Whose Mumbai is it?

The first two weeks of february generated a lot of heat in Mumbai. MNS chief Raj Thackeray popped up a question which created a lot of chaos in the city. Politicians and Media kept the issue open for a long time, started a blame-game, challenged each other and then left the entire episode inconclusive. Keeping an eye on the entire issue as a mute spectator so far, I have some suggestions and points which i feel should have been considered.

1. In 1983, 70% taxi-owners were Maharashtrians, the figure is 10% today. Where are those ppl? or is it that the number is stagnant and others have outnumbered them?

2. If there are lot of illegal slums used as shelter by migrants in the city, then who provided them electricity and water for daily living.

3. When nobody bothers about observing the lane discipline and lowering the traffic and accidents, then why does the goverment spend a lot maintaining them. It is comparitively easy to make Mumbai a city like Shanghai but hard to discipline the citizens for not converting it into Dhaka.

4. Constitution was written in 1950, more than 55 years ago. So, when are we going to make an amendment in it? Are we waiting for the situation to go out of control?

5. One politician who raised his voice was none other than our Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav. Why don’t Lalu take a ride in local train from Thane to Dadar during the peak hours as a common man? Lalu can make arrangements for his 9 childrens in Bihar but not everybody can. Mumbai continues to lure them for money.

6. Kolkata and Delhi are other Metropolitan cities much closer to UP and Bihar. What is so special in Mumbai? What is here which is wooing parties like SP and BSP? What does these parties mean by slogans like “UP hamari hai, ab Maharshtra ki baari hai” and “UP to jhaanki hai, Maharashtra abhi baaki hai”?

7. What measures have been taken to provide jobs to poors in UP and Bihar? Is there lack of political will that stops these states from catching up with other states?

8. Why does it always happen with people from UP and Bihar and not others?

9. Why don’t we make such hue and cry in US where Indians are called Browns and are victim of hate-crimes?

10. Who should be held responsible if a situation like July 26, 2005 arises in the city?

11. What should a farmer of Vidarbh region, belonging to the same state, should expect from politicians who are busy all the time solving only the problems of financial capital of the country?

I am not an ardent supporter of MNS and I fully condemn the way this situation is handled but you can’t make someone think what is bad or what is good unless and until he is a happy man. Till then, such things will only bring shame to the country. We haven’t understood gravity of the situation and our lackadaisical attitude is akin to something written on an illusory blackboard with a non-existant chalk.