As many as 202 ST buses, 350 taxis, 80 autorickshaws, 115 BEST buses, 3 trucks and 4 private vehicles were smashed up or burnt across Maharashtra on Tuesday - one of them was mine. All this, apparently, for the cause of the Marathi Manoos. But as I learnt, to my great shock, this was not true at all. I am totally against the violence against people from other states for the cause of the Marathi Manoos. But Raj Thackeray is definitely not fighting for us Maharashtrians. After Tuesday, I am not sure even he knows what the fight is about.
With news of Raj Thackeray's arrest early in the morning, I knew it was going to be an action-packed day. But as a journalist and a Maharashtrian, I believed I was safe; I never imagined I would be the target of the 'anti-north-Indian' violence propagated by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. But my smug belief was shattered in an instant while I was on my way to work from my Kandivli home.
The roads were deserted and the police presence was reassuring; I was confident of making it to office in time. But just as I was turning left towards Mahim Causeway from Arunkumar Vaidya Road, four people suddenly appeared in front of my car. Sensing nothing amiss, I thought they wanted a lift as I had heard that MNS activists had smashed a few cabs and autorickshaws in protest against their leader Raj Thackeray’s arrest. Also, I couldn’t spot a single cabs or autorickshaw on the roads.
My assumption proved my undoing. As soon as I slowed down, without even bothering to find out who I was, two of the men flung large stones and my windscreen, while a third man smashed the rear screen. But it was the fourth man who left me terrified when he hurled a burning tyre at me. Stunned at seeing the violence so frighteningly close, I revved up the engine and sped away before my car was burned to ash with me inside. I stopped only when I spotted policemen near St Michael’s Church.
However, there was little respite there as in typical police fashion, I was tossed around between Mahim and Bandra police station before I could finally lodge my complaint. But that wasn't my problem at all. My car would be repaired within a few days, but what about my shattered faith?
Four men suddenly appear before my car at Mahim Causeway. I thought they wanted a lift
But when I slowed down to ask them, they threw stones at my windshield and rear window
Not content with that, one of them hurled a burning tyre at my car before I sped off
Raj, in his interview to Mumbai Mirror, had said he and his people made requests and pleas and gave memorandums before they went on a rampage. Who requested me before my car was smashed? What injustice have I done to a Marathi Manoos? I am a Marathi Manoos myself, born and bread here as were my parents and their parents and indeed all my ancestors. I speak, write and read Marathi. I studied in a Marathi medium school, just as Raj’s uncle had ordered all Marathis a few decades ago (it's another thing that his grandchildren did not study in Marathi medium schools) and my signature, even on cheques, is in Marathi. I did not snatch any Maharashtrian’s job.
Forget about my car. Remember Ambadas Dharrao, a Hindustan Aeronautics Limited employee who was killed in an MNS attack in Nashik in February? Wasn’t he a Marathi Manoos? Did he snatch away any Maharashtrian’s job? Why was he killed? Raj apologised to his family with folded hands and left it at that, letting his men literally get away with murder.
Both Dharrao and I were exercising our right to a livelihood even as Raj’s men were protesting their leader's arrest for violating the law. What was our fault?
Raj, the other day, tried to take credit for restoring Jet Airways employees’ jobs. His cousin Uddhav, who also wants the share of Marathi pie, was quick to point out that only 40 of those 1,900 retrenched were Marathis. I have no problem with that. But why did Raj’s uncle and Uddhav's dad not support the textile workers in the 80s? They were all Maharashtrians. Over one lakh mill workers died in Mumbai after the Great Mills' Strike. What did Raj and Unmesh, son of Thackeray’s right hand man Manohar Joshi do? They bought their graveyard – the Kohinoor Mill. Why couldn’t they take a principled stand to not buy mill land? So Mr Raj Thackeray, you have your right to a livelihood while we don’t?
Just for the record – the officer who took down my complaint was a North Indian and spoke in chaste Marathi. At a traffic signal, a destitute old man came up to my smashed car and tried to the wipe the broken windshield clean even as I told him it was pointless. He smiled saying “uparwala jaldi theek kar dega sahib, koi takleef nahin haiâ€.
He had God to trust in. I can’t even trust my own people.
mumbai news
.....
