MUMBAI REVISITED

Sometimes I wish I could be there in Mumbai on certain occasions, especially auspicious ones. Pity that I couldn’t make it the moment I wanted to be there most. But other than those moments I could make my presence felt there. Travelling down memory lane, Holy – the festival of colours and the revelry related to it, Deepavali – the festival of lights when the city, even the State of Maharashtra get bathed in colourful lights, SreeKrishna Jayanthi, when even the elder people alongside the pretty young ones get attired in Krishna’s costumes, the bhakthi, proverbial mischiefs of young Krishna, Ganesh Chathurthi, the list abound. A sort of nostalgia overpowers and overwhelms on those occasions while watching the happy events sitting infront of Television sets even late into the night. Those precious days and moments, I spent in the city flash before my eyes in quick succession. My morning walks down Marine Drive, occasional visits to Gateway of India, Elephanta Caves, Malabar Hills, Chowpathi, Juhu Beach, teenagers and those past teenagers passionately involving in their romantic pursuits while darkness envelopes the city, thus we believe, and the voyeurs galore, all typical of a city life.

Those where the lighter and enjoyable moments of the city and still the enjoyable and attractive moments. Be that as it may.

But we must always have a close look at the other side of the coin. The other side never provides us joy, nothing to cheer about but always painful and gnawing even after passage of time. Vast oceans of slums, lack of proper habitat, sanitation, poor health, poverty, malnutrition, lack of education, skinny, emaciated children, men and women, beggars occupying spaces in the corners of railway platforms for the nights to pull on till early in the morning, then leaving for their daily routine of begging, scattering to the differing parts of the city- all heart-wrenching sights.

In spite of all these mind-boggling events, those were days when people lived either in their flats, chawls or slums in relative security. The industrial capital, the economic nerve-centre of India, was relatively calmful and serene, notwithstanding the underworld goons, their cold-blooded murders to settle scores at certain areas of the city, pimps canvassing customers for prostitutes, illicit distilling and occasional brawls and violence and even murders. Religious bigotry, terrorist attacks, serial bomb-blasts, ever prevalent fear- psychosis among people on the one hand, and business sharks on the other hand ruling the roost like their virtual monopolies.

Sometimes I wish, the ever vibrant journalist Behrahm Contractor, alias Busybee were alive today. The journalist known for his tongue in cheek expressions, who with his inherent sense of humour took every Mumbayite in his hand by becoming each one’s beloved through his column, “Round and About”. I first came to contact with his popular column in the late 1970’s in the “Evening News”, the evening edition of “Times of India”, he was the Bureau Chief of TOI then, and when he shifted to “Midday” and after “Midday” it was learnt he started his own “Afternoon Despatch Courier” :- “Whereever he wrote, readers also went after him”. While everyone is getting serious in this not so perfect world, a journalist with a sense of humour might be of great relief, atleast for a brief span.

The picture of Mumbai and my days in the city came to my mind the other day when I came to think about the approaching polls in Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh. Though these three States are integral parts of India, to be honest and frank, Maharashtra gains upperhand in minds as it was part of my life for a few years. My close friends, male and female, relatives are scattered across Mumbai, who always beckon me with love and affection. Who is going to capture power in Maharashtra and the other two States, is a matter of great interest to me and being not an astrologer or a psephologist I always believe anything is possible in the world of politics. Money power, flowing currencies, nepotism and corruption, drought, poverty, farmers seeking solace in suicides, distress sales of cattles- notwithstanding, political commentators express deep interest in a land like India obsessed with political affairs. The man who advised the starving farmers of Maharashtra to practice “Art of Living” is being promoted as a cabinet Minister in Central government.

He had reported to have commented: “committing suicides is a penal offence. Even then our government didn’t take action against those farmers who took their lives. Had we ever reported to the media about their offences?” That’s that. Certainly a Wonder World this, after all.