The trigger was an article on CNN IBN which said that strong regional undercurrent is taking shape in Bangalore too. Well if events during the past few weeks in Mumbai are an indicator, I am sure that something similar is waiting to happen in Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi and other metros of the country.
I have never stayed in Mumbai for a long period, I have mostly been in and out of Mumbai (erstwhile Bombay). But I have definitely read about the character of the city, the resilience it has shown time and again. Be it the serial blasts in 1993 or 2007, Mumbaikars (residents of Mumbai) have always risen to the occasion without batting an eyelid. But the regional/ linguistic comments by some self proclaimed leaders and the disturbances that followed, have forced many people to think. The fact that such blatantly regional rhetorics went uncensored by other political parties (for initial few days) is more appalling. What followed was a national shame. Whats even worse is that the state administration allowed it to spill over. The nonchalance and immaturity of the administration doesn't even deserve a mention. Our forefathers had dared to dream about a unified nation, they had dreamt about the country INDIA and not the states. Whenever I will sing the National Anthem I will always remember that there is something that has gone wrong.
Punjab Sindh Gujarat Maratha
Dravida Utkala Banga
Vindhya Himachal Yamuna Ganga
Ucchala Jaladhi Tiranga
Maybe but Not anymore.
But being an analytical person, I tried to go into the reasoning behind the sudden regional rhetoric that are finding favor with the politicians. Not long ago, Delhi CM Sheila Dixit had remarked that "everyday 668 new people come to Delhi". The sums up the problem which Big Cities in our country are facing. The infrastructure has been stretched to the extreme, the culture of the city is getting affected, crime is increasing and many more ill effects of huge migrant population. But that calls for some brainstorming and not slogan shouting. Given the myopic politicians that we have been blessed with, it doesn't require an IQ of 150 to foresee the aftereffects of the regional rhetorics of Raj Thackeray. Politicians in other states are going to adopt similar stance and play on the insecurity of the ignorant and vulnerable minds.
Lets just hope that the ever abstruse "better sense" prevails over our politicians and their audience.
1 comment:
The very fact that these cities had to be renamed to Mumbai or Bengaluroo "to restore the past glory" might be an indicator of the growing undercurrent.
To some extent I think the "mess" in the bigger cities is present because of the even worse mess in the rest of the country specially in the villages , north east etc.
Its probably because ppl there
don't have the very basic amenities
+ other problems ( terrorism,violence,casteism etc)
Why else would someone have to come thousands of miles away from assam bihar etc to delhi, mumbai etc. I hope the situation will improve as development spreads beyond the cities.
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