Mumbai, the city that never sleeps; the financial capital of India; the one place that, I have heard from times immemorial, let’s people be and live life the way they want…the city of dreams – that do come true.
Alas! What Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Raj Thackeray and his men have done today in Mumbai is for me a shame. What with the MNS and its goonda’s getting on road and beating up people who were ‘outsiders’ (really wonder how many of these goonda’s were true breed Maharashtrians). Images where MNS were slapping people who were in transit, merchants who were apparently of
As I watched this piece of news, I was flooded with mixed emotions of grief and anger. Grief towards people who fall prey and indulge in activities such as these, grief towards ‘rape’ of democracy and the beauty of integrity in diversity which our nation stands for. Anger towards politicians who choose topics such as these, as their agenda to win elections. Anger towards people like me who elect politicians and give them authority to influence the governance.
Who gives one right to assault another? Who gives a politician and his party worke
rs authority to vandalize and behave like criminals? Are we who have witnessed this crime, supporters of this crime against Human Rights? Is this the price a nation pays once in a while to maintain its integrity and diversity? Are these issues of caste, creed, origin and city really sensitive issues or are they ‘politically sensitive’ issues?
I am as much a part of the crime as Raj Thackeray, as you or that guy who belongs to MNS or that guy who got hit by the MNS. We fuel the terriorist/criminal instincts of people such as Raj Thackeray instead of helping them tune their energies and intelligence towards positive outcomes. I am ashamed of my electoral right, of my diversity which makes us forget our integrity for a while. Was it not the ‘outsiders’ who stood with the ‘insiders’ in the past, the past that was not so long ago, such as the blasts, the floods, the riots and many more such?
What do you have to say Raj?
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I agree that physical violence was wrong. The constitution gives right to every Indian to live and work in any part of India (including Kashmir!). However there is an implicit expectation that when a person calls a place their home, they should assimilate into the local culture, learn & speak in the local language in their public life and develop a sense of belonging to the place they have settled at. What happens in Mumbai is unfortunately far from this ideal. People living in Mumbai for decade, even for generations (born & raised there) simply refuse to speak in Marathi. As a result it has become impossible to survive there without knowing..err..Hindi!
ReplyDeleteVisualize this scenario in any other part of the country including UP, Bihar wherein the local language is slowly being replaced by another one and you will realize that people will react the same way. I can probably write more as I have several years of first hand experience in how things have deteriorated in Mumbai but suffice to say just this: Be a Maharashtrian while living in Maharashtra!
Suhas,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. I hail from Bangalore, a sleepy little town that exploded as the IT Capital of India. The local population here is in minority, most people speak Hindi or have been forced by circumstances to learn that language.
Now, i think thats a part of growth and evolution. Does that deserve violence? Does Anger and inhumanly gestures justify it?
I understand and experience what you are going through, but i do not think the answer to that is violence, definitely not political violence.
I agree. There are thousands of Marathi Migrants in US and all over the world, what if they start the same treatment to them? Is Raj Thackery going to ensure them employment, housing if they have to return to MAHARASHTRA? like the thousands who fleed from MH?
ReplyDeleteAlso, :-) If north india turns its back on Maharashtrians ... Guess what ! Our President would have to board the next Rajadhani from Delhi. Delhi is north india when i last heard ! and Prathibha Patil is a maharashtrian eh ? :-)