Mumbai's Spirit
So what were they thinking when they decided to block blogs for a couple of days... who did they get and what miraculous evidence did they gather from the 0-1 binary coding of the internet really?
They have done the crime people... They have finished posting their messages, bombing the targets and left. So what are you doing blocking blogs now? Besides, there are other blog servers that exist. They were working just fine. And I was happy.
Now, the problem is this... you have way too many people in the top spots in the government today who don't love the city coz it's not their own... Once you "transfer" cops like Daya Naik, who might have made his share of money, but has sure encountered a hell lot of anti-social elements... that's what they deserve... To die. I mean seriously, you fight for the right of someone who's sole purpose in to take away your life, Mr. Social worker? The only way these thick skinned, brain washed delinquents will open their mouth, is if they are arrested under POTA and flogged.
You have transferred anyone who has loved the city, right from Justce Odumbe Patil to Daya Naik and several other officials who, if they had the information, would have never let this happen. And that’s simply because of one reason. They have contacts. They’ve spent years developing them and with one phone call, for your selfish motives, you transfer them.
We Mumbaikars are left with a government that is helpless. How can a city that is made for 1 million people hold 10 million? How can its infrastructure last? Why should we blame the government for the rain and the floods?
If you want to blame the government blame the central government. After the floods, Mumbai was promised a huge some of money by our honourable prime Minister. Then at the budget, our not so honourable finance minister did not sanction that money. The money for the highest tax paying city in the country. In fact, the money was used on some development crap, for the Hyderabad Cyber City Highway project.
The commercial hub’s restoration fund was used for road development for a project that isn’t even up yet. It gets better. When the tsunami happened in the southern part of India, Maharashtra donated the highest amount of money. Government employees’ one-day salaries were cut to collect the money. And what did we get in return. Nothing but “Mumbai has a great spirit”. Spirit, my black ass. It’s been forced to get back on its feet. Forced by necessity and hope.
After the blast, Kerela donated money. The government said but it would have to be used only for the Keralites that were affected. Our government Refused saying we aren’t communal… I am so proud. But me thinks, therein lies the problem. Let’s become selfish.
Who am I kidding, we are from Mumbai, we have that "spirit" remember?
They have done the crime people... They have finished posting their messages, bombing the targets and left. So what are you doing blocking blogs now? Besides, there are other blog servers that exist. They were working just fine. And I was happy.
Now, the problem is this... you have way too many people in the top spots in the government today who don't love the city coz it's not their own... Once you "transfer" cops like Daya Naik, who might have made his share of money, but has sure encountered a hell lot of anti-social elements... that's what they deserve... To die. I mean seriously, you fight for the right of someone who's sole purpose in to take away your life, Mr. Social worker? The only way these thick skinned, brain washed delinquents will open their mouth, is if they are arrested under POTA and flogged.
You have transferred anyone who has loved the city, right from Justce Odumbe Patil to Daya Naik and several other officials who, if they had the information, would have never let this happen. And that’s simply because of one reason. They have contacts. They’ve spent years developing them and with one phone call, for your selfish motives, you transfer them.
We Mumbaikars are left with a government that is helpless. How can a city that is made for 1 million people hold 10 million? How can its infrastructure last? Why should we blame the government for the rain and the floods?
If you want to blame the government blame the central government. After the floods, Mumbai was promised a huge some of money by our honourable prime Minister. Then at the budget, our not so honourable finance minister did not sanction that money. The money for the highest tax paying city in the country. In fact, the money was used on some development crap, for the Hyderabad Cyber City Highway project.
The commercial hub’s restoration fund was used for road development for a project that isn’t even up yet. It gets better. When the tsunami happened in the southern part of India, Maharashtra donated the highest amount of money. Government employees’ one-day salaries were cut to collect the money. And what did we get in return. Nothing but “Mumbai has a great spirit”. Spirit, my black ass. It’s been forced to get back on its feet. Forced by necessity and hope.
After the blast, Kerela donated money. The government said but it would have to be used only for the Keralites that were affected. Our government Refused saying we aren’t communal… I am so proud. But me thinks, therein lies the problem. Let’s become selfish.
Who am I kidding, we are from Mumbai, we have that "spirit" remember?
posted by Neville at
1:32 pm
7 Comments:
oyi...i know the spirit and because of all the love between us..i will be compelled to listen to your conspiracy theories..but that doesnt mean u keep rambling and forcibly bung our south indian brothers (or is it brethers?)into this...i agree they are a communal bunch but then who isn't? arn't maharashtrians communal with maharashtra mazaa or maja or whatever?
i agree when you say no other city in the country has the spirit of mumbai, i have felt it...getting back to work out of necessity, i don't think so...i would rather look at it as a victory of anything that tries to bring down its so called spirit...you've been in mumbai thru the riots u should know... and if you think i'm one of those few idiots who are still romanticising the issue..well i'm proud to be one of the few remaining...mumbai deserves it i think, don't you?
ok... No I am not BUNGING outh indians into this. It is what is happening. If it did happen with someone else, I would have said it too. As far as the maaza goes, it is Maharashtra, and therefore it will be the accepted language, but show me a place in kerala or palaghat, where you'll Maaza. there you'll be ostrisised even if you don't know the national language.
And it is necessaity. the spirit is great, but romanticising about it not quite so. You know why because there exists a certain bunch of people in a certain part of MY city that celebrated openly the bomb blasts, with crackers and all.. In fact, they do it each time we lose to Pakistan in a cricket match. But no one says a word to them. No arrests. No media covering them. why too scared to venture into the truth? Seriously we should have affirmative action in this country.
Oh BTW, did you hear about the two cops who were killed on regular beat duty as they passed by a suspicious looking mob and questioned them? No? Wow, am i not surprised.
and yes i was there covering the riots... not romanticising it.
Since this is turning into a forum for sociopolitical debate, what the hell, I might as well put in my two bits.
Rati, I agree Maharashtrians are a communal lot. Especially so in Bombay. You know why? Because, we're a minority in a city that is the capital of our state. Apart from three key areas - Dadar, Girgaon and Vile Parle - you'll scarcely find a "Maharashtrian" area. Why 'Maharashtra mazaa'? Because soon, it's not going to be ours. Or anybody else's.
Take Bombay, for instance. I agree with Nev on that count - 10 million in a city designed for 1 million. And counting. Every day, they crowd in. People from all parts of India, seeking jobs and edging out people who've spent their lives in Bombay, paying her taxes and bearing her tantrums. And you know the worst crime, Rat? They don't love this city like we do. They come in, milk her for what she's worth, abuse her while they're here and then leave, return to their hometowns or abroad, where they continue to lambast this city of ours. It's like a man visiting a prostitute for a couple of hours and then delivering a sermon on moral sickness in society. It's hypocritical, man.
Did you know that a majority of Maharashtrians have relocated to Pune, because they can't call this city their own anymore? Especially since doing so in public gets us the kind of glances usually reserved for card-carrying sainiks?
It's not right and it's not fair, but I think it's a sad affair indeed if I'm born in a state that I can't call my own. If you can call your parents and your friends yours with pride, is it too much to ask that you be allowed to feel possessive about your own state as well?
I don't think so. And yes, borrowing words from Lennon, maybe I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one...
Talk about a sociaopolitical debate. What the hell, I might as well add my two bits worth.
Rati, I agree Maharashtrians are communal. Especially in Bombay. But that's just because we're feeling like strangers in our own city, the city that is the capital of our state. Did you know that there are just three largely 'Maharasthrian' areas left in Bombay these days? Dadar, Girgaon and Vile Parle.
Everything else has turned into the famous melting-pot shit that people, especially the Yanks keep crooning about. And we're not complaining. What's really driving us nuts is the attitude these so-called 'outsiders' have. I agree with Nev there - 10 million people taxing infrastructure meant for a million. We accomodate them all. Just like in a local train - no matter how crowded this city looks, there's still room for one more. And what does that one more person do? Like the millions before him, he milks this city for what she's worth.
So what, you'll ask. So does everybody else. yes, but a Mumbaikar also loves this city, dude. He'll pay taxes for her, bear her tantrums, get frustrated but love her like he would a difficult girlfriend.
Not the same with the outsiders. These guys will earn their money, but abuse the city, complain, crib and continue doing so till they get out of here with their savings and run back home or abroad or wherever. Barring a few exceptions, these guys don't love Mumbai. Because for them, Mumbai's like a prostitute you visit for a couple of hours before delivering a sermon on moral sickness in society. It's hypocritical and it's disgusting.
As for Maharashtra Mazaa, why shouldn't it be? Did you know that a lot of Maharashtrian Mumbaikars (and that's not a tautology, believe me) are shifting base to Pune because they this city isn't theirs anymore? And no, not in the sense the Sainiks make it out to be. Maharashtra mazaa is simply a way of being a little possessive about the state your born in, man. If you can call your parents, your friends, your pet yours, why not your your state, for crying our loud? Is it really so heinous as it's made out to be?
I don't think so. And yes, borrowing words from Lennon, you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one...
Let us not go overboard with this 'spirit' thingy. It's rather the apathetic spirit that shines through.
It's peer pressure, it's insecurity, it's utter selfishness and a complete disregard for life-one that is even greater than that of the perpetrators of the act.
We NEED to shut down. Offices, stock exchange, banks, airports - everything that has direct impact on the coffers of politicians.
Deny the bastards their daily hafta. In fact, I will go to the extent of requesting every mumbaikar to stop paying their taxes. Nothign goes to the centre or the state till such time you assure me that when I leave office after working 14 hours a day, obver 30% of which I am goign to give you (the govt.), you better fucking assure me a safe ride home
If 300 million people stop paying their taxes, our cities become safer.
That's the only way out.
Apropos Veda's post. First, the facts? Who made Bombay great? The Portuguese, yes, the British, sure, the Gujaratis, the Sindhis, the Bawas, and all the other "outsiders" you talk about. By and large the Maharashtrians have not done much. Bombay was a Koli fishing village before all these "outsiders" decided to hang out here. And if I can get personal, what about me? I was born in this city, it is mine as much as anyones, and yet I am not a maharashtrian. Hell, I can barely get used to calling myself a "mumbaikar". Do I not have a right to get possessive about the state I was born in? Hei maaza-tuzza kasala karaicha ga?
Dear Anonymous, mazza-tuzza kon kartai? Maybe I need to clarify a bit. By no means do I say that Mumbai belongs only to the Maharashtrians. And you make a valid point - it is definitely the others who've taken this city to its industrial peak. But then again, it was the Pilgrims and all the other immigrants who made America great. But we still say the Indians were treated shabbily, right? So please forgive me my paranoia - I can't imagine the thought of my kinsfolk being relegated only to the lower level working jobs - maids, peons and the like.
You say you were born in Bombay, and to my mind, that definitely gives you a right to be possessive about this state. And the very fact that you are, justifies it even further. No, the outsiders I'm referring to are the ones who've not grown up with Bombay, but are visitors with a virtual working visa, who hang around for a couple of years and go back. And from these too, I have a problem only with the ones who don't love this city like the rest of us. Us, of course, referring to everybody who lives and loves Bombay :)
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