The Reasons Behind Violence in MUMBAI

The world has fallen apart...

There has been an attempt to destabilise Bombay's aka Mumbai's social harmony by a handful of mindless, educated but insane, inspired by mob-mentality goondas.

Imagine if things would have taken an ugly turn last evening , things would have turned so disruptive that riots and blood would be spilt all across city's streets.

A "kiddish" non-recognizable politician (is he actually one?) Raj Thackeray stands up and starts hurling unflattering and demoralizing statements, mimics other political figures and runs away without facing the media (can i say chicken?) while he has left the Mumbaikars wondering if this fire will spread? People shut shops and run for cover while a few handful of goondas run riot even while the police is a mute spectator.

Let us check Mr Raj Thackeray's statements which were flashed on National TV regarding a few famous people. He knew that his meeting would never get any mention not even in the dailies of Mumbai. He chose to start naming people and judging their credentials as citizens of this city which according to him is only for people from Maharashtra aka whose mother tongue is Marathi.

A few days earlier he had termed "Chathh Puja" - which is widely celebrated across the world wherever people from UP & Bihar & Jharkhand are living. This puja is a two day ritual where one offers his/her prayers to the Sun God - Surya Bhagwan. Mr. Raj Thackeray who is an ignorant and arrogant as any teenager of Mumbai today who dont know who is our current President. He called this puja which has been held at numerous locations across Mumbai too a "natak" which surely is a major blow to anyone remotely Hindu from the Ganges planes.

Then at some area of Mumbai he stated that superstar Mr. Amitabh Bachchan is such a big example of people from North India who have come to Mumbai. "Amitabh Bachchan got everything from Mumbai even I admire him as an actor but look what he has been doing? He went and became the Brand Ambassador for UP and when he wanted to open a school he again went to UP while everything he is today, he should owe to Mumbai. All north Indians living in Mumbai should behave and show their allegiance towards Maharashtra. No one will be allowed to hold any other state-day celebrations in Mumbai except for Maharashtra Day."

Things wouldnt have taken this turn had it not been the timing of such slurs starting at a time when there was a political rally being organized by the UNPA (a 3rd front consisting of ex-CMs and their parties) at Shivaji Park, just at nearby distance from Raj Thackeray's home and office.

Retaliation was never expected from Mr. Amitabh Bachchan who is always running far from controversies. He was shooting in Himachal Pradesh for a film. Had he wanted he could have called a press conference and trust me it would be bigger than what Raj Thackeray has ever imagined even in the remotest part of Himachal.

Laloo Yadav was one of the first people to have termed his statement on the Chatth Puja as uncalled for and unfortunate.

And as Mr. Amar Singh wasnt the one to take this lying down and he did say that this wasnt the way to speak about North Indians.

Mumbai Samajwadi Party's chief Abu Asim Azmi (who is known to be close to Dawood Ibrahim) who was at some place where they were playing with sticks went a step ahead and said if any one did challenge them to leave Mumbai because of their ethincity he would use this stick "Laathi" to ward them off.

The same evening at another political meeting Raj Thackeray growled , "Laloo Yadav said (and mimicked him)" and he went on "Amar Singh (mimicking him too)" and added that Amar Singh is a frog and he dared him to come to Mumbai. He threatened that he would use the sticks for the funeral if north Indians used it. He also said that if they were distributing sticks he would distribute swords!

Morning news was "breaking" with Mrs.Jaya Bachchan a SP MP(RS) said that she never knew who Raj Thackeray is but she did a mistake and said she knew Raj owned huge tracts of land in the city and if he would give the land they would open a school for girls there.

On Feb 3, 2008, Sunday news started pouring in from Dadar that people were fighting and rioting! When checked it was the SP sympathisers who were moving towards the venue when they found that the posters of their leaders were being torned and pulled down. It was a recipe for disaster, the police was around but just as a viewer from the roadside. People started hurling stones and some got into brawls and broke each other's heads.

After a few minutes the action shifted into the bylanes of Dadar West. The road which leads to the MNS Raj Thackeray's residence and office was full with his supporters and they started spotting the rally visitors and started thrashing them and with that they whacked and broke numerous taxis, the "chana" seller, the on-looker. Police didnt know that they had to cover this area? Wonderful.

Things were splashed all over TV news and within a few minutes at the rally where Manoj Tiwari - a Bhojpuri singing sensation was performing also admitted that even he was threatened that if he came here he wouldnt go back alive.

The leaders started spitting venom, but then a few seasoned ones like Mr.Farookh Abdullah came out and cooled everyone. Else things would have taken a very ugly turn last evening.

By the midnight police was everywhere and Abu Asim Azmi (MP) was arrested for unlawful assembly before the CM's residence where he wanted to see Mr. Vilas Rao Deshmukh who declined. Later he was released.

The CM did make a statement and said he would protect every outsider.

The Mumbai police arrested 30 people have been rounded till and produced before the magistrate at Bhoiwada court Mumbai.

By noon Amar Singh, Jaya Bachchan & Aishwarya Rai Bachchan landed in Jaipur where Abhishek Bachchan is shooting. They were joined by Amitabh Bachchan who flew down to bring in his son's birthday tomorrow - Feb 5th 2008!

Protests have begun everywhere across the North India. CM of Bihar Nitish Kumar has compared Raj Thackeray to a "shaitan" (evil one) and CM of Jharkhand has said that he should be arrested and put behind bars for spewing venom and dividing society.

Laloo Yadav who yesterday said that Raj is a "child" in politics. Today Laloo Yadav on his way to the airport stopped at a small hotel owned by a Maharashtrian and asked for tea and showed how everything is fine with Mumbai.

Things are NOT fine till we have certain elements in our society who have a different theory of India, who want to let its citizens fight, incite violence based on regionalism.

They should be taught a lesson and soon.

Mumbai is for everyone.

It is not a personal piece of land belonging to Raj Thackeray. Its a metro city and it attracts loads of talent and waste too.

Compare it to New Delhi and one can see the difference, now Mumbai is not as livable as the capital.

Instead of making a mechanism to check the influx of waste in Mumbai, Thackeray wants to cleanse the city of a million dreams by spreading regionalism, hatred amongst the fellow citizens of this once known for its spirit.

I am sure that spirit shall win.

The spirit of Mumbaikar is that against all odds, the traffic jams, the limited housing options, the unhealthy air one breathes, he/she keeps on moving on a never ending journey towards one's career... life...

Remember the 1990's infamous riots, the train-bomb-blasts, the deluge of July 2005... everything didnt deter the living spirit of an average Mumbaikar.

Hope sanity shall prevail and people will know what to do and whom to listen.

Raj Thackeray has lost whatever little face he had. He should resign from whatever little politics he began and should concentrate on cartoons, movie heroines (remember his dating Sonali Bendre who ironically is like a sister to Abhishek Bachchan), his real-estate business with Kohinoor (a Manohar Joshi company) and rather become a mimic artist and as no National TV would hire him he should start his own cable TV channel (again which is a no-go coz its the world of dish TV and tata sky)....

Rather he should quit Mumbai and do some social work with the tribals of Maharashtra and earn some respect... the real kinds...