Sharrayu Aroskar

Mumbai is very unique as a city. Being a Mumbaite I have seen it grow and gradually suffocate over past two decades. There are issues and they are blatant but a Mumbaite is so busy running at par with the second hand of his wrist watch that he either chooses to changes things on his own or suffer in silence. Majority of the Mumbaites for ages now have chosen latter.

Mumbai is in news everyday, for one reason of the other. One thing that ensures its mention is the Bombay Stock Exchange. However the city is rarely in news 24/7. Terrorist attacks of 26/11 ensured that as well for three days. The recent mention of Mumbai in media is for a low voter turn out in Mumbai for the 15^th Lok Sabha elections.

Mumbai has had voting trend post independence.

If we see closely over the past three decades, it has more or less remained constant .Even when the nation turned up in large numbers after Indira Gandhi’s assassination Mumbai continued its trend. One more thing to note here is that the composition of Mumbai ever since then has been changing. It has turned from fishermen’s (Koli’s) Mumbadevi to financial capital of India, Mumbai that we know today. The population of Mumbai Metropolitan Region has increased from 77 lakhs in 1971 to 188 lakhs in 2001. Thus as an absolute the number of voters turning up to vote has definitely increased.

This city with its growing importance has attracted many parallel running economies and attention. It has thus taken the first hit of many aggressions and attacks. More recent ones and ones at shorter intervals are since the 1992 blasts. Every other year or even many times a year the city bruises itself with bomb blasts and such foreign aggressions. The city then bleeds for a few hours, as that is all what it can afford to waste, bandages the wounds and then continues to live. This suffering in silence is known to the world as “never day die” spirit.

Mumbai as a city has given lot to this country. Huge amount of the revenue generated at the center comes from this city. This is the city that has shown the country to stand in spite of odds. This is the city that houses some of the top industrial houses in this country. This is the city that houses truths of a big city and continues to live. This is the city that houses culture. This is the city that houses unity. This is the city that houses courage and this is the very city that houses suffering in silence. That’s the precise reason that Mumbai is the city that waits at the mercy of latent politicians and the central government for a metro railway for decades now. Thus is the one that waits for the state government to solve the issues of the localities. Also, the one that needs a Raj Thackeray to speak up for itself. This is the city that succumbs to several deaths during daily railway commute of utmost inhuman nature. This is the same city that has been looking for a convincing solution for its population explosion and exhaustion its its already pressurized resources. This is the same city that succumbs to lies of our “worthy” politicians like Govinda Ahuja . This is the city that get back less than 1% of its contribution back for its own good. This is the city that never sleeps in anxiousness of a possible change and a better tomorrow.

Mumbai since independence has only given and given to the center and the central governments’ apathy towards it has been a return gift. Mumbai was so busy within its culture and upliftment that it barely had time to stop and question. Mumbaities started solving all these problems on their own and hence the result. Largely migrating population from other underdeveloped parts of India have pressurized the logistical system here. The localite does not have a mode of decent public transport or roads to ply on. Hundreds of people die everyday by local train accidents that are packed above their capacity. I have never seen and experienced such an inhuman treatment of people by its system and authorities in a civilized society. No fulltime water, no fresh air. No plantations, no playgrounds, this is the truth of this city. As I mentioned earlier, many parallel economies run here. Right from the underworld to established prostitution and child labor. But who cares as long as the city earns in leaps and bounds and provides to nations financial growth?

This city has been suffering for over two decades now. It’s rotting like gangrene spreading. It’s burning from wounds of several blasts. What happened at TAJ was sad, but that gained mileage because it was TAJ and not a local train. That incidence gained mileage because it was just months before the nation went to polls. What is so different about Mumbai after 26/11 that the media created a whole hype around to it to make the city wake up and vote? There are special debates held in the media for this! A Mumbaite is claimed to have not being shaken by 26/11? Excuse the city, the city is suffering to numbness and living in fear every minute every day.

Can someone please ask the system and “high profile” politicians on what is being done for the city in return? Piya Dutt joins a lakh people to TAJ to show her solidarity. When asked on what they have done for this city, both Milind Deora and Priya Dutt claim to have gotten more funds for the city. No one knows where has the money gone and neither of them seem accountable. What does an educated voter of this city get to see in the media? A Prime Minister who cannot handle criticism either on the floor of the house or outside. He comes out in public making “Sonia Gandhi” style remarks on the opposition. A debate held by channels like CNN IBN where Sagarika Ghosh inspired by her Congress funds makes false news from statements like “Narendra Modi insulted the women of this country by calling them Budhiya”. A spokesperson like Jayanthi Natarajan who in spite of being a lawyer fails to make logical arguments in debates. She speaks and shouts like vendors in the market refusing to let others make any point on the TV debates. She is a classic example of some politicians that are broadcasted on the media and generate a sense among masses that no one listens to their needs. What does TOI print in head lines, the fact that Priyanka asked Varun to read Gita. Another news channel has designers do our politicians make over. Then we have actors joining Sanjay Nirupam’s rallies. We see politicians distributing money for votes. We hear speeches that are allegations and finger pointing of the door step quarrel quality. The ECE then decides to have the election in midst of summer holidays. The list of such unintelligent and apathetic show both by the media and politicians can go on. The real issues of this country are thus hidden under the dunes of such mass and orchestrated nonsense. The empathy and motivation to vote for a change then goes missing somewhere.  An average voter thus prefers to enjoy his day off than to go and vote for a system and candidate that he does not connect to or consciously doesn’t want to.

I am not averse to voting. I traveled intercity taking a compulsory leave to cast my vote but the hype around Mumbai not voting when the nation itself is averaging to 50% shows that both the media and the politicians are trying to diverge attention from the crux of the issue. The politicians and media should be thankful that the city still stood up to vote 49% giving another chance for a change. For what the city has suffered all this while, I wouldn’t have been shocked if  the city would have boycotted these elections.