The Delhi walla's pretension in writing makes me want to lodge a bullet in his balls - Blogger Nimpipi, the woodchuck chucks GO STRAIGHT TO MORE STORIESContact mayankaustensoofi@gmail.com for ad enquiries.She wants other people to bow before her.[Text and picture by Mayank Austen Soofi]When she was in the 10th standard, she wanted to be an air hostess. Now she is in the 12th, and wants to be an IAS officer."Air hostesses have to bend their back for other people," says Ms Neeta Vaid, a 18-year-old school girl who lives in Delhi's Valmiki Sadan, popularly known as Dalit Colony. (This story is the second of a five-part series – The New Dalit, The Changing World of Delhi's 'Untouchables'.) "But district magistrates

The Delhi walla's pretension in writing makes me want to lodge a bullet in his balls - Blogger Nimpipi, the woodchuck chucks GO STRAIGHT TO MORE STORIESContact mayankaustensoofi@gmail.com for ad enquiries.Slum guide for dummies.[Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi]Heady after Slumdog Millionaire's eight Oscars, The Delhi Walla has said tata-bye to monuments. It's slum tourism, for now. While Dharavi in Mumbai has already spawned that trend, Delhi has no such dynamic hub of prosperity in adversity. But should you want to see for yourself how the ‘other half’ lives, I give you a handy primer, taking the Rajiv Gandhi Jhuggi Jhopri camp in east Delhi (next to Karkardooma flyover) as an example.What are slums like?From outside, you might think

The Delhi walla's pretension in writing makes me want to lodge a bullet in his balls - Blogger Nimpipi, the woodchuck chucks GO STRAIGHT TO MORE STORIESContact mayankaustensoofi@gmail.com for ad enquiries.A young man from Kashmir says that India is not his country.[Text and picture by Mayank Austen Soofi]He is half Delhiwalla but the 18-year-old Mr Peerzada Shah Fahad avoids the label. He may have two homes but he says he belongs to only one.Mr Fahad's handicraft trader father has a six-room house in Srinagar but each winter they migrate to this four-room rented apartment in Delhi's Lajpat Nagar, a neighbourhood which is home to the communities of Kashmiris, Afghans amongst others. Here Mr Fahad has made many 'Indian' friends. Here

Sign of the times. [Text as published in a Delhi newspaper; picture by Mayank Austen Soofi] When Arundhati Roy visited the Delhi University campus on February 13, 2008, she was greeted with a slipper thrown by the student group Youth Unity for Vibrant Action (YUVA). The slipper was auctioned for Rs 101, 000 at Jantar Mantar five days later. "When Arundhati Roy came to our campus, a member named Asif Kumar threw his slipper at her to protest her statement that Kashmir should be given to Pakistan. Her statement is against our national interest," said Jairam Pandey, national convenor, YUVA. The slipper was bought by businessman Amitabh Kumar. "I was in Connaught Place for a meeting, when I went for a walk to Jantar Mantar

The Delhi walla's pretension in writing makes me want to lodge a bullet in his balls - Blogger Nimpipi, the woodchuck chucks GO STRAIGHT TO MORE STORIESContact mayankaustensoofi@gmail.com for ad enquiries.He wants to be the world's best saxophone player.[Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi]His father is a sweeper. His grandfather was also a sweeper. His great-grand father too, was a sweeper. But he wants to be the world's best saxophone player."When my mind is filled with tension, I play my saxophone and I feel fresh," says Mr Sanjay Salwan, a 21-year-old school dropout Dalit who lives in Delhi's Valmiki Sadan, popularly known as Dalit Colony. (This story is first of a five-part series – The New Dalit, The Changing

The Delhi walla's pretension in writing makes me want to lodge a bullet in his balls - Blogger Nimpipi, the woodchuck chucks GO STRAIGHT TO MORE STORIESContact mayankaustensoofi@gmail.com for ad enquiries.An insider's gossip on Delhi's most eclectic bookstore.[Text by Jairaj Singh; picture by Mayank Austen Soofi]The author whose father runs this little bookshop, tucked somewhere in south Delhi, doesn't wish the store to be named. Shh, here's a hint: His father has been profiled by The Delhi Walla.When I was in school a classmate once asked me what my father did for a living. I told him he worked in a bookshop. ‘Oh,’ he said. ‘Can he afford to send you to school? All that stationary and textbook stuff must

The Delhi walla's pretension in writing makes me want to lodge a bullet in his balls - Blogger Nimpipi, the woodchuck chucks GO STRAIGHT TO MORE STORIESContact mayankaustensoofi@gmail.com for ad enquiries.This butcher has a lamb's heart.[Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi]Mr Feroze Qureshi, 23, works as a butcher in Nizamuddin Basti, hangs out at PVR Saket, drinks Rum, never misses his namaaz and is presently recovering from a broken heart. His family is one of the oldest in Nizamuddin Basti which itself happens to be one of the oldest settlements of Delhi. But that wasn't the USP for the girl who fell in love with him around two years ago. Mr Qureshi was at the 3C’s mall in Lajpat

The Delhi walla's pretension in writing makes me want to lodge a bullet in his balls - Blogger Nimpipi, the woodchuck chucks GO STRAIGHT TO MORE STORIESContact mayankaustensoofi@gmail.com for ad enquiries.The Bombay star was in Connaught Place.[Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi]Kareena, my kudi, my karisma, my chameli. She was plain Geet in Jab We Met, Pooh in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham but in my Dilli she was just Bebo. Aaj first time itne near se dekha. Film shoot was on. Spotted on the front seat of a red car at Connaught Place's F-Block, opposite Qba, she looked just as she looks on screen – sexy. That didn't stop one powdered lady from sneering, "Kareena has put on so

The Delhi walla's pretension in writing makes me want to lodge a bullet in his balls - Blogger Nimpipi, the woodchuck chucks GO STRAIGHT TO MORE STORIESContact mayankaustensoofi@gmail.com for ad enquiries.Allah is closer to Old Delhi rooftops.[Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi]One afternoon I went knocking around houses at Matia Mahal in Old Delhi asking the residents, "May I please climb to your rooftop?" I was refused. Folks thought I was crazy. But I had my reason. I wanted to see how Jama Masjid looks from rooftops. While thak-thaking around, I met a paan-walla who claimed that his terrace faced Jama Masjid's Gate no. 1. Bingo. We became fast friends and after discussing girls, sex and politics, I asked

The Delhi walla's pretension in writing makes me want to lodge a bullet in his balls - Blogger Nimpipi, the woodchuck chucks GO STRAIGHT TO MORE STORIESContact mayankaustensoofi@gmail.com for ad enquiries.The changing world of Delhi’s 'untouchables'.[Text and picture by Mayank Austen Soofi]A churning is taking place in Delhi's Valmiki Sadan, a landmark of India's freedom struggle. Home to a Valmiki temple, it is an 'untouchable' Dalit settlement where Mahatma Gandhi had stayed from March, 1946 to June, 1947.Valmiki Sadan is also known as Dalit Colony or just the Basti. It lies on Mandir Marg, near Gole Market, a very appropriately named avenue. The stretch here is lined with several houses of worship - Birla Mandir, Kali Mandir, Arya Samaj Mandir,