[Reader-list] No Pizzas for Muslims (of Jamia Nagar)

[S.Fatima]

Fast-food chains don't deliver in Delhi's Muslim
ghetto

Fast-food chains like Domino's and McDonald's usually
refuse home delivery in Jamia Nagar (in Delhi
city)even though this dominantly Muslim neighbourhood,
famed for its Jamia Islamia University, is close to
their New Friends Colony (NFC) outlets. By the way,
Jamia Nagar is not just another unplanned stinky
ghetto--it has wide roads, spacious houses, and proper
addresses. (See the story: Jamia Nagar - Delhi's Rich
Muslim Ghetto)

"We don't deliver there," was the reply when The Delhi
Walla called up Domino's (011-26933951-56) at NFC.
Different responses on different calls: "we are
sorry", or "we haven't started our service there yet."


Ditto with McDonald's. "There are areas we don't
deliver to and Jamia Nagar is one of them," says the
lady manning the McDelivery desk. According to
McDonald's India North & East, "McDelivery ascertain
the delivery area on various internal assessments
including the convenience and safe accessibility of
the area within the permissible timeframe."

OK, fair enough.

It takes less then 10 minutes to drive to Jamia Nagar
from McDoanld's. So is the place not safe enough? An
unusually forthcoming employee at Domino's said, "It's
not a good area. We deliver there only to special
customers." 

Who are these mysterious special customers?

At least author Ms. Rakshanda Jalil, a Jamia Nagar
resident who recently had luminaries like Khushwant
Singh and Sheila Dikshit (Delhi Chief Minister no
less) attending her book launch, is not special
enough. She couldn't coax Domino's to deliver Veggie
Delight with extra olives for her two daughters. 

"They go to faraway blocks of New Friends Colony and
were delivering as far as Sarita Vihar but they won't
come here which is closer", says Ms. Jalil. 

Now listen to the outlets' unofficial excuses:
"customers there don't pay", "addresses are usually
given wrong", and--this takes the pizza—"The Jamia
University students forcibly take pizza boxes from
delivery boys." 

Then why is Pizza Hut able to deliver, and deliver
successfully, to Jamia Nagar? 

A quick phone call put things in perspective. Yes,
Pizza Hut does deliver in Jamia Nagar. Yes, they have
never faced problems. But sorry, they don't deliver
after 7 pm. Reason? Traffic jam! Really? That's
laughable. Jamia is essentially an university campus
with verdant grounds and quiet libraries. Hardly the
stuff traffic jams are made of.

Ms. Jalil says, "Nobody uses the M word. But clearly,
they don't go 'out there' because a different sort of
species resides out there!" 

Achha, those Mussalmaans!


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from:
http://thedelhiwalla.blogspot.com/2008/04/dateline-jamia-nagar-no-pizzas-for.html


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