Mumbaikar?

Writing this as I sit in a bar waiting for the chaos to subside after the arrest and bail of Raj Thackera. Wondering what's this all about?

Are North Indians or non Marahis to blame for all Mumbai woes? Is Raj completely wrong? Haven't the latest lot of migrants added to the social woes of the city in terms of crime, cheating and daily corruption?

The answer is not all black or white. While Raj errs majorly when he says this city is for Marathis coz he does not take into consideration the contributions made by early Parsi, Gujarati, Marwari, Sindhi, Punjabi, South Indian and UP migrants. Mumbai would never have been an international city without these groups.

But when he talks about the latest wave, he surely deserves a patient ear, if he cares for one. While early migrants all brought positive energy to the city, the latest wave has brought with it a lot of negatives too. Rigged meters were a fairy tale in Mumbai few years ago except at Dadar Railway stations. But today 80% of meters in autos and cabs are rigged and common offenders are traced to UP or Bihar. This and much more is what irks common Mumbaikar, someone who might not be a Marathi.

So while it's perfectly alright to bash Raj for his narrow vision and hatred, it's time the migrant community of last few years mind their ways and become a part of the city like the early migrants.

And this post is incomplete without a toast to the inclusive Marathi character, which in first place allowed the city to become cosmopolitan.