Mumbai.... (ke liye kuch)..... kar

One more debate...one more talk show....Congress vs. Shiv Sena vs. MNS! And as usual political bickering hijacked the true objective of the show....and sadly but once again, Mumbai was forgotten..

Recently I had an opportunity to attend a discussion forum staged by NDTV, "We the people". The compere of the show was celebrity anchor Barkha Dutt...Panel comprised of Milind Deora (Congress), Shweta Parulekar (Shiv sena), Akhilesh Choubey (MNS), Ketan Mehta (Film maker) and some other senior journo's.....the setting was Mukesh Mills in Mumbai.

Topic for discussion was "Is Mumbai loosing its Cosmopolitanism?" Very interesting topic. I participated hoping that something constructive will come out of the show. Something that will benefit my city and make it a better place...But alas...I was so disappointed.

Barkha Dutt is a far bigger celebrity than all those on the panel...well at least that was the impression I had sitting in the audience...she is sort of curt and not a good listener. She too has her fair share of obsession with Raj Thakeray. The flow of the discussion was scattered. Strategically from a TRP point of view the Shiv Sena and MNS representative were made to sit next to one another. And so the sparks flew all the time. ....the only sensible speaker in the panel was Milind Deora, who is a good orator. Milind is suave and diplomatic.....politically correct is a better word. He was the only one on the panel who spoke about the development of Mumbai. And rightfully so...they are the once sitting on a pile of funds granted by center for the development of Mumbai.

Frankly speaking the discussion lacked any central or ore theme. It left a feeling of being very superficial...TRP- TRP types.....in between Barkha also touched upon Karan Johar and the fact that he choose to apologise to MNS chief, inside vs. outsider....migration problem in Mumbai ...blah blah blah ....random questions picked up from the audience, many of which din't make sense.....it all felt scattered and non-conclusive. Did not give a feeling of seriousness.

Made me realize....what was the motive of this show? Was it true interest of Mumbai or just timely TRP grabbing now that Maharashtra elections are round the corner? Who is actually concerned about Mumbai? Sadly no one! Not the politicians, not the media or journalists....

Milind Deora, who gets elected from South Mumbai.....why should he worry about the migration problem in Mumbai.....there are no slums or shanties in south Mumbai....the roads are world class...all the historical structures are well lite and well preserved...all the money that comes to Mumbai goes towards the beautification of these heritage structures....Milind Deora living in Peddar Road is least effected by the Migration problem in Mumbai.....Which made me think....why aren't there any slums or shanties in South Mumbai? Why are the roads broad and well lite? Why is there no traffic jam in South Mumbai.....well the answer was clear....because there is a political will power to keep it that way.

The Shiv Sena and MNS shout "Marathi Manus" just we near elections and then the matter is buried till next elections....are they really concerned about Mumbai and the plight of Mumbaikars? If they are, then at least their actions don't prove it.

Journalists? May be to some extent. At least they choose to express their views! The show was just in time, one day before Maharashtra goes for elections....well timed and a good topic to get TRP's.

As a Mumbaikar (yes irrespective of what the Government policy says, or what the Shiva Sena or MNS have to say, I AM A MUMBAIKAR BECAUSE I THINK SO, THOUGH I AM NOT A MARATHI)....made me think...

The issue is not Marathi vs. Non Marathi....THE ISSUE IS DEVELOPMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF MUMBAIKAR'S...which sadly was not at all discussed in the forum....the forum was once again hijacked by the constant discussions about Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena....

The issue is not migration...whether it showed be allowed or not allowed...the issue is are we regulating or monitoring or filtering this migration. What is the government doing to make life better for the common Mumbaikar's and also for the poor migrants who come here seeking livelihood.

Within Mumbai, there are 3 mini- Mumbai's.....one is from Colaba to Bandra...clean, spick and span, posh and snob.....this is the Mumbai we want to call a world class city....this is where all the foreigners want to live....and yes, here there is no infection of migrants. Yah!

Then there is a Mumbai from Bandra to Borivili....congested Middle class, sharing high rise buildings with slums.....crowed roads and traffic jams, water and light problem....encroachment on roads, this is the struggling Mumbai....which lives in hope that some day Mumbai will become Shanghai... but yes, there is some hope atleast...thanks to the redevelopment projects! Land grabbing .....

And then there is a 3rd Mumbai....from Dahisar to Virar....life here is a struggle...people live in old building , chawls.......all the vegetable and Milk in Mumbai comes from here...life is a journey....truly yah....life revolves around the Virar- Churchgate fast train....here there is no hope...they don't know what world class means... they haven't heard of Shanghai.......

Which is the true Mumbai? Who is the Mumbaikar we are talking about? The rich South Mumbaikar, the middle class north Mumbaikar or the lower middle to poor suburban Mumbaikar? Is there truly any hope for Mumbai to become a World class city or is this dream of turning it into Shanghai just a political game?

While all political parties are shouting and fighting in the name of Mumbaikar............Me Mumbaikar is pleading to all............."Please koi to Mumbai (ke liye kuch) Kar......"

Someone please do something for Mumbai....

Terrorist attack at The Taj Hotel, Oberoi, VT Station, Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital & Nariman House-What am I feeling and thinking as a Mumbaikar?

There is enough being said and enough being printed and discussed about the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai city.

I take pride in the fact that I am born and brought up in Mumbai. Have lived most of my life in Mumbai. I claim to my friends, relatives and Husband (who hails from Kolkatta) how well I know Mumbai- like the back of my hand.

True Blue Blood Mumbaikar is what my blog says.

But today I am sad and lost. My mind, thoughts and feelings are completely jumbled and empty. Like the needle of a compass, which has lost its magnetic north. Swinging in all directions. Aimlessly.

There is a numbness. There is no intensity left. Blasts, Riots, Bandhs and now the open firing......

Terrible sadness for lives lost, families disrupted, government and private property damaged, international criticism, loss of business, impact on economy....nothing seems to provoke a discussion. No public debates and tea table rounds of discussions.

Yes, a sense of gratitude for the known and unknown brave hearts. For saving lives and giving away their own.

Long talks by ministers, international support, rewards and awards......everything feels very false.

May god give strength to the family of those, who have lost their lives/ are wounded and hurt physically or emotionally.

Me Mumbaikar is down and under today. It seems like an herculean task to get the spirit of Mumbai back this time.

But fight back we will. Nothing or nobody can beak the spirit of Mumbai.

Aha! It is raining in Mumbai

Rains.....it brings back lovely memories from childhood. Rains also meant a new semester at the school. Rains in Mumbai are called the Monsoon. It lasts for about 3 months. A new semester meant a new raincoat, a new uniform and a new school bag. It also meant new friends, new teachers.....and great fun ahead. Childhood memories of rains are very sweet. Hot milk to drink, warm blankets and moist smell in the clothes.

And then I grew up. Started working. The sweet rains from childhood gradually became a torture. The magic disappeared. To get up in the morning while it was still raining and leave for work was hateful. It still is.

My beautiful Mumbai collapses under the rains now. Monsoon means disruptions, tension, muck all over the city....harassed auto rickshaw drivers, honking, pollution...the saga goes on for 3 months.

Despite all this, the optimist in me finds rains an amazing miracle! How else can you explain this tons of water falling from heavens, defying gravity....breaking into tiny droplets. Have you ever tried pouring a few metric tons of water from a height of about 40-50 thousand feet? Everything under it will get crushed by the shear weight of water. But check out the rain drops...they feel so light on our body. Isn't it a miracle? It falls so effortlessly, so gently, so chill and pure. No harm, no damage to human beings, animals or trees. My husband tells me there is a scientific explanation to it all....well there it..but it still does not answer my question....

Have you ever thought about the thousands of liters of water which evaporates into thin air and becomes rain clouds. How do these clouds hold the water? why doesn't the water leak from the clouds and spill over. Imagine a shapeless, container less cloud holding tons of water!! Try holding a few liters without a container! You can't.

Imagine life without water. Imagine life without rains. And we say where is god? God is in this miracle called rains. Year after year; season after seasons; centuries after centuries....it has been raining.

So I tell myself....forget the muck, forget the traffic jam, forget the over flowing drains....forget everything and enjoy this miracle called ....."the rains".

Nature's Symphony

"At the moment my life is a symphony composed of three distinct movements: ' a lot of people', 'a few people', and 'almost no one'. Each of them lasts about four moths of the year; and although there is often a little of each during the month, they never get confused".
-Like the flowing river (A collection of short stories and notes by Paulo Coelho).

Hang around. Be there, enjoy. What's the hurry? Life is anyways rushing past. So much change all around, giving us with very little time to cope. Definition of self is no longer relevant, it keeps changing, like many other things. Personal boundaries are blurred. Inherent values and culture seems like a giant Collage-there are no defined shapes and colours, one has to try and make sense of it. Frame of reference keeps changing. So what? Ever body is as lost. It is one blind man leading another.

I wish we were all as fortunate as Mr Paulo Coelho, to have the liberty; of choosing and spending life between ' a lot of people', 'a few people' and 'almost no people'. Particularly we Mumbaikar's....where there are only people.....a lot of people and many more people.