Iraq

Communalism

US Imperialism

Globalisation

WSF In India

Humanrights

Economy

Kashmir

Palestine

Environment

Gujarat Pogrom

Gender/Feminism

Dalit/Adivasi

Arts/Culture

Archives

 

Contact Us

 

I Am A Mumbaikar

By Pamela Raghunath

09 May, 2003

From the days of targeting South Indians for taking up job
opportunities meant for Mahara-shtrians in Mumbai during the 1960s, the Shiv Sena's ire is now directed at people from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Bangladesh.

The anger and annoyance of the Sena is the result of the continuous influx of migrants from these states who are now posing a problem of being a severe burden on Mumbai's limited facilities for which others pay taxes and also for making the city into an undignified huge dirty slum.

Sena chief Bal Thackeray's son Uddhav and nephew Raj have both taken up the campaign of getting rid of these 'unwanted guests' and are already charting out a plan to legally evict encroachers on public land.

The latest Sena slogan is "Mee Mumbaikar" or I am a Mumbaikar sending out a message that all Marathi-speaking and other residents who love the metropolis have a right to live here but the emphasis is that the influx must stop.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) that is dominated by Sena corporators will be used to implement its rules more rigorously to demolish illegal structures and evict encroachers on government-owned land, said Raj at a BMC meeting today that was attended by senior civic and police officials.

"The new migrants are even encroaching where mangroves abound, thus causing environmental degradation," he said.

Raj has taken around 500 photographs of these illegal encroachments, especially of Bangladeshis, around Mumbai in the last few days, says Shishir Shinde, Sena legislator, and these include along areas along Bombay Port Trust, Sewri and Antop Hill adjacent to the depots of oil companies thus posing a danger to national security.

"We can identify Bangladeshis since they cannot speak Hindi, not even Urdu," says Shinde.

As for jobs held by 'outsiders', the message is to ensure that these gradually go to the 'sons of the soil' and include self-employed occupation like driving taxis, autorickshaws, running shops and reservation for locals in companies.

According to Raj Thackeray, "Our Constitution allows free movement of citizens. But it also says that you cannot go and become a nuisance for the original people staying there. These people don't pay electricity bills, water tax or rent and stay free. Why should the rest of us tax payers bear the brunt?"

Will the Sena's concern to protect Maharashtrians and make Mumbai a modern, clean city on par with other global cities work?

For the Congress which is the main constituent in the state's
coalition government, "This is a just a political stunt of the Sena
whenever elections approach and there is nothing serious about it," says Kripashankar Singh, minister of state for home (rural), who is from U.P.

"If they are so concerned about the influx of Bangladeshis, why did they not stop them when they were in power.

"If they really want to do something for Mumbai they should be more open hearted and get more funds for the city's infrastrucutral
development like the way our former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh did by asking the central government to provide Rs10 billion for the city."

Another Congress leader, Nirmala Samant Prahavalkar, a lawyer who heads the State Women's Commission, feels "that whatever the Sena's stand may be, everyone who comes to Mumbai is equal and can avail of the job opportunities. This is a city of the survival of the fittest.

"As a Maharashtrian, I believe all regional cultures and language
should be preserved with pride but that doesn't mean one can throw out outsiders."