But I’ll just submit a poem.

Fuck this city. And fuck PhD.

I love getting rejected. It’s my secret kink.

I’d say a lot more, but I was almost a witness to a grisly train accident. And the state of Indian railways is not that bad. At least they are trying. Same as you and me.

Anyway, I hope I reach in One Piece.

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Chanchal Kumar is a PhD scholar at University of Delhi and teacher at JJ College, Koderma, Jharkhand.

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