The Mumbai vs. Delhi
Debate Decoded

chillibreeze writer — Chitra Iyer

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There are some national pastimes that stand the test of time, irrespective of how vastly generations and lifestyles change. For the British, it’s talking about the weather, and for Americans, its making fun of Canadians. In India, no matter which part of it you live in or hail from, you cannot have escaped from the eternal Delhi vs. Mumbai (or Mumbai vs. Delhi, depending on which team you are on) debate.

Even though these two cities have changed beyond recognition over the last couple of decades, this is one debate that refuses to go away! I believe such eternal debates are meant never to be resolved because they provide such entertainment for everyone. They are just meant to be enjoyed. As someone who grew up in Delhi and worked in Mumbai for over a decade, and a veteran of this debate with varied audiences, I feel compelled to add my two cents. With due respect to debate purists, I’m attempting to decode and not resolve it. For the benefit of first time debaters, aspiring champions, social psychologists or just plain fun seekers - here is your guide to making the most of any DMMD debate you have the fortune of being in the middle of.

The first critical clue to making sense of the debate is to check who is doing the debating – this is crucial to the way the arguments are going to be stacked up. For example, if it’s an expat (a group that’s taken to the DMMD debate like a fish to water), chances are that the Mumbai nightlife will trump Delhi, and Delhi quality of life (read: large houses, more domestic help, more parks) will win. If it’s a member of one of South Mumbai’s posh families, chances are they will think ‘Delhi Culture’ is non-existent – but they are also quite likely to have the same opinion of Mumbai beyond Bandra. This group’s views are best ignored. They literally live on an island. What about the immigrant white collar worker? The guy from Bangalore or Chennai who has been to both places? The outcome depends on where he is living and where he is visiting. If he lives in Delhi and visits Mumbai occasionally, he will most likely think Mumbai is some sort of party paradise on steroids - no matter how tired his colleagues are, they will be ready to get down to the nearest watering hole for a drink after a long day.

This is true – people in Mumbai do seem to have higher energy levels, but then there is more to a city than its after-work party scene. Like dealing with local trains, endless traffic jams on snake-thin streets, or eating bhel puri next to a gutter that smells like a toxic dump. Delhi doesn’t do that; so know when to concede a point.

Second, what time of the year is this debate being held? As a rule, Delhiites trump in winter-time arguments simply because Delhi is prettier and busier during its crisp winters. It gives the Dilliwallahs an extra dose of energy and they vociferously defend the bustling cultural life of Delhi during winter. If it’s a monsoon-time argument, Mumbai-dwellers have a similar extra dose of confidence. Mumbai is just prettier in the monsoons - you can’t beat the joy of a cozy rainy Sunday afternoon spent in the company of friends and Mr. Budweiser, watching endless rain washing away the fatigue from everything. The season gives the debater new wings – so choose your side wisely.

The age of the group is pretty important too. I’ve been in the DMMD debate with school kids and their perspective is quite different from college kids and middle aged women. However, the most entertaining battles are observed amongst retired folk. They can’t decide – and perhaps often forget- during the debate that it’s an inter-city debate and not an inter-decade one. Somewhere en route, the focus shifts in general to how useless everyone and everything is now -irrespective of city - compared to ‘the good old days’. You’d be best off just enjoying it as an observer – or you are danger of being pulled into a whole new debate that you will not win (or enjoy).

I’ve attended several Mumbai-Delhi weddings, and while this is like a pilgrimage for the ardent DMMD debate fan, for the first-timer it can be bewildering. I’ve been in situations where guests – forgetting the traditional friendly rivalry between bride and groom’s families – have switched allegiance based on city; leading to pitched ego battles that needed third-party intervention. Whatever the situation, a Delhi bride-Mumbai groom (or vice versa) wedding is fertile ground for the debate hunter; and I for one never miss a chance to attend them! It is always good practice.

For the debate newbie, there are so many new observations you can make to add fodder to your argument – whatever side you are on. So don’t be afraid to experiment and throw in anything that catches your eye. Go beyond the obvious comparisons and stump your fellow debaters with random observations. The dogs, dog owners and dog parks in the two cities; the nature of office receptionists; public transport policy; grocery stores and the concept of home delivery; business ethics of the mafia, criminals or powerful; the various uses of open spaces; the queuing system at theatres; the toilet habits of pavement dwellers; the nicknames (for example, while you will hear DU a lot, you will never hear MU- why?); traffic cop uniforms; advertising on walls, trains, trucks and auto rickshaws; the local Chaiwala (from the difference in cups sizes to the conversation, a book could be written); the street food habits of the rich and famous…the opportunities are endless.

In the end, if you can’t decode it, resolve it or walk away from it, just confuse it even more - and you are officially in the game.

 

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Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in July, 2011. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.

 

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—About our writer: Chitra Iyer has an MBA (Marketing) and a master's in Global Media & Communications, from the London School of Economics. She has worked for over 12 years as a marketing professional with MNCs including Tata Sky and Procter & Gamble, handling core areas like digital marketing and customer relationship marketing (CRM). She is currently self-employed, travels extensively and is a keen observer of consumer and brand interactions, especially in lifestyle and retail product categories. Chitra writes business features, book reviews, technical reports, travel articles and short stories.

 

 

 

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