3 min readNew DelhiJan 10, 2016 01:00 AM IST
First published on: Jan 10, 2016 at 01:00 AM IST
City seeker: Neha Singh.
Where are you from and what brought you to Delhi?
From Lucknow. I came here 18 months ago for a post graduate diploma in advertising and public relations at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). Now, I am a junior communications officer in the public relations department of the Delhi Jal Board.
How has the transition been?
I thoroughly enjoyed my course. I met amazing people and many of them are my friends now. But certain things are difficult here. You are far away from your family, so the emotional support is lacking. Also, the cost of living and the daily commute is very high. Lastly, the security of women has to be worked upon in this city.
Is Lucknow better in that regard?
Yes. There, I can roam around at one in the morning and not be worried about anything but here, it is a different scene altogether. Three months ago, I left my office later than usual and couldn’t find an auto. I saw a group of men observing me. Once they realised that I was alone, they started following me. When I went to the police to complain, they were not cooperative and asked inappropriate questions.
How do you spend your spare time?
I prefer to stay back in my room and watch a movie on my laptop or sleep. Sometimes I go out with my friends to the different historical monuments here (though Lucknow has better ones).
Are there any similarities between these two cities?
The student life. In Lucknow, there were lot of co-curricular activities in my college. So, I found a similar environment here at IIMC, where I met people who were really talented and into co-curricular activities and would try out new things.
How have you benefited from living in Delhi?
Delhi has made me more assertive and confident. It has made me realise that you cannot sit back and relax. Every day is a new day and you have to prove your worth constantly if you want to stay in the race. The people here are wonderful. You can talk to them and have an intellectually satisfying discussion at any point of time.
City Seekers: A series on migrants in urban India.
City seeker: Neha Singh.
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