Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Raj Thakare Episode: The larger picture

Raj Thakarey's agitation against north indians in Maharshtra was criticized heavily by everyone right from the pseudo-intellectual news media like times of india/ndtv/cnn-ibn to the psuedo-dashing media like aaj-tak, ibn-7, star-news,india-tv etc..
But unfortunately no-one has even taken a notice of the fact that Raj Thakarey got the support from common Maharashtrian people. Is it the indicator that the most progressive state of India is facing a social mass-paranoia?
Let's analyze the scenario.
There is a nation who adopted federal polity. Some states are developed while some are underdeveloped. The underdeveloped states remained underdeveloped not because of the lack of natural resources, but because of the gross mis-management, corruption and social issues. The people from such underdeveoped states migrated to the developed states. The developed state was pretty liberal and already had a sizeable amount of rich class people who are immigrants and the native people of those developed states are mainly into manual labour and unskilled jobs. As the influx of people from underdeveloped states increased, the competition in this labour class people increased. The immigrants live in slum illegally with extremley low standard of living and hence are less costly.
Slowly these migrants start displacing the natives and many native become unemployed. As the size of the migrants increased, the natives become restless.
On the backdrop of this situation, the politicians from the underdeveloped states start increasing their presence in the developed states considering the high number of migrants. These politicians want to polorize the immigrants and to convert them into their vote bank. And for that purpose they incite the immigrant community by distributing weapons.
They receive a strong reaction from the politician who is trying to establish himself in the state politics. Both are successful now. In this fight the immgrant and native communities get polorized. The law and order situation becomes serious. Since the natives are in huge numbers and immigrnats are minority, the immigrants suffer badly in this conflict.
The politicians from both side daily take care of fiercing this battle by issueing new statements. And the media who considers itself equivalent to judiciary, has already passed a judgement putting the native maharashtrian people in bad light.
No one even remotely reckoned that their exists an issue due to which there is a widespread recentment in the native people of maharashtra. The economic issue is important and also important are several other issues.
Cultuarally maharashtra is going through a kind of downfall wherein marathi language is suffering a lot. Once the rich in literature/sports/theatre/music with some stalwarts like V.Shantaram, Lata Mangeshkar, Sunil Gavaskar,Tendulkar,Shirwaadkar, p.l.deshpande and many others have created very high level of standards which the modern day marathi literature, cinema, theatre, sports, music are not able to match. The western culture and literature has started dominating marathi minds and has literally overwhelmed them. Natives started losing their faith in Marathi language and maharshtrian culture. Though they can not express that social feeling openly and hence entire maharshtra is in state of cultural anxiety.
Examine maharshtrian in this state. On top of that they started facing the unemployment issues due to growing influx of North Indians into the state making the natives unemployed.
That's the reason why Raj got such overwhelming support from the common people of Maharshtra.
Though Raj is using these sentiments in his favour, people of India should understand these sentiments and should not take comfort in just criticizing Raj.
This issue is widespread. Since the Raj Thakarey is soft target (and even he wanted the reaction from north indian politicians), all the North Indian politicians right from Mulayamsingh to Laloo Prasad raised voice against him. Where were these leaders when more that 500 biharis were killed in Assam, Punjab, Kashmir during last 2-3 years and where was media and what was its verdict on that?
The main issue is not whether Raj is correct or not, but the main issue is why is he getting support? If we did not address this issue, we will find several Raj Thakares emerge from different regions of India.

24 comments:

Unknown said...

I agree with you. The issue is widespread and is deep rooted in the way Indian Politics works. The lack of visibility, innovation and above all the determination needed to address such issues or prevent them from happening lacks among politicians and also the Indian populace. The politicians use these issues in their favour and people either blindly follow or oppose them. The issue needs to be addressed as soon as possible and we should understand that migration is not the solution. Te solution lies in development and progress of underdeveloped states.

Avinash said...

i dont agree with you

i dont think that the people coming from outside are snatching jobs away from marathi people, this is a common mis perception created by people like Raj Thackrey. in my opinion they are only taking the space thats availabe and creating and expanding their space by hardwork.
Mumbai needs people from outside to do the dirty, dangerous and demeaning jobs in the city because the local population wont do it. And we all know how enterprisingly is Marathi community.
We instead ask people like Raj what he has done for the people of Mumbai?
was killing of Ramesh Kini anything favouring marathi Manus?, Kini was marathi remember
was arranging Michael Jackson show going to save marathi culture? and how many jobs did Shiv Udyog Sena create under Raj thackrey?

Mumbai's problems are that of globalization. cities are developing but the lower middle class does not find enough opportunities and finds it increasingly difficult to adjust with the costs of the life in a metropolis. Raj Thackrey did not mind closing of the mumbai mills and the subsequent unemployment of marathi manus and the subsequent grabbing of the mill land by the mafia. Politicians in our country only know how to create controversies when the push comes to shove, they are part of the problem by conniving with the land mafia of mumbai.
we are living in illusion if we believe that such politics will help marathi poor in mumbai.

last but not the least, having stayed out of my house for nearly six years, i know its morally also impossible to support politicians like Thakreys. otherwise how can one justify if we come to faraway places like US for better opportunities and want to stop fellow citizens from travelling within their own country?

Shailendra said...

One must understand that the mumbai's economy is based on the exploitation of the labour. And this exploitation increases with the increasing supply of labour. There are some labours who can afford lower wages because they live illegally in slums with extremey low standard of living. That's the main problem, where natives are not able to afford that lower rates and hence their jobs are lost.
That is the reason why in Mumbai, marathis and gujratis, punjabis never fight because they are in different classes of economy and never compete with each other.

Unknown said...

Hi Avinash,

I agree with what you have said. Having said that I would also like to emphasise that I agree with Shailendra too.

Indian Politicians and hence Indian politics have become so dirty that we need a strong determination to clean it.

Shailendra and you are correct in whatever you are saying and suggesting. Yes people who talk about Marathi manoos should do something substantial about upbringing of Marathis. Also at the same time, the netas from other part of country and from undeveloped states should also play creative politics and help in the development of these states.

No one wants to leave his/her native place, his/her family, friends to work in some other place. But for that you need infrastructure and environment.

Hope that day will come when a person will not have to leave his home in search of job and jobs would be available in his town also.

Shailendra said...

Let me clarify myself.
What I wanted to bring forward is that, "Its not a question of whether Raj Thakare is correct or not. Its a larger economic issue and n0ot just present in Maharashtra, but present everywhere accross the globe. Their are undercurrents in everywhere including USA. Just refusing to acknowledge them and just critisizing the leader and giving them more importance is not correct. We must ubnderstand the core issues."

Avinash said...

@Shailesh
what you seem to be saying is that if there are people who can afford flats in Mumbai, then it does not matter if they are marathi or anything else, but only poor should not come because they are poor!

and in any case entire economic structure in this world is based on exploitation

even software and offshore industry gets indians to do the things they do not because they are more intelligent but easily available and are cheap labor!

and by that logic do you think that non gujarathi and punjabi community did not take jobs from marathi people? are you saying that there was marathi working class alone at any point of time?

we marthi manoos are bloody cocooned bourgeois people, we dont mind if a Punjabi comes and opens a hotel or garage or a Gujarati fellow to open a share trading office or xerox shop if they employ us, but are willing to unite in the name of marathi if some poor worker comes

and dont forget, almost all the marathi "natives" are original migrants from Konkan or other parts of the region, their forefathers as outsiders as the present day north indians!

and anyways we cant also escape the reality that Mumbai's economic position is because of the British initiative in railways, telegrams and education

just that there is no sea in Bihar!

Avinash said...

ps
my last post was a response to your previous one
not to the clarification!

Unknown said...

@avinash
The issue is not whether migrants should be allowed or not. You can't stop migration. But what is the cause of this migration? I am from UP and I know we lack infrastructure for economic development. Govt is reluctant in providing the same. They play politics that is poor then poorer. Changing names of cities, universities and other thing is not development. I would never want to come out of Agra, if I had got a job there.
If people are provided with job opportunities in their areas why the hell will they migrate. Poor or not no one will need to go some other place to earn a living.

Shailendra said...

Again, if it is a global phenomenon we should not just ignore it only because it is worldwide. I don't agree that happens in IT offshoring directly. Countries like India can afford the IT works in lesser prices because the economy in India is still based on exploitation. You won't find that much of exploitation in USA. In USA almost all kind of work will fetch you dignified earnings.
And as long as mumbai is concerned, anyone willing to live legally is welcome. The cost of flats did not increase automatically, they increased due to illegal occupation of land. Find out whether was it not possible 30 years back to purchase flat in mumbai or get atleast a room in chawl on rent.
As long as Marathi mindset is concerned, I think it has economic/geographic/historic angle. The fact is that Marathis are mainly labour class and if they think in this way, it is not their problem. Its the problem of whole system. And if they don't get any proper leader, this anger will be channelled in wrong direction as we saw recenlty.

Ashutosh Sharma said...

My point of view is even when high court has ruled out Raj Thackare's opinion. Why maharashtra should be only for marathis and not for anybody else. If we keep on doing all this things-then nobody in india can go to any other place. If you are educated, skilled and capable-you should rise-nobody can stop you. On the similar lines, US and other countries should stop people coming from other nation also-if anybody justifies Raj's view. He and other policitians are playing plain politics and nothing else. Nobody from politician brigade is thinking in terms of india as a nation.

Unknown said...

I m not agree with you at all...
Its one of the worst politics of present day. One should not forget history how the British entered the country and ruled for 100 years. During that period too jerks like today were present who betrayed their own people .
Marathas had the most powerful military before the British spread their wings, it was the internal fight of Marathas that split the Sindhiyas, Bhosle's, Gaikwads and Holkars. British took this apportunity to climb the thrown.
Raj Thakre cud have taken the leaf out of it and warned the Politicians of UP,Bihar to develop their states and remain out of Maharashtra Politics instead of tartgetting the poor people. Yes, harreshing the downtrodden was quite easy then catching the bull by horn. If Raj Thakrey is true son of this nation(I am not using soil) he should fight the dirty politics that had brought Maharashtra down from No 1 Industalised state to No. 5, Inadequate development in infrastruce, Standerising the educational system ,where more then 80% colleges are controlled by politician and demand heavy donations.
To be in Lime light and get good votes you need to have good vision, though by grace of god he has good family background he needs to broaden his base for the cause of humanity.
After the sena split, even the people from other state has a dream that they would be getting a good quality of leadership from Raj, which only proved to be nighmare.
Raj should try to focus on the lacking of other parties rather then killing humanbeings and giving useless statements.

-Ravi Bais, Pune

Unknown said...

Hi,
my question is not related to the exact topic. I am facing a problem in with my blog. When comments are being written, its not appering below the Main Ariticle. When I click the link "Comments" then the whole article is visible.. otherwise not... any solution.. Please delete this comment after giving me solution at sd1978@gmail.com

Unknown said...

I do not agree with whatever Avinash has commented so far.
They are more based on past rather than the present.

People might have migrated decades back to mumbai. But the situation was different.
Space right now is the biggest problem.

Whatever Raj says is not for the ones who migrated here several years back. Its only for the new migrants.

If poor people / mazdoor log come for jobs, then what about the poor people staying here??? From where would they earn their bread???
People coming from UP/Bihar majorly get involved into cheap businesses like - driving taxi n autos, selling vegetables, milk, become a watchman, sell pani-puri/ chat items, etc etc....
These businesses fetch them somewhere between just 5000 to 10,000 bucks. Cant they get this money there??? Why migrate to such a long distance to earn such a small amount ??? What if IT professionals from Indian migrate to US just to earn 25,000 - 35,000 INR??? Would it make sense ???
Moreover, if their UP / Bihar states cannot get them an income of even 5,000 bucks, dont you think their leaders shud do something???

As far as the intellectual jobs are concerned, we maharashtrians are anyday more talented & eligible to get those jobs. I challenge them on behalf of all Maharashtrians to openly to come here and compete with us - you'll lose

I agree with what Raj says, if not with what he does.

Unknown said...

@Salman
I will just say,

"Hum hi hum hain to kya hum hain,
Tum hi tum ho to kya tum ho! "

nitish-here for blogging said...

I think blogging is one of the best means to put forth our views .
As my thinking goes all this is politics.Take the recent issue Lalu prasad was responsible for not making people of maharashtra aware of railway exam and so why should the north indian common people be sent back so rudely .These politicians have a verbal fight but the common people from maharashtra as well as north india suffer physically.
And now speaking whether Raj is right or not.For me he is right to some extent.Take example of any state other than maharashtra If u migrate there then u hav to learn their way of living & respect their regional language and cultue to be more precise one example is tamil nadu.But opposite is the case in maharashtra .Not everybody but many migrate here and not respect the people here as my experience with few goes.
And speaking of india as a nation so people hav the right to migrate anywhere in the country as private companies are established in different staets but just have respect towards the state ur living in.

Shailendra said...

Palak, it is not about Hum-Tum. United we stand, but it is responsibility of everyone to maintain such union. You can not ignore the main issues and then give advice of unity. What are we doing to address the concerns of the people. The migrants as well as locals.
Two main issues:
1] As you pointed out earlier why people migrate?
2] Why locals oppose immigrants?

If one address the above two issues, there will be no Raj Thakare in politics.

Unknown said...

Dear All,

Read the following article on RAJ THAKRE. I fully support this guy.

Except I do not agree with his methods that of violence against innocents. If you look at his VDOs on youtube you will see what I mean.

Examples:

1). There are 40,000 hutments along the Water pipelines in Bombay/Mumbai. He has expressed serious concerns about terrorism here. Thes hutments are illegal and they have been occupied by about 70% UP and BIHAR migrants.

2). By law, there is 80% reservation in employment of unskilled and semi-skilled worker jobs for Maharastrians. However there is no implementation of the law by the Congressi guys.

3). Mumbai (Mumba + Aayee) is originally the land of the Konkan Maharashtrian Kolis and in 1969 it was granted to Maharashtra

4). Bihar and UP politicians f..d up their states respectively and therefore there is migration to Mumbai. Why should the Mumbaikar pay for the f..k..ng goofs of the Laoo Prasads, Mulayam Singhs and the Sonia Gandhi's.

5). A Marathi Manoos is a person who is born in Maharashtra and accepts the Hindu culture. Therefore it includes you and me. After all we read and write and speak Marathi even though our parents are originaly refugees from outside Maharashtra.

7). Have we looked at the status of Public Transport (Buses, Roads, Trains) and seen the degradation of Mumbai Roads. What about the f..k..g illegal constructions of UP Bihar Muslims (patronage of Mr Sunil Dutt and Baba Siddiqui and Abu Azmi). Don't we the TAX PAYERS have any rights (see Bombay HC ruling to evict slums).

8). 'Chatt Pooja' is a pooja of the 'SUN'. But over the years, the Biharis and UPites in Bombay have congregated in Juhu and Chowpatty for political rallies under the guise of Chatt Pooja and f..d up the place by 'Sh..ting' and staying overnight at the beach. Where do you think they would be doing their toilet. Moreover they did not bother to clean up the Juhu Beach.

9) The Hawker Stalls on Juhu (that were until recently permanent fixtures - 90% UP and BIHAR tenants not owners) were all operated illegally and believe it or not, were owned by a corrupt UP Muslim with political patronage. All future and present Bihari politicians and bhojpuri film stars started netagiri on the Main Juhu beach.

9). My close friends are from UP and BIHAR and are residents of Juhu and part of Juhu CITIZENS group. They fought the judicial case and got a Bombay high Court order evicting all Stalls and preventing the congregation on CHATT POOJA. Guess who helped them? Mr. RAj THAKRE.

See this site of JUHU CITIZENS - http://www.juhucitizen.org/ and have a look at the PHOTO GALLERY to look at JUHU BEACH today.

All BIHARIS and UPites living in Mumbai do not need to congregate at Juhu. They can do their pooja all along the respective coast lines wherever they live. RAJ Thakre is not against CHATT POOJA at all.

Recently JET AIRWAYS evicted employees. Out of 1500 only 67 were Maharashtrians speaking Marathis and coming from Marathi families - remaining were all North Indians. They were supported by Raj Thakre and they got their jobs back. After all many air hostesses had paid for the stewardess course conducted by Jet Airways for their certification, out of booroed loans.

10). 27 lacs of UP and Bihari migrants live in Mumbai. They are a VOTE BANK of Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayavati and Laloo Prasad Yadav and their UP local representative is ABU ASIM AZMI - No awards for guessing what this guy does.

This man threatened to beat up the MNS workers with lathis. Raj Thakre in turn said we will come with swords.

Mayawati and Mulayam Singh turn up in Shivaji Park to address a Political Rally - For WHAT ? - To capture Mumbai Seats based on their UP/Bihari Vote bank.

Believe it or not - these voters can also vote in UP and Bihar State Elections - What happened to Voting Rights - One man one vote.

11) Raj Thakre is an educated (BA JJ school of Arts) and a well spoken gentleman who has no other choice but to take to the streets in view of so many laws in Maharashtra supposedly for the protection of locals but VERY LITTLE or NO implementation.

12) Do you know who or which community in the BMC, RTA is highly represented and exceeds the Marathi community as well  Bihari and UP.

Do you know about the TAXI DRIVER licence corruption?.

Read this one:

In mumbai you have one number plate for a TAXI and only one Driver is granted a TAXI DRIVING LICENCE. This is the case throughout the world.

However, it was discovered that there were at times 5 or more people impersonating under ONE NAME that of the TAXI DRIVER and were driving the SAME TAXI at different times.

Now the RTO criteria for licensing of a TAXI DRIVER is that the individual should be a minimum 8th Std pass. Now how come in a few years time their numbers beat the local population and the others in as far as TAXI and RICKSHAW drivers are concerned (let alone truck and bus drivers).

Do you know how many Rickshaws and Taxis illegally ply the roads of Mumbai on account of the Bihari RTO officers giving away licences illegally and turning the other way.


13.) Now about Mr Amitabh and Mrs Jaya Bacchan:

A). Jaya Bacchan was nominated to the RAJYA SABHA from UP - NOT from MAHARASHTRA. She puts forth a proposal to set up Bombay as a CITY STATE a la Singapore. Who the is she to speak for Mumbai? She was not elected by or from Mumbai? Her proposal was put down by Mr. PRAMOD MAHAJAN (not living former BJP rajya sabha member)

B) Amitabh Bacchan and Jaya Bacchan both became popular film stars not from UP and/or Bengal, but from Mumbai?

They have lived more than 35 years of their lives in Mumbai. Yet when AB fights for elections he stands up from UP. Amar Singh asks him to become brand ambassador for UP - why not do something about Mumbai politically?

It is not the ordinary Mumbaikar or the Maharashtrian who has f..d up Mumbai and surroundings.

CITIZEN MKAR

nitish-here for blogging said...

Anil u really have good knowledge regarding this politics.After reading ur coments I came to know about many truths.And as in my previous comment I again say the problem is damage to maharashtra property and culture, and not the migration.

Anonymous said...

Monday, December 22, 2008
Raj Thackeray , World's Mad Person, Chutiya of Maharashtra
Raj Thackeray worlds mad person ,
Raj Thackeray World's Mad Person, Chutiya of Maharashtra,
He is world's gandoo people, If you want to know more about this Desh Drohi.
This person want to divide our india in two parts, with language and religions as Marathi and Hindi.
We are one and only one in india as Indian.
If a person come to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, then we don't want that the person will go back to his region.
But if we go to maharastra then why raj thakrey want the person go back to his region, maharastra is not different country, it is in India and we are indian so we are always free to do a job or business in any part of india.
Raj Thakrey gandoo said that hindi films will not to made in maharashtra then why bollywood is staying there...............We have many places in india for making movies. but raj thakrey remember one thing, you have to show only marathi movies in your theaters not a single hindi movie.

I am making this blog becuase the person named raj thakrey has gone mad and can be sent to a mad house in maharastra, i have seen "a wednesday" a movie starred by nassiruddin sah.........so i am writing this blog, if you had any confusion let me know once.

A wednesday is a super movie for a common people, so jago india jaao and we are hindoo and muslims are not different, we are common man, want a terror free india.

So ban this Raj Thakrey, this is not a leader just a mad person need some treatment.

If any person will come to support this raj thackrey, the person will also arrested.

This is my humble request to government of india and maharastra, i am begging from Mayawati Ji, you have not given a single word on this, please say some thing. bcz u r the CM of india's largest state that is UP .

Anonymous said...

first i want to know u that how arrogant are all these ups & biharis by reading above comments by iet alias.root of problem is politician from north india only from up & bihar who turn these states in to hell ,if good job available there no need to migrtes.UP & BIHAR FIRST RANK IN ROBBERY,RAPE,KIDNAP,CASTIISM,DIRTY POLITICS,ILLITERACY,PROSTITUATION,ARROGANCY,GOONDAGARDY.......still hindi media made image that lalloo,mayawati are heros of nation ....what is this hell?

Anonymous said...

thats truth that lalloo ,mayawati sucks up & bihar but what is best solution is stop migrating to other state & those migrated should go back to up & bihar to make their state devoloped.teach d corrupt politian from north lesson rather than making nuisance in other devoloped state

Unknown said...

@Anonymous I don't know why don't you exist. Do you understand the concept of give and take, mutual understanding, helping and collaborating? If no, then learn it. No Indian state can be said developed. Also, no state in India is self-sufficient. If MH provides industrial jobs to north Indians then north India also helps in providing major crops to other states.

Unknown said...

And also, why should people like Rajs, Lalus, Mayawatis etc be supported? They are just doing their politics and playing the old game of Divide and Rule!!

neuron said...

To all those Anonymous People ...Aap chutiye hain...Can you people tell us what you achieved ever ? What did you do for country ? Why do you think you are smart ? If you people think you are the best ...why you can not take competition in any way ? I tell you what you do .....you just try to run away from making things better .... fools...learn some manners....