Mumbai Woman’s Post On Delhi Treating Visitors As ‘Outsiders’ Meets With Backlash

It is not uncommon for people visiting new cities to feel out of place. Frequently, we witness people on the internet praising their own cities. Among others, Delhi and Mumbai dwellers are seen criticising each other over life in the two metropolitan cities. Similarly, a Mumbai woman’s recent post about how visitors are treated in Delhi has sparked a debate on social media. She noted that those who come to Delhi are termed as “outsiders” and the city is dominated by Punjabis.

Sanskriti Naruka, a resident of Mumbai, shared her take on visiting Delhi. She wrote an open letter addressed to “everyone coming to Delhi” on X. The note stated, “To, Everyone Coming to Delhi. You will be treated as OUTSIDERS in Delhi if you don’t speak Punjabi or make an effort to speak Punjabi.Write it down, Share it around. We ain’t Joking. DELHI BELONGS TO PUNJABIS PERIOD.”

The post, which has received over 493,000 views, has triggered verbal arguments among social media users. Many crowded the comment section to refute the woman’s claims about Delhi being unwelcoming.

Many people who have lived in Delhi for years were completely against the woman’s opinion. A person stated, “Been in Delhi from last 13 years, never faced discrimination, never saw anyone doing discrimination based on language. Delhi dilwalon ki hai.” Another user, who seemed quite offended, stated, “Totally untrue. I’m a Punjabi myself and I can’t speak more than 2 sentences of Punjabi. Law enforcement is an issue, I agree but I’ve lived 26 yrs of my life in Delhi and it’s truly a cosmopolitan city. There are far more non-Punjabis in Delhi than Punjabis.”

Some people who shifted to Delhi from other cities were also against her claims. An individual mentioned, “I shifted to Delhi three months ago, and I say it’s 100 %, totally, entirely wrong!” Another person noted that the woman might not have interacted with a varied group while in Delhi. “Never experienced this. your dataset is limited,” said a person.

A person also joked, “Having spent my entire childhood there, I can confidently say that’s 100% wrong. However, if you’re not asking for mayonnaise 2-3 times while eating momos, you’ll definitely be seen as an outsider!” Some also claimed that the situation is quite similar in Mumbai. “Same happens in Mumbai… Marathi is a must,” noted an individual.