My favourite take on the Raj Thackeray controversy came from Cyrus Broacha in CNN IBN's "The week that wasn't". As part of the weather broadcast, Mr. Broacha says that Raj Thackeray has banned winter in Mumbai because he doesn't like anything that comes from the north. While the only way to take Raj Thackeray seriously is to joke about him, if only it were that easy. Yet, thankfully, people in Mumbai are seeing this controversy for what it is: a marginalised politician grasping at straws, a year ahead of elections.
Raj Thackeray's MNS was formed, in 2006, with much fanfare as an inclusive party. Remember this was the same Thackeray that invited Michael Jackson to perform in Mumbai, as part of the Shiv Udyog Sena (website apparently defunct) a scheme to provide employment to the poor, unemployed Marathi Manoos. Till date, no one knows whatever became of that scheme. Ironically, Mr. Thackeray's inclusive "Mee Mumbaikar" campaign, an inclusive effort, also died a quick death.
In the present day, one needs to put this into political perspective. Raj Thackeray's best shot at any meaningful position of power is via an alliance. But with which political party? The Congress is comfortable with the NCP. The Shiv Sena surely won't take him back. The BJP, with it's existing alliance with the Sena, can't tie up with him. Of the smaller parties, the BSP would prefer a stronger partner. Which leaves the SP, which Mr. Thackeray has now taken on, leaving him now completely isolated.
Mr. Thackeray is also increasingly uncomfortable with the Sena's preparations for next year's state assembly elections. Recall, that the Shiv Sena is on a comeback trail, winning the BMC elections last year and with smaller victories like the by-elections in Ramtek. Recall also that late last year, Uddhav Thackeray's stands on relief for debt-ridden farmers (last year he held up the ULCRA repeal over this issue). While the Sena lusts at going it alone on its home-ground, it is also painfully aware that's its partner the BJP is thinking on similar lines, as was obvious by the BJP's cold-shoulder to the Sena in its recent Modi rally in Mumbai. But that's another matter altogether.
So, without any platform, without any alliance, without any achievement, what does it's leader do? Go back to his roots. Only four years back, the Shiv Sena was at Dadar and Borivali stations beating up Biharis as they stepped out for the Railway exams. To that extent, what happened in these last few days isn't without precedent. But today Uddhav Thackeray is playing the same game in a different way. Sample his demands for housing quotas for Maharashtrians, or sample his anti-ULCRA rally earlier this year, an event in which many people were paid to participate.
Make no mistake, the tactics of both the cousins are rooted in the same Sena politics. Turf before city. The difference in the game is that Uddhav wants to be seen as protecting the Marathi manoos by "fighting for their rights", Raj wants to be seen as attacking those threatening the same Marathi manoos. I doubt he's won any supporters with this recent antic. And I think he knew that even before orchestrating the whole incident. Why then? I think he's behaving like any kid faced with a losing position in a game. The natural response to which is - if I can't win, I won't let you win. And that's what this is about.
The law and order situation is obviously deplorable. Ordinary, innocent people getting beaten up for no fault of theirs is criminal. Unfortunately, this is also Mumbai tradition. The Police will expectedly appear late at the incident. FIRs will be filed and quickly forgotten. All the political parties - the Congress, NCP, Sena and BJP - would condemn the incident, while gloating gleefully privately. Not a single one of them will want to go after Raj Thackeray, instead using familiar platitudes like "It will only incite more violence". Privately of course they're all gloating in glee as they now have one less opponent next year.
And yet again, once again it's the Mumbaikar, not the Bihari, not the Marathi, not the "outsider", but the Mumbaikar who bears the brunt of these needless political games.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
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13 comments:
Well, he is a politician and he has to start somewhere.
He is modelling his career on the phenomenal and runaway and unchallenged success of the career of Balasaheb.Today he is the venerable leader of the Maharashtrians but he did not start that way.It only goes to show that people do not follow leaders,they make leaders to follow them.Unless the leades reflect the aspirations of the people,how would they be successful.People,the ordinary people are basically proud and they want someone who talks about their pride,real or illusory.Are we not all living in illusions?So Life is a set of your illusions and Raj's illusions,Raj is career centred and prima facie he has made his choice, for now,clear.Where you are centred,whose point of view you reflect?56% Maharashtrian Mumbaikar or 21% North Indian Mumbaikar?Commenting from the sideline non-committally or crying mildly in the wildernesss does not serve any purpose?So tell me what you want to happen?Politicians should not do politics also means business man should not do business,Professionals should not do anything to further their profession and everything should come to a standstill?Politics is taking sides and fighting for their side,sometimes violently,but violence is a tool of politics,basically anything emotional and sensational makes people to sit up and take notice and all such tools are employed by politicians,you cannot blame a politician for playing politics?Logic is not politics,commentary or bemoaning is politics,it is a field game,perhaps you will blame soldiers for violently shooting at rhe enemy soldiers,it is their matter of life and death...your writing will serve a purpose if you present the case from the POV of both sides,or from one of the sides you choose..
Anon at 9:28pm - Indeed and what a start. Thanks for the comment.
Anon at 1.13pm - Thanks for the long comment, and putting the issue into perspective.
It's funny how both of us view politics. If we elect leaders so that we can follow them, then it's a sad state of affairs.
However, if we've put them there so that they can create illusions for all of us to live in and that we can all share that same illusion and then divide ourselves into camps, after which we beat those who aren't with us, because well, that's politics and politics is about fighting for your side, because who said politics was about logic? Interesting line of thought, but sorry, I'd rather my politicians do something for the city. That's all I'm asking. Also, I didn't get the part where I have to choose a side. I'm just a Mumbaikar and I would prefer it to stay that way rather than belong to one camp.
Thanks for your different POV. I think it clearly explains the politics of all that's gone wrong in Mumbai.
interesting perspectives..the logical being that a lost politician is trying to get back into the limelight ..but he is playing a game himself..unfortunately while we intelligent, urban people can discuss this , millions of innocents are getting killed or affected ..thats not warranted to make a point , right
Backpakker - I'm not sure I fully got that but thanks for the comment!
Love it when someone talks sense!
I am so sick of hearing stuff like "...but why don't they learn Marathi?"; "...you can't deny biharis are aggressive!"; One friend actually said (and she is married to a guy from MP!)"We Tamilians settle everywhere without creating any trouble!"; "It's not against all North Indians, basically it's only .. you know how biharis are....."
We Indians never learn!
I anyway can't remember any bihari being in any way more aggressive to me then people from any other region in India...(cab drivers everywhere are a pain, sales people fawn until you've paid and then they do not know you) and let's suppose they were, I will not turn to Mr R T for support. He does not have MY vote.
Indian Home Maker - Yup, it is frustrating to hear stuff like that and unfortunately, "R T"'s playing exactly that card. Thanks for your comment.
Get the biharis out and bombay will be a nice place to live....if you cant then dont complain about Bombay being not a city to live in...Marathi Manoos...let me see how many of you allow a bihari to hawk outide your home...its a misconception that bombay will stop working if biharis leave....hahahahahah
Anon - yeah, as long as you add "hahhaaa" to your comment because I am lol at it!
think it this way....what if goods produced in maharshtra are boycotted by every other state....ask mr bajaj if he is ok with selling all his pulsars only in maharshtra....
RT's logic is regressive....people hire north indians because they are cheap labour...it makes business sense..just like outsourcing.....any other logic doesnt work
Anon - interesting perspective, thanks for the comment.
Bombay a part of Konkan was illegally renamed to Mumbai, by people who had no authority, as not being it's original people, and as being unhistorical and pure mythology. Bombay was renamed to mumbai by the shiv sena in 1995 when it came to power in coalition with the right wing Hindu nationalist party BJP in an attempt to erase evidence of the city's past and cosmopolitanism and multi-lingual character. The national government, though still controlled by the Indian National Congress, approved the change readily, because of their weak standing for the upcoming elections. (They ended up losing to the BJP-led coalition anyway.)
The Shiv Sena has many policies that discriminated against non-Marathas and Muslims, and this name change seemed to be one more divisive measure. Bombay was created by the Portuguese and the British from a cluster of malarial islands, and to them should go the baptismal rights. The history of the Mumbadevi temple is interesting and determines the claim of Mumbai.
Under England 's mercantilist policy, industries came to be set up in Bombay , and to man those factories, people were imported from the hinterlands. Thus the Marathi people began to pour into Bombay and soon came to dominate its demography, reducing its original people to a minority. A Maratha woman by the name of Mumba who subsequently settled in Bombay built the Mumbadevi temple and gave the temple here own name this is not surprising since the advait hindus believe that every soul is a god. Later, in order to justify themselves, the maratha people with their brute majority invented a myth that "the temple is about six centuries old: Mumbaraka, a sadistic giant who frequently plundered the place at the time. Terrorized by these unwelcome visits, the locals pleaded with the god Brahma, Creator of all things to protect them. Brahma then "pulled out of his own body", an eight armed goddess who vanquished Mumbaraka. Brought to his knees, Mumbaraka implored the goddess to adopt his name and built a temple in her honour. She still stands there, an orange faced goddess on an altar strewn with marigolds: devotees believe that those who seek her divine favour are never disappointed."
Given the history of the Mumbadevi temple, it is obvious that the claim that 'Mumbai' is the original name of the city of Bombay is merely mythurgic: the malicious invention of the Maratha colonists as an instrument of Cultural Genocide, by destroying the original names and replacing them with Maharashtrianised names!
The renaming rests entirely on the goon power of the Maratha colonists' Brown Shirt party, the terrorist organisation that styles itself the Shiv Sena.
It is interesting that the Maratha people and Bal Keshav Thackeray the big boss of shiv sena who was born in Pune are not fighting to have Pune, the former Poona , be restored to its original Punaka.
As a result of their sustained agitation in the 1950s, the government of India after its independence included Bombay into the newly recreated province of Maharashtra and latter in 1995 also renamed the city as Mumbai, as the Maratha people demanded.
But the Marathas are not satisfied merely with colonizing the former British Konkan ( Bombay , Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts), they must also covet the Portuguese Konkan - the so-called " Goa ". Indeed it is imperative for them to do so, in order to prevent the reclamation of the British Konkan and the attendant expulsion of the Maratha colonialists there. This imperative to consumate their crime pushes them in their program of Genocide against the Konkani nation. They wish to colonise the entire Konkan and destroy entirely the Konkani nation - commit genocide!
This Genocide takes the shape of renaming of places and landmarks, forcing the non-marathas to learn the marathi language and of denigrating the Konkani people as somehow inferior - a corrupted branch of the Maratha people.
The imposition of Marathi and Maharashtrianized names is intended to sever the intimate and vital connection of the Konkani nation with its homeland, the Konkan, thus make the Konkani rootless. This is Genocide; it is also Imperialism and Colonialism. By these tactics, the Maratha people wish to swallow up and destroy the last vestiges of the Konkani nation and eat up their land, leaving them to be merely a memory.
BOMBAY.
Grounds for the exclusion of Bombay & Konkan from Maharashtra
The arguments urged in favour of separating Bombay from Maharashtra are set out below :
(1) Bombay was never a part of Maharashtra but a part of Konkan which the Marathas invaded and colonised.
(2) Bombay is a trade centre for vast areas outside Maharashtra . Therefore, Bombay cannot be claimed by Maharashtra . It belongs to the whole of India .
(3) It would be wrong to place the owners (gujratis,marwaris,sindhis,jains,parsis,punjabis,shettys,etc) of trade and industry in Bombay under the control of Maratha politicians.
(4) The Marathas want Bombay because they want to live on the surplus of Bombay .
(5) The Maratha Politicians have not learnt the lesson from 26/7 and are allowing illegal constructions and slums to flourish in Bombay thereby putting the lives of everyone at risk during Monsoons. The Maratha politicians receive most of their funds from the builders lobby and hence they will pass any rules which the builders lobby demands. The Maratha politicians are clearing all building proposals inspite of acute shortage of water supply in Bombay . The Maratha politicians allowed the Bandra-Kurla project to go ahead inspite of knowing that the Bandra-Kurla project would block the mouth of Mithi river. The Maratha politicians are selling away the last few open spaces left in Bombay to the builders lobby. Another cloudburst and there will be far more damage in Bombay than what happened on 26/7.
(6) The Maratha politicians are not interested in solving the water crisis in Bombay .
(7) The Maratha politicians are responsible for all the corruption in BMC, Collectors office, Ration Office , Bombay Police , etc.
(8) The Maratha politicians are only interested in looting Bombay and rest of Konkan.
(9) Maratha nationalism has led to anti-foreigner sentiments, with calls for non-Marathas to be banished from the state. The Shiv Sena, a Maratha political party will continue to promote its policy of " Maharashtra for Marathas."
(10) The Maratha politicians don’t encourage their people to become entrepreneurs due to which the Maratha people will forever be dependent on others for their livelihood.
(11) Due to the threats faced from the Marathas, the Agri Sena chief Rajaram Salvi and his counter part in the Kunbi Sena Vishwanath Patil, made demand of a separate Konkan state comprising five districts Thane, Bombay , Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg. They announced formation of a front by the two organisations to fight the Maratha colonists. They also pointed out the deteriorating situation of the locals and farmers in Konkan due to acquirement of their land by multi-national companies. The duo also lashed out at the state government for its step-motherly treatment to Konkan in comparison to other parts of the state, especially Vidarbha. They also made announcement of a rally on October 20, in which the unification of the Agri and Kunbi Sena would be formally announced. The rally would also discuss the vital issue of OBC reservations.
How the Thackerays and their goons loot Bombay
The Fascist dispensation i.e. the Shiv Sena that ruled the State of Maharashtra between 1995 to 1996, did nothing but change names of places or seize vacant Government lands to build clubs for their middle class supporters, where they sold alcohol and made money. They invited the homeless to also encroach on vacant government lands, similarly, among whom were the now so called North Indians. These were to be, they thought, their permanent vote-banks. The Fascists grew fat with funds which were to be spent for the betterment of the people of Bombay , who had voted for them but were instead pocketed. They became hoteliers, Builders, etc. They built clubs, Wedding Halls etc ,etc, which gave these non-entities, who were smart to sense the opportunity, to join the Party and make money to grow rich.
It is reported that there were quotas fixed for each of these entrants to show their loyalties to the cause which entailed collections from all sources and a movement of such funds to the Headquarters. Soon these new rich had cars, Flats etc. They invested in Flats galore, all legal. Asked their Builder friends to build temples, to show how pious they were, dedicated to the memory of their dead parents, as if these were being built by them. Nobody bothered to find out the source of these funds. Their children flocked to English medium schools. Finally they were voted out. But they knew that the jackpot was the Municpal Corporation in Bombay . They resurrected the old slogan MARATHI MANOOS IN DANGER, and the frightened Marathi Manoos came out with his entire family and ensured that the Tiger’s ( Bal Thackeray ) Party Shiv Sena was not voted out by the other vote banks, i.e. the North Indians. The Fascists thus saved their golden goose the B.M.C. which lays their Golden egg. This is todays Bombay .
Michael Jackson came to Bombay . He sang and danced here and generated a lot of money which was given to somebody, who promised to use it for the betterment of the Maharastrian youth. How much upliftment was really done is a sixty- four dollar question. how come the same individual now has crores to buy properties which were once textile mills? How come a person who does no work or has no ancestoral riches has become overnight, the owner of crores.
Why is the State quiet on this matter. Is it because everyone in the political field in this city is a multi millionaire? and dares not ask the other for an explanation. Where has the Michael Jackson money gone?
The Supreme Court has expressed its anguish over the Bombay happenings. Why is our High Court silent and not initiating action Suo-Moto. The answer to the problem is to dissolve the B.M.C. and to give Bombay an Assembly. Those who just encroach on Government lands will not be given a vote. This will eliminate vote banks.
All those who have accumulated wealth in the last decade from Politics will have to explain their sources before a Special Commission to be appointed for the purpose and without a clearance from this Commission’s they will not be permitted to stand for election. Also all those who stand for election will have to swear their faith and belief in our Constitution Para by Para and if they do not do so they will automatically be disenfranchised. They dare not spread Fascism in the country. We are a democracy which gives free movement to all its citizens through the length and breadth of the country. Everybody has equal rights. They only have to ensure that they are law abiding.
Let the Government declare that encroachment on Government lands by anybody is a Capital offence and spare none, big or small, maharastrian or non-maharashtrian, whoever is a violator and act accordingly in applying the law. The answer is that Bombay must have its own Assembly as a Union Territory . The will of the people has to be determined for the purpose. Late Mr S.K.Patil who used to be called the uncrowned king of Bombay , realised this, decades ago but the Congress Party of the day let him down and did not support him. Let there be a referendum on the subject among the Peoples of Bombay and their views taken on the subject. The overwhelming number will agree. The will of the people has to be found out and their will is supreme and not that of any individual big or small.
Those who disturb the peace must face the full force of the law. They and their supporters can be externed from the city. This is a democracy and not an oligarchy. Lets decide this question once and for all.
If Vidarbha can be seperated and made into a seperate State as demanded by the Maharashtra BJP, why cannot Bombay .
The Bombay disturbances are the new face of the Fascist terrorists. Hindus who do not vote for their Party, are not required to live in areas which the Fascists consider their strongholds and are to be driven out. Great HINDUTVA ? No sensible person can fall for their line of thinking except the BJP of the INCREDABLE INDIA SLOGAN PARTY, the Sonia led Congress Party which is so scared that they just refuse to act.
It is we the people of India who need to see the truimph of Democracy, Lets see some stronger steps from the Centre. First the P.M. must change his Home Minister and ensure that those who disturbed the peace of Bombay are made to pay for it. This can be ensured by a change of the C.M. and appointment of a fast track court to handle the cases involving the two people recently arrested who are allegedly the cause of the disturbances. We do not want a decision a decade later when it has no meaning. We hope and pray for an Indian OBAMA to lead this Nation and lead us into a new and changed order?
To summorise:
1. we require that Bombay be made into a City State under the Government of India.
2. Break up all the large States into smaller ones for better governance and administration in the interests of all the Indian people so that the fruits of development are evenly spread out.
3. The Constitution of the Indian Republic be amended so that every State has an equal number of Seats in Parliament. The State Assemblies membership be increased so the voice of the people is heard and debated and problems solved.
4. Central Development Funds be allocated and spread out equally to all the States so the fruits of development are also shared equally among all the Indian People.
5. That Parties that subcribe to Fascism or Violent revolutionary methods be banned and treated as Terrrorists and their registration to stand for Election be cancelled.
6. That the Present Judicial system with its huge backlog of cases be revisited for quick and early delivery of Justice.
7. That propotional representation be introduced in the electoral system. Till all this happens the present rule of powerful families will only grow and we will degenerate into the old rule of Rajas and Maharajas under new names. This is OLIGARCHY and Fascism, which fails to address the basic dignity of each indian which stems from not only his being a gift of GOD but also his rights guaranteed to him by the Indian Constitution. If anyone in Power therefore fails in his duties in enforcing the law His is the greater fault because it is a failure on his part. The Election Commission of our country cannot sit idly by and wait for some minor courts decisions. It is the job of the Election Commission to check whether the policy enuntiated by the Fascists in Bombay violates the provisions under the constitution and invites penal provisions resulting in disqualification. The time is ripe for its intervention. The Hon Supreme Court also has spoken, therefore any delay would be a serious lapse on its part if no action is still forthcoming?
****** Another important feature of Maharashtra 's economy is its pathetic dependence on the Bombay Metropolitan region. It accounts for 75 per cent of the industrial activity in Maharashtra and nearly 65 per cent of the factory workers in the State. It is because of Bombay that Maharashtra appears to be India 's most urbanished and industrially advanced State. But excluding Greater Bombay, even now, Maharashtra is not merely as backward as any other state in India but in certain respects indeed more backward than many other less industrialized states of the country. The infrastructure of the economy of rural Maharashtra is not much developed, Villages in Maharashtra generally lack adequate means of transport and communication. Particularly road mileage in Maharashtra is found woefully inadequate when compared to that in many less industrialized states in India . Except for the districts of the Konkan region all other districts in other parts of Maharashtra are almost as backward as the districts of UP and Bihar .
*****
BOMBAY – THE PAST – THE PRESENT
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