Bombay needs Cosmo character
Mumbai has many attractions that work as a magnet for investors. It has a tradition of commerce, a deep-sea port, a vibrant stock market and most of all a hardworking workforce and a cosmopolitan culture. These values have combined to make it a financial powerhouse with a majority of Indian and multi national firms headquartered in the island city.
The cosmopolitan culture of the city though is under fresh attack. Like its ramshackle infrastructure, cosmopolitan Mumbai is degrading by the day. The latest assault comes from a politician known for his strident chauvinistic line.
The controversy started with Raj thackery’s comments on film star Amithabh Bachchan questioning his credentials as a true citizen of the city just because he was the brand ambassador of another state - Utter Pradesh.
He also questioned the right of religious festivities observed by migrant labors from uttar Pradesh and Bihar. His followers bashed up people of these states at a political rally the next day for good measure.
While it is true that there has been a slow and continues process of ghettoizing of Mumbai since the 1970’s, when Shiv Sena a party pioneered pandering to lower middle class Marathi chauvinism with attacks on Gujratis and South Indians of the city. The Mumbai riots in the 80’s further ghettoized the city. Even earlier during British times Mumbai was neatly divided among communal lines with different clubs and residents for different communities leading to an ethnic separation. However the difference between that time and now is that Mumbai's people worked and co existed as one.
If Mumbai is to remain the financial center and commercial capital of India this slide in communal harmony and cosmopolitan way of life needs to been arrested immediately.
In a global world the Indian state often needs to take a stand when Indian minorities are harassed overseas. Most recently this happened in Malaysia and Kenya. Ethnic Indians also face visa discrimination in the UK. A country can hardly take a stand on such issues if at home its own people are treated as outsiders with impunity. It is for the center to take a stand put an end to this dangerous trend of rule by the mob. Capital flees ghettos and embraces stability this is a lesson Mumbai knows well. Not to arrest this slide now will tantamount to killing the proverbial goose that lays the golden eggs
Mumbai has many attractions that work as a magnet for investors. It has a tradition of commerce, a deep-sea port, a vibrant stock market and most of all a hardworking workforce and a cosmopolitan culture. These values have combined to make it a financial powerhouse with a majority of Indian and multi national firms headquartered in the island city.
The cosmopolitan culture of the city though is under fresh attack. Like its ramshackle infrastructure, cosmopolitan Mumbai is degrading by the day. The latest assault comes from a politician known for his strident chauvinistic line.
The controversy started with Raj thackery’s comments on film star Amithabh Bachchan questioning his credentials as a true citizen of the city just because he was the brand ambassador of another state - Utter Pradesh.
He also questioned the right of religious festivities observed by migrant labors from uttar Pradesh and Bihar. His followers bashed up people of these states at a political rally the next day for good measure.
While it is true that there has been a slow and continues process of ghettoizing of Mumbai since the 1970’s, when Shiv Sena a party pioneered pandering to lower middle class Marathi chauvinism with attacks on Gujratis and South Indians of the city. The Mumbai riots in the 80’s further ghettoized the city. Even earlier during British times Mumbai was neatly divided among communal lines with different clubs and residents for different communities leading to an ethnic separation. However the difference between that time and now is that Mumbai's people worked and co existed as one.
If Mumbai is to remain the financial center and commercial capital of India this slide in communal harmony and cosmopolitan way of life needs to been arrested immediately.
In a global world the Indian state often needs to take a stand when Indian minorities are harassed overseas. Most recently this happened in Malaysia and Kenya. Ethnic Indians also face visa discrimination in the UK. A country can hardly take a stand on such issues if at home its own people are treated as outsiders with impunity. It is for the center to take a stand put an end to this dangerous trend of rule by the mob. Capital flees ghettos and embraces stability this is a lesson Mumbai knows well. Not to arrest this slide now will tantamount to killing the proverbial goose that lays the golden eggs
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