Mumbai's Trial By Fire
In India, as perhaps in any other country, the inhabitants of any town, city or village are usually very proud of the culture and characteristics of the particular place of habitation. When viewed by a neutral observer, however, the same values that are loftily vaunted by the local residents may not appear that attractive, and rightly so. In this context, the super large cities (or metropolises) of India have unique characteristics of their own. Residents of each city proudly boast about the distinct cultures of their cities. Again, a dispassionate examination of these cultures may leave a lot to be desired and may also be mildly repulsive in certain cases. For example, New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, and Bangalore have grown into great centres of cosmopolitan culture. Yet, most of these cities have some peculiar and inextricable characteristics that may put a new visitor in a state of unease on certain occasions. New Delhi is infamous for its notorious cabs and treacherous streets. Kolka...