Monday

Mumbai belongs to you?

My name is Khan, Bombay has space only for the Marathi manoos, The UP-Biharis saved Bombay during the 26/11 attacks...and what not make the headlines today. All of these why because everyone wants to stake claim to Bombay!

SRK is the Badshah of entertainment not for no reason! He truly entertains. He owns a cricket team not for no reason! He is an astute buisnesman too. So does he have a right to opine and chose what is best for him? Last I knew we were a Democracy and every individual rich or poor had a voice that could be used when required! Do Politicos have to interfere in every individuals life to grab headlines? I mean have they ever thought they if they spent all that unused energy for the development of Maharashtra or for the good of The people, helped them earn a living, they may earn more blessings and a robust following?

Why does Hindi cinema or Sports have to be mixed with Politics? It feels that our politicians have nothing credible to say, nothing substantial to report, so they pick up 'popular following' of the rich and famous and target them- cause it is much easier to have the Media shutterbugs follow them then with no effort!That's cheap guys!

Earn your credit! Bombay is not a small house or a land that you the politicians can grab and sit on and claim as yours! It is a big city in case you have forgotten, with many state/language speaking people residing in it. So don't tag the city! Leave it well alone.

11 comments:

melinda said...

Sharukh says he wont apologize to the Sena. Stick to that Srk. We would hate to see you having to do a Kjo and scrape before the goonda Thackerays.

ashish said...

It was only in 1960 that Bombay was declared the capital of Maharashtra. So, are all those who built Bombay and their descendants to be kicked out then? Or will they be declared honorary citizens? So on and so forth in this vein will only lead to bizarre conclusions. Of course, Raj Thackeray is not asking for this, he only wishes that migrants would stop pouring in - something I'm sure every Mumbaikar has thought of at least once. What marks him out is that he's the head of a political party and is interested in reaping the dividends of raking up what's a hugely emotional issue. Congress is way too impotent and chooses to turn a deaf ear to its citizens angst. So who is raking in the issue to Advantage?The goonda sainiks! Who have no Agenda so will make the language issue an agenda when all else fails!

gita said...

If I lived in Mumbai, should I be forced to speak Marathi? My personal opinion is that nobody should be forced to learn anything. People who choose not to learn a local language are missing something special. It's their loss.

sanjiv said...

Jaspal Bhatti, has a unique take and he as usual turns to satire in order to get his point across. He got it right when he 'formed' a Divide India film festival, where movies of all languages would be screened, but with one rider. Maharashtrians could only watch Marathi films. Punjabis only Punjabi films and so on. People entering theatres would be asked for an ID card with domicile status. And what would happen if, say a Bengali slipped in to watch a Kannada film? Bhatti's recommendation is simple - we shall beat him up before we administer first aid!

Aijaz Pitafi said...

Your point of view carry a strong message, apart from exhaling annoyance and disappointment. Sanjiv has put up the best description of this on-going scenario.

Shweta said...

Too much of Indian ‘nationalism’ is about owning and belonging instead of helping and supporting. Places are constantly dehumanized so that they become objects which can be claimed or owned. But what about the people who live there ? Mumbai does belong to Mumbaikars, the 17 million odd who work, sweat, struggle and relax in the maximum city everyday. Biharis, Tamils, Manipuris and Kashmiris are welcome to visit, live, stay and become Mumbaikars, but you have to let the city own you before you can say whom it belongs to.

john said...

Every politician wants to say mumbai belongs to this one or that one ... but no one seems to care about how the hell people travel in trains, the inhuman living conditions the poor live in. How people in slums have almost no facilities like toilets, water. How it has become difficult to even breathe in this city ... there is almost no footpath to walk on... not many playgrounds for kids to prance in. Its ironic that a vast majority in Mumbai live a dog's life in this city. It doesn't matter for politicians as long as they get their vote banks. It is time there is serious discussion on how infrastructure can be improved in this city ... and also how there can be growth in villages all over India and not just the cities. Otherwise this crazy blame game will one day kill Mumbai completely by razing it to the ground!

RavneetSingh said...

Shiv Sena on the one hand says Mumbai is for "Marathi Manoos". At the same time it has a problem when Australians beat up Indians in Australia who take up opportunities from native people.

Isn't Australia for "Australian Manoos" if we apply Shiv sena's logic? What problem does Shiv Sena have if local Australian goondas take law into their own hands? Maybe I am missing something...?

pat said...

Bombay is too big a concept to belong to anyone! It is everyone's - and it's that fact that's made the city what it is today - one of te best to live in (despite 24 hour running water coninuing to be a problem in some parts)!

Jim said...

Bombay is not the dreamland for nothing! Despite its massive problems it attracts business, youth, culture, art, hoi polloi, common man, families, education, politicos, investments, reality etc etc- and what are politicians all about? They smell opportunities before opportunities are hatched! So naturally Bombay being the hotbed of opportunities politicians will always meddle with Bombay- try to appropriate it to make an agenda out of it!

sheila said...

Ridiculous has got redefined to a new low by the Sr senile Thackeray! He punches below the belt by saying "frustration sets in when a person doesn't get married 'despite advancing age' and the Congress MP is a victim of this disease". Wah Mr B Thackeray do u even realize how ludicrous you sound to your own ears or do you play deaf and dumb with yourself?