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It is, therefore, distressing that certain local political formations in Maharashtra succumb to the temptation of parochialism every once in a while by projecting non-existent antagonism between ‘natives’ and ‘outsiders’. Invariably, it is Mumbai, India’s first and still the most cosmopolitan city, which bears the brunt of their insularity. In the 1960s, their target was Dakshin Bharatiyas (South Indians). Now, resentment is sought to be whipped up against Uttar Bharatiyas (North Indians).
The notion that any city or part of India belongs only to its ‘natives’ is unconstitutional, repugnant and injurious to the ideal of national unity and integration. From time immemorial, our people have freely moved from one part of the country to another, believing all of India to be their own. As far as Mumbai is concerned, although it is the capital of Maharashtra, people from every corner of the country have migrated to this city of dreams and opportunities since its inception. Mumbai is what it is today because of the contribution of diverse communities inhabiting it. In particular, the two sources of its national and international profile — business and Bollywood — would be unthinkable without a grateful recognition of the role of non-Marathi speaking communities. It would be a great misfortune if Mumbai degenerated into a provincial capital.
Therefore, Raj Thackeray, whose Maharashtra Navanirman Sena has made impressive strides in a short time after breaking away from the Shiv Sena, has done no good either to Maharashtra’s proud reputation, or to himself, by making ill-advised remarks about North Indians in Mumbai or about a national icon like Amitabh Bachchan. He has a promising political future. He would, therefore, do well to win the support of the city’s considerable population of North Indians in his inclusive political strategy, without being apologetic about espousing legitimate Marathi pride.
While one must condemn anything that weakens our unifying Indian identity, it would be hypocritical to turn a blind eye to certain harsh social and political realities of Mumbai. With 1.9 crore residents in the Mumbai Metropolitan Area, which includes Navi Mumbai and Thane, its population has rapidly grown to become greater than the combined population of nine Indian states. Its once-famed infrastructure is highly overstretched, lowering the quality of life for rich and poor alike. It once had the best municipal governance in India; not any more. Fifty-four per cent of its residents live in slums, most of which are so unbelievably congested and squalid that it is criminal on the part of any government to let people live in such inhuman conditions. It is well known to authorities that tens of thousands of Bangladeshis, many with voting rights, are living in Mumbai. Some 20,000 houses in the older part of the city are in a dangerously dilapidated state, the reason why every monsoon one reads about people dying in incidents of house collapse.
Mumbai is decaying. But few politicians in the city, state or country are taking a serious and comprehensive view of its chronic condition, and fewer still are willing to take the tough decisions to set things right. By tough decisions, one does not mean banning ‘outsiders’ — north Indians or Indians from any other part of India — from settling in Mumbai. That certainly is wrong. But is it wrong to hold that encroachments should be stopped, that people must not be allowed to occupy pavements and places earmarked for public utilities, or that the cut-off years for regularisation of slums must be strictly adhered to?
Indeed, some political parties have developed a vested interest in allowing unauthorised settlements to proliferate for vote-bank considerations. When illegal settlements along the lethally polluted Mithi river were sought to be cleared after the July 2005 deluge in Mumbai, which claimed nearly 500 lives, it was stoutly resisted by local politicians who felt threatened that their voter-base would shrink. Mumbaikars know of hundreds of such examples of duplicity and political muscle-flexing.
The question that Raj Thackeray and many people in Mumbai are asking is: How can slum redevelopment and rehabilitation ever succeed if there is political patronage for the creation of new slums? How can Mumbai ever see orderly urban development, with world-class infrastructure and civic amenities for all its residents, if there is deliberate and corruption-induced disorder in the use of its most scarce resource — land? Indeed, which Indian city can grow well if short-term and partisan political interests undermine a long-term and integral vision of urban renewal?
Hence, some of Raj Thackeray’s concerns are right, but he has voiced them wrongly.
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RatingRaj Thackeray is another example of a street politician but how can you expect anything else from him since he rose to his power from the workings of his thug father, Balasaheb. Politicians are supposed to find solutions for the problems that face people. But all of it has to be done within the confines of the constitution. This idea of outsider vs native is crude and bigoted and absolutely against what the nation of India was based on by our founding fathers. It is shameful that people actually support such actions which trivialize the right of people to live and breathe freely anywhere in the nation.If one wants to reduce encroachment/slums etc in Mumbai one needs to get involved in long term development programs along with enforcement of the law. But of course, thugs such as RT do not have the acumen to think that far so here we are blaming the outsider for all our problems; typical right winged propaganda!
Raj is a rabid dog.he is not doing anything to help the common man.only creating unnecessary mess.people like him have to be jailed.he needs mental treatment.people like raj are more dangerous than terrorists.
I think what Raj has been saying is something to be understood in larger respects.The underdeveloped states of UP or Bihar are not the responsibility of Maharashtra.Its not the mistake of Maharashtrians that the nothern politicians have miserably failed to develop their own states and are among the most corrupt in the country.Mumbai has borne the brunt of the apathy for no fault and the locals have long suffered.Its no wonder that Raj gets support and although his comments on Amitabh went a bit far,a dig a UP and Bihar politician would have been better.What has Laloo or Mulayam or any other leader of north done for there state.I remember Laloo saying during floods in Patna,people go to dip in ganga from far off and now that ganga is near door steps why are they running away!Some crude joke that and epitomises what stuff northern politicians are made of!If Raj cares for Marathi brethren its not a fault but every marathi speaking man should be proud of!
You have made some rhetorical remarks which may not be factual. Constitution does not permit creation of unhygenic squalor on public lands. City planning will be impossible if every Indian exercises his right to migrate to mumbai. It is not about citizenship and rights, it is about basic math. There is no place left in mumbai. I do agree with you in that it is criminal to let humans live in the conditions found in slums in mumbai. It is equally criminal to create conditions for people to migrate to these slums. In that you should hold other state governments and Indian government responsible. Take them to court.
Respected Raj Thakareji...Jai Maharashtra , and wish you a very happy marathi divas. i want to say mumbai is only maharashtrian peoples. all the best.
Kai mundokar,Ghaati salya.... Mumbaiath basoon hushari dakhovto ka bhadvya.. baheir yevun bol
One question:Who is going to clear those garbages, work under hot weather, clear the shits and drainage from mumbai Raj thakrey or MNS workers or the poor peoples staying in slums.
If you think this should be done by UP/Bihari for low wage
I think raj is the person of ISI . He dont know what is poverty becouse did not face the situation . Get up raj you become mad totally mad.
Wonderful, for once we get an article that gives us both sides of the story. Great work!
Sudheendra Kulkarni, please make up your mind. Either Raj Thackeray is right or he is wrong. While you want to say he is wrong, probably out of fear or just to buttress him a little, you have said he is right. This is double talk, Mr Kulkarni. Let everyone ponder deeply at the unlawful methods that Raj Thackeray is adopting to achieve his aims. In any democracy, the rule of law, in its most basic form, is the principle that no one is above the law. In England, the issuing of the Magna Carta was a prime example of the "rule of law." The Great Charter forced King John to submit to the law and succeeded in putting limits on feudal fees and duties. The most important application of the rule of law is the principle that governmental authority is legitimately exercised only in accordance with written, publicly disclosed laws adopted and enforced in accordance with established procedural steps that are referred to as due process. This principle is established in our country through the adoption of the Indian Constitution. This is a rule book or a sacred book of law as sacrosanct as Shreemad Bhagwat Geeta and should be followed and adhered to strictly in letter as well as in spirit. It is this Constitution that was intended to be a safeguard against arbitrary governance, whether by a totalitarian leader like Indira Gandhi or Saddam Hussein or by mob rule such as that sought to be established by people like Bal, Uddhav or Raj Thackeray.
The author Sudheendra Kulkarni has raised right points but favored wrong man. Raj's concerns about the poor are not the same as those of the author. It was Bal Thackeray who boasted in the 90s that he would provide free house to all slum dwellers which resulted in more people from northern states rush under the hallucination of such a false promise. Also Mumbai is fond of looking like Shanghai, which resulted in shifting the huts to such places that blocked ways of water to reach ocean resulting in the deluge of heavy rains reminiscent of the rain of 40 days in bible. Corrupt builders and politicians closed all inlets into Meethi River and the water found no way to go except the houses of hapless Mumbaiites. Is Raj addressing these issues? He is only snatching Marathi speaking bread fom his cousin brother who has been given the same by his maverick Maratha pride holder uncle.
Your statement "Mumbai is what it is today because of the contribution of diverse communities inhabiting it. In particular, the two sources of its national and international profile — business and Bollywood — would be unthinkable without a grateful recognition of the role of non-Marathi speaking communities". You mean to say Mumbai would not have developed without these people. So If sharukh had not come from delhi we would not have any superstar. Mumbai and bollywood made shahrukh and amitabh and not the other way round. Mamooty and Rajniknth are better actors/superstars than Big B/Shahrukh but since thay are out of mumbai they are not so big a star.Mumbai is becoming SLUMBAI, who are the encroachers? do these people contribute anything to mumbai?.Its the politicians who encourage peolle from outside to come here for their votes. Raj Thackrai is not going to UP to ask for votes, he is asking for votes i his hometown for gods sake. Anybody who cares fro mumbai is with Raj Thackray precisely for this reason. We cannot continue to see Mum bai raped everyday. We are answerable to our future generations too. What kind of city are they going to inherit from us?
While the concerns about the crippling infrastructure of Mumbai is right, as far as I can recall news events covered by the national media, Mr. Raj Thackeray has never in the past raised that issue in a serious manner. And if this is correct, then the conclusion that Raj Thackeray is right is based on a completely irrelevant premise and thus Raj Thackeray can't be both wrong and right. I am of the opinion that he is completely wrong because his concern has always been to carry forward Bal Thackeray's legacy of hooliganism and the sub-standard politics of regionalism. So I am surprised that the author has held him to have a 'promising political future'.
Well the blame game has begun people are blaming each other but to me 70% of the blame goes to the media who has sensationalised this matter otherwise if they had not reported the matter in such a huge scale then it would have ended as just another politician making a hue and cry. On road when we travell there are so many people who make so many derogatory statements if we start paying attention to everything then we wud be in great danger. Raj is new in politics and trying to gain publicity the way he has put his point is utterly wrong He should care for the whole country and not for one state INDIA is not just MAHARASHTRA alone this is not INDIA of 50s or 60s where each region had its own local people settled there in majority things have changed if this thing doesnt stop then its not long when we wud be watching on TV some IDIOT Reporter reporting social unrest in INDIA a CIVIL WAR so please people get hold of your self and get back to work. Jokers are meant to entertain for a limited period and not to be taken seriously and all our politicians(Except a very few ) are jokers with no brains of their own so stop thinking you are a North Indian or South Indian but start thinking you are an INDIAN first and I need to contribute something constuctive towards my countries development and progress.
Raj Thakeray is talking to beating of Lalu and Mulayam Yadav and their folks in Maharashtra. Does he know that Yadavs (Kings) were actually the one's who gave birth to and patronized Marathi ? Had it not been for these North Indian Yadavs everyone in Maharashtra would be speaking Kannada.
The author seems to push his agenda slowly and spin some support for Raj Thackeray. Its a shame Indian express allowed the publication of the article.Just to remind one and all: the bollywood and cricketing cultures of Mumbai have given the nation innumerable heros for this Nation. Not to mention all those involved in the freedom struggle. We never considered, Sai Baba of Shirdi or Sant Jnaneswar or Samarth Ramadas a Marathi even if their teachings were in the native language-Marathi. Their preachings and living had far reaching consequences touching the cultural ethos of this country. Even in today's volatile situation,Sachin Tendulkar a marathi, is a proud Indian first and we are proud of him!. He is a "Bharat Ratna" in true sense! So Raj and others should shelve their narrow parochial interests.
This is a well written article. It articulates the case of Mumbai's problems clearly. Mumbai is in fact is a decaying city beyond redemption,beyond cosmetic solution.What it requires is a complete change in mind set. I can think of a few immediate solutions, which can be tried almost immediately: 1. Introduce a system of ID cards for Mumbaikars. 2. Turn up the heat on slum dwlelers and pavement dwelvers.3. Make it almost mandatory on employers to employ persons with Mumbai ID cards. In short make it more difficult for people to seek easy solution of earnig money by mere coming into Mumbai. 4. Increase spending on infrastructure development of Mumbai, which will take care of Mumbai ID card holders but remove the non ID card holders from the benefits of these developments. Such a system should be common for all immigrants so, will not be accused of being partisan. Sooner or later people will go away to their origins as they will fail to see Mumbai as providing them livelyhood.Simultaneously initiate systamatic development of satellite towns to remove population pressure from the main city.
Its old British policy..."DIVIDE AND RULE" Since decades this is what these politicians have been doing. Break the unity, break the people and then rule them. It’s very easy to invoke people in name of religion, community, caste, culture and now the language. So easily we form small strength less groups and then these politicians come up as our leaders. Promising to fight for it. They only create problem and then assure us to resolve it. It’s not the matter of right or wrong... It’s purely politics of baking bread through these issues. Tomorrow they will come up something else. Ultimately who are the suffers… we and only we.
I have only one thing to say to all this Blah! Blah!What is the reason for people from other states to come to Mumbai, they saw opportunity, which frankly the locals did not think off, the locals do not want to do menial labor as most of the locals look down at such jobs even if they are not educated. what's wrong if some one is making tea for you are polishing your shoes or driving you to work he has equal right to make his living, Mr.Thakeray would want to espose that if a outsider wants to make Mumbai his home then he should absorb the local aspects and live by it.
Where were these Marathi haters, the so called nationalist when Kannadigas threatened poor immigrants and did not allow them to take railway exam? Read this you fools.http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Railway_recruitment_row_in_Karnataka/articleshow/2687025.cmsWhere were these nationalists when innocent Sikhs were massacred? The culprits still roam free and no one raises an eye brow.
Your reactions are making very interesting read - I have read the last two articles posted by you here.Let me state facts first that this battle is only around Mumbai and not against Marathi or local population. If Mumbai has the wealth
Mr Sudheendra Kulkarni you represent BJP and are known as ideologue of the national party - will you give this speech in a public rally or a press conference - if you really have sympathy with whatever MNS goondas have done in Mumbai please issue a press release in your name with BJP name tag. What is happening in Mumbai is NOT justified..period. I think we need not blame Raj 100% for this..he is just executing a very devastating gameplan of Congress (remember what they did in Punjab when they created Bhindrawale to counter Akalis..) they are doing same in Mah. I think Sonia Gandhi if she wants can contain this violence in minutes if she wants but anywhich way you look at it Congress stands to gain in Mah. by ensuring that Shiv Sena votes get split and move to MNS therefore I dont think we will see an end till Congress wants it. This agitation will not gather steam across state if police deal firmly as neither MNS nor Shiv Sena have any base in rural Mah.
People who are criticizing Raj are themselves spreading hatred against Marathi community and are racist. Just look at the hate messages against Marath‰s on this forum. It is shame that Indian express allows such racist comments to go unchecked. It is abeting these racists by not censoring their hate messages.
Dear All, I think the problem is not in north india or South india, it is all coming from areas where the politicians have created a Jungle Raj and have become very powerful like Bihar, UP, Tamil Nadu etc.In the name of development there is nothing, in the name of education there is nothing, as a result population is increasing like hell in those areas..... and they not only continue to spread in Maharashtra, but in Delhi.... as a result highly educated people are moving to other nations....So stop fighting and try to throw the dirty politicians out..... way is as follows- Rule 49 (O) of the Conduct of Election Rules 1961 gives the voter the right to register at the polling booth, get his/her index finger inked, but refrain from casting the vote. The electoral officer then has to make an entry under the rule.The Indian Democracy reveals such surprises sometimes. And here is the really good part. If the rejections exceed the number of votes polled, a re-election is ordered, but the rejected candidates do not have the right to contest again.(Source - http://catscanman.wordpress.com/2006/04/27/rule-49-o/)
Stop justifying what Raj has done. He is not a school kid to not know the repercussions of instigating violence and intimidating people. This is pure and simple "goondagiri" and Raj should be made to pay the penalty of taking this route. Is he willing to pay for the loss of livelihoods and the damage to property - leave alone bulldozing the rights of other citizens? That is exactly his crime. Unfortunately, we have a weak PM, CM as well as PC, who was till yesterday socializing with Raj!! Wow, that instills a LOT OF CONFIDENCE for the common man in the police force.All slums have come up in Mumbai with the patronage of politicians like Raj and his uncle and the whole lot of other "anti national" politicians that have graced Maharashtra and reduced it to a "destitute" state. So these lowly bastards made money by letting people encroach on public lands and build slums - and now they are also wanting them "selectively" to get out or follow "Maharastrian culture" - whatever that means? Mumbai is in a screwed state because all these politicians for the past 25 years have been milking the tax money and putting it in their pockets. You will be amazed at the amount of revenues the city generates - Mumbai has one of the costliest real estates in the world - and you still believe they don't have the money to improve the infrastructure? That is simply hog wash. Obviously, there will never be enough, if the politicians keep putting it in their pockets. Raj and the rest of the goons should be charged with and made to pay for all the destruction they have done to Mumbai. The CM and PM and the the whole lot of people who took the oath to uphold the constitution of India have failed to carry out their most fundamental responsibility - that of safe guarding the lives and livelihoods of Indian citizens.India can't call itself "developed" by any standards, if it can't uphold the fundamentals of the constitution...and where problems are not resolved via debate and dialog but by barbaric behavior and stupidity of the likes of Raj and other politicians.
I find it very disturbing that the Author ( Kulkarni ) is trying to find some logic out of this . I can understand the politics of the thackerys but where is the author coming from .. very scary to have these kind of people in the journalist mix .
Formation of Shiv Sena resulted in the formation of other religious Senas for their self defence.Congress has fuelled their objectives, by suppoting them.What is happening in Mumbai, is the result of sheer fanaticism.Maharashtra's economic growth is only because of industries set up by many non maharashtrians.If they pull out from there, the result will be chaotic.This is a complex issue and when Maharashtra develops, Maharashtrians also grow up.Why doesn't the politician think about it ?
People who are criticizing Raj are themselves spreading hatred against Marathi community and are racist. Just look at the hate messages against Marathi’s on this forum. It is shame that Indian express allows such racist comments to go unchecked. It is abeting these racists by not censoring their hate messages.
I think the major question is how do we organise as a nation our selves.The question of respect for local cultures also is a question. Many people with Hindi as their mother tongue feels that, they do not need to know other languages and culture. I (South Indian) have heard comments in Pune like "whats wrong with these Marathis, onec there are two of them, they start speaking in Marathi". Now we (different people of what is India now) agreed to be a nation that, respects diversity. Although we should possess a strong national identity, it is important to celebrate our diversity as well. Everybody should learn Hindi, but at the same time it does not hurt Hindi people to learn Marathi or Malayalam. Respect and learn local customs wherever you are in India. It could celebrating Holy for a south Indian in Delhi or speaking to a friend in Marathi, while in Pune. Yes, I do not agree with Raj thakeray's methods to send a message. after all India as a whole belongs to all Indians.
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