Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Mumbai vs Bombay

Its back again. This time, people have objection about again calling Mumbai as Bombay in the movie 'Wake Up Sid'. The people whom I am referring to is not just any general group because I don't see what problem a slum dweller of Dharavi could have in it. He probably would not be seeing the movie in the first place. The 'people' here are those people whose bread and butter depends upon calling Mumbai , Mumbai.

Aakhir Mumbai ko Mumbai nahi bolega to aur kya bolega. (Pardon me, just remembered a scene from Kaminey).

I am sometimes taken aback by the frivolity of the issues which are raised in this country. Are we really short of issues that now we have to take up as trifle a case as this ? Would calling the city Mumbai change anything? Would it ensure proper housing for half the population which is presently living in the slums ? Or would it prevent streets from flooding next time it rains there ?

Isn't it sufficient enough to officially change the name of the city ? Shouldn't people be free in calling the city by what ever name they wish to call ?

From what I see, its nothing more than a quibble to divert our attentions from the more pressing issues. After all, its much more simple to tackle things like this. All they got to do is ransack a theatre or two, block some roads, hinder the routine working. The producer would come forward apologising and these people come out as a hero for having preserved the identity of their community. The identity which was put forward by these very people. Its a gimmick which is played by these people time and again so that people of their community start to identify themselves with them.

Its alarming to see how easily these people can hold the whole city at ransom. It is a dangerous tendency and in the future the government should step in to curb it.

2 comments:

Shanu said...

Rightly said.. But problem arises when government becomes "these people" :|

Vatsheel said...

I am waiting for the day when MNS calls for changing name of IIT Bomabay to IIT Mumbai. Then we will have two IITMs. So change IIT Madras' name to IIT Chennai in advance. Prescience :)