India, Nov. 11 -- It may shock outsiders, but for Delhiites this is an annual recurrence. The air is thick with smog, and breathing it is a daily torment. What would be declared a medical emergency in many countries has, in Delhi, become the 'new normal'. With the Air Quality Index (AQI) crossing 600 in parts of the national capital - a level classified as severe - the city has turned into a gas chamber where each breath feels like inhaling poison.
The annual cycle of smog, blame, and silence has returned - but this year something is different. Delhiites have decided to take no more. For a change, they are protesting in large numbers. They are no longer silent spectators. Over the weekend, hundreds gathered at India Gate, demanding immedia...