It's deja vu for the city of Mumbai. Decades after the rhetoric machine named Balasaheb Thackeray first erupted onto the scene issung a doctrine of hate to incite violence and carnage across the state of Maharashtra, beta Raj is winding the clock back. The assault and persecution of outsiders has been a long-time favourite among the Shiv Sena's vote-gathering tactics. With the Shri Balasaheb's age catching up and the frail leadership of Udhdhav weakening the Sena's grasp on the state, Raj has begun to stoke the fires once again, hoping to draw away some of the votes that have helped the Shiv Sena form governments in the past. Taking on from where the "Me Mumbaikar" and Marathi sign-board campaigns left off, Raj's clarion call has already induced a few vicious attacks on north Indian workers, with more seemingly planned. This violence disturbs me greatly because the city in which I was born, and for which I still share great affection, is being led to the brink of chaos by a stark-raving lunatic.
Mumbai has always been a city that people in the nation look up to and aspire to be a part of. It is one of the few cities in the world that ensure that your dreams can come true if you persist with them. It is a cosmopolitan city, with an ethnically diverse population, unlike a few centuries ago when only Marathi-speaking people populated the land.Though the basis of Raj's argument : that people from outside Maharashtra should try to adapt to and learn from their surrounding Marathi culture rather than stay reserved to their own communities, is legitimate, his actions leave much to be desired. Outsiders do need to attempt to fit in as they move to the maximum city, by absorbing the local culture and learning the local tongue, and they should be encouraged to do so. However, this "encouragement" should never infringe on the fundamental rights of any Indian citizen, North,South, East or West Indian......
What are merely the deranged, remorseless rants of a vile despicable human being seeking only personal and party gain, are being seen by some loose sections of the populace as a call of identity. The same form of divisive and separatist dialogue have been heard from different corners of the country, Kashmir, the North-East, Telangana, and now, after the killing of Tamils in Sri Lanka, even Tamil Nadu. The survival of the Indian democracy is at stake. Even though the present UPA govt has done well to implement legislations such as RTI, NREGA and pushing through the Nuke Deal, it has been SHOCKINGLY poor on issues of internal harmony and security. The need of the hour is a strong central government that stands by the faith of the majority of the populace of a strong, free, united India. Separatism in any part of the country cannot be tolerated, as it will lead to a chain reaction in other states as well. India is a nation of diverse cultures, combining together in harmony to form a single identity. This diversity should be a cause for pride, not a cause for dissent, resentment and separatist tendencies.
Governments of the past as well as the current one have been reluctant to deal with such blatantly shameless vote-bank gathering by state parties. The concern of the Tamils for their cousins in Sri Lanka is justified, but under no circumstances should a state government place pressure on the Centre to alter its foreign policy. Extortion cannot be tolerated, and bluffs such as these should be called as soon as they erupt. The criminal named Raj Thackeray should be dealt with in the manner that Bala Saheb Thackeray should have been treated decades ago : lock up the cell door and throw away the key. There is no place in the world for mongrels who spew doctrines of hate from their foul mouths. Kashmir, being a long-standing debate, must be handled with care, but under no circumstances should the government allow the separatists to dictate terms to the Centre on the peace process. Separatists thrive on regionalism and communalism, and empty rhetoric is their most potent weapon. Unless India elects a Central Government that can dare to challenge their rhetoric and stand up for the idea of a unified India, the future one of the world's greatest democracies will remain shrouded in doubt.
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