Civilian Awards - Honour or...?

I am very happy that former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has been awarded the country’s highest Civilian Award. As many as 43 distinguished persons of India have been awarded Bharat Ratna before Vajpayee and these include many of former Prime Ministers and Presidents. If all of them could be awarded, why not Atal Behari Vajpayee, who deserves it more than most of them, was my logic to expect this award for the 90 year old leader.

Few will disagree that Vajpayee, the leader and the poet deserved this award even before becoming the PM. Vajpayee’s last term as Prime Minister ended eleven years ago and even during the two terms the previous Govt. did not consider him good enough to deserve this award despite the fact that only three persons were given this award during these two terms and despite the fact that Vajpayee took retirement from active public life in the year 2005 and has been in news for his poor health since 2009 when he suffered a stroke. And despite the fact that the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described Vajpayee as the “Bhishm Pitamah of Indian politics” and praised him for his courageous steps. Only Manmohan Singh can explain why his Govt. did not consider the Bhishm Pitamah even for Bharat Ratna.

Perhaps this was the reason why former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi got themselves awarded Bharat Ratna during their own tenures in the years 1955 and 1971 respectively. Who has seen tomorrow? Who knows the next Govt. might not even remember the former Prime Minister? 

But now that Vajpayee has been awarded Bharat Ratna by the BJP Govt., I am not happy enough. I am happy for the respect and recognition given to the nonagenarian leader but the controversy being created over the award to Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya has marred my happiness. 

Not being able to find fault in the decision with regard to the choice of Vajpayee for the Award, questions are being raised by some on the decision of awarding Malviya. The logics being given are strange. Why Malviya? Why not scores of other national leaders? As if these questions could not be raised on such decisions in the past!

Ironically, these questions are being raised by Congressmen, forgetting that Malviya too was not only a Congress leader but their party president for two terms!

The logic that is being propounded against Malviya being awarded is that he has been given this award posthumously. These people forget that as many as eleven persons have been awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously, including two former Prime Ministers namely Lal Bahadur Shastri and Rajiv Gandhi. Pt. Malviya will be the twelfth such person. Then it is said that Malviya had breathed his last as far back as 1946. These people forget that posthumous award have been given to Gopinath Bordoloi in 1999 who breathed his last in the year 1950. Is the difference of four years so much as to make Malviya ineligible for Bharat Ratna? Just because he belongs to Varanasi, the Parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Modi?

Height of cynicism.

Makes me doubt the very utility of these civilian awards. We all know that these awards are subjective and dependent upon the rulers of the day. Even though Vajpayee and Malviya may be the most eligible choices for the highest civilian awards, the very fact that they have been awarded during BJP regime and not earlier, makes it obvious how Govt. dependent awards these are.

There will be as many as forty five Bharat Ratna now. Add to them hundreds of Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awardees. Difficult to remember the names. What is the utility of these awards? Do these awards make the awardees more respectable? Was Vajpayee less respectable before being awarded Bharat Ratna? Can the service to the nation rendered by Malviya be forgotten without this award?

On the contrary, the remarks made by some against the award to Malviya have not only reduced the dignity of this award but unnecessarily and avoidably dragged the esteemed name like Malviya into such despicable controversy. 

Should these civilian awards not be stopped henceforth then?

The Proactive Swami Swaroopanand

The Faqir of Shirdi with a Golden Throne

I came to know about Sai Baba in a Raghunath Temple close to our place where every week a group of devotees used to sing ‘Sai Bhajans’. I used to wonder who this Sai Baba could be but did relish the bhajans sung in a melodious voice with devotion seldom found elsewhere. What I could understand was that Sai Baba was a faqir revered by millions due to different reasons.

I have been told by my parents that I am a Sanatan Hindu. I believe that I am neither very religious nor irreligious. But I love visiting places and India wherever you go, you find the place famous for some temple – of whichever faith – Shiv, Shakti, Vishnu, Ganesh and Surya (the least popular of deities though) and modern temples of Sai Baba etc. And I shirk going to temples - not because of the God seated there in the form of a deity but because of people like me. I cannot withstand so many people like me together particularly when they are vying for the darshan of the deity like a herd as if the deity would run away before they can have its darshan.

When I first went to Sai Temple I was impressed by the way they were managing the crowd. There was a long queue but there were seats to rest too. There was neatness and discipline until you have darshan. There was no display of religiosity by burning incense, oil lamps here and there and ‘prasad’ littered everywhere.  

When my over-religious wife expressed her wish to visit Sai Temple yet again, I readily agreed. And this time the things were even better. While we stood/sat in the queue waiting for our turn, there were coolers, water coolers and even tea was being served. Some may find it irreligious but even ice cream was being sold and savored by many, particularly the kids who were otherwise clueless as to why their parents had brought them to this unknown and inconvenient place.

On both the occasions, I could not understand why there was such a huge (though captivating) idol of Sai Baba which was being worshipped like a god. I looked for some literature and everywhere I found what I had found years ago in a temple close to my place. Sai Baba was still regarded as a Faqir and many held him in high esteem like a guru. Nowhere could I find Sai Baba being called an incarnation or a god.

I find the criticism of Sai Baba wearing a golden throne, however, ridiculous. Nobody had any problem with the gold lying in somebody’s locker. But when it was turned into a throne for Sai Baba, people started having problems with that. Pathetic.

But, even though I am not a very religious person, my little knowledge of Sanatan Dharma did make me find it a little odd that Sai Baba, a faqir was being worshipped like a God. Why people should worship their gurus like gods, I asked myself. But I did bow before the idol with reverence as I would before a saint.

Swami Swaroopanand’s objection to the worship of Sai Baba only vindicates my feelings. I have no hesitation in admitting that Swamiji is saying only what I said to myself years ago. The only difference is that I said it to me and my family whereas Swami Swaroopanand is saying it publicly. Not only saying, but even declaring it anti-Sanatan Dharma .

Being a Sanatan Hindu myself, I would have thought twice before going to Sai Temple had a Shankaracharya said it before I went to Sai Temple first time. I wonder what checked him from coming out openly like he has now.

Sects and Cults - Curse for Hinduism

I am not a devout Sai Bhakt and do not know much about the practice of Sai cult. But I do know a bit about some other sects and cults. And there are numerous in India. Then there are numerous gurus who are also turning into different cults every other day. I understand that some of them even tell their devotees that they need not/should not go to any other temple after joining their respective cults. In a temple run by a cult I even heard their priest explaining to visitors like me. “Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh bow before Bhagwan___________” My elder brother felt so annoyed at this statement that he almost had a fight with him before I took him out to avoid an ugly scene.

These sects and cults start their operations as Hindus and before people could realize they turn into religions unto themselves much against the interests of Hinduism. The trend needs to be checked and only a connection with Sanatan Dharma can ensure that. No fatwa can stop people from believing what they believe. 

I find it so ironical  that in an era when people in general have scant respect for their own parents and other relations, 'gurus' are flourishing in the market.  Every second person seems to having a 'guru'. People are fighting on behalf of their gurus while the traditional  teacher-taught relationship in schools and colleges has died. Obviously, people are looking for gurus with supernatural and miraculous powers in the hope of getting worldly success and pleasures and not 'knowledge' that gurus can actually deliver.  And no popular guru guides the disciples against this fake 'gurudom' but all seem to be encouraging this trend and vying for more and more disciples.

Adi Shankaracharya devoted his life for the unity of Hindus

Adi Shankaracharya worked for the unity of Hindus and for the purpose founded four peethas called Govardhana Peeth, Puri in East, Sharada Peeth, Sringeri in South, Dwarka Peeth, Dwarka in West and Jyotirmath Peeth, Badrinath in North India.

In order to bring unity among various Hindu sects of those times Adi Shankaracharya wrote five pancharathnam stotras for each of the following prime deities. The deities were Shiva, Vishnu, Shakti, Ganesh and Surya.

Obviously, if there were more than five prime deities, he would have worked for the unity of the followers of all of them.

The Peethadheeshwars (Heads) of the four Peethas are supposed to be doing what Adi Shankara did, unifying Hindus.

Adi Shankaracharya travelled across the country, met people of various sects, interacted with them and wherever required, had shastrarth with them and convinced them of his philosophy.

What are Present Day Shankaracharyas doing?

Are the four Shankaracharyas doing the same? Adi Shankaracharya acted according to the needs of the times. Are the present day Shankaracharyas responding to the demands of today’s society? If there is ignorance among Sanatan Hindus, who can help them? 

Are the present day Shankaracharyas connected with the Hindus they claim to represent in any way? The unfortunate answer is an emphatic ‘no’. The prestige of the seat of Shankaracharya has been brought down to the extent that Swami Swaroopanand is known as a Congress stooge!

Why this Avoidable Controversy?

Swami Swaroopanand is already head of Dwarka and Badrinath Peethas. During elections to the 16^th Lok Sabha, there was a news in media that two Shankaracharyas would work against Narendra Modi in Varanasi. One of the two names was that of Swami Swaroopanand. While a Shankaracharya participating in active politics is not undisputable, what is noticeable here is that the name of the other Shankaracharya was Swami Adhokshjanand Devtirath of Puri Peetha. Noteworthy here is that actual head of Goverdhan Peetha of Puri is Swami Nischalanand. Obviously somebody named as Adhokshjanand was being illegitimately projected as Shankaracharya of Puri. This is a mischief unheard of even in much denounced politics. Intention seems to be to become a supreme ruler of all the Peethas directly or through proxies as if two seats of Dwaraka and Badrinath do not satiate his hunger for power. Is the present controversy yet another attempt aimed at bringing the entire sant-samaj under his umbrella? The recent call to Naga Sadhus to assemble in Haridwar seems to be an affirmation of such intentions.

Sai devotees have fallen prey to this calculated move and have responded immaturely by burning effigies of Swami Swaroopanand, thus giving sant-samaj reason to get united. Honestly speaking, even I hated seeing our Shankaracharya being humiliated like this even though I am not a fan of Swami Swaroopanand. But this move does not seem to be against Sai devotees. This is a game being played at different levels about which Sai devotees do not have clue about.

Another theory doing rounds in social media is that this is a game being played at the behest of Congress party and is aimed at dividing Hindus and forcing BJP/RSS/BHP to take a side. It is believed by them that Modi’s victory is due to polarization of Hindu votes which needs to be reversed if Congress wants to come to power in State elections in near future and at the centre after five years.

The first probable reason given above is unfortunate and the second one is even more unfortunate, if true.

A Good Acharya commands respect – Does not have to Demand it

I regard my late parents as much as any human being can regard any one. I have not seen God but I have seen my parents living and dying for their family and doing all good things all their lives. When my father went to his heavenly abode, I placed a picture of my father among other deities in the small puja room in our house. My mother advised me to place my father picture at the holy feet of deities, even if I revered my father more than anyone else. I obeyed. I obeyed because these were my mother’s words whom I respected. She commanded my unconditional respect. She never had to demand it.

Even if a Shankaracharya had come to my place to tell me that, I doubt that I would have obeyed. Certainly not if he had threatened me for worshiping my own father.

The Questions of an Ordinary Hindu

It is no use asking who is right. The question is who is going to benefit from this controversy. Will Hinduism gain from it? Evidently, the controversy has only divided Hindus. Swami Swaroopanand claims that Sanatan Hindus can do away with Sai Baba whereas Sai devotees cannot do away with Sanatan Dharma. Even if it is true, is it not good for Hinduism? Does he want Sai devotees to start doing away with Sanatan Dharma? Whose gain will it be if they start doing it?

As explained above, there are so many sects, cults and Babas who are turning Hindus away from Hinduism in different ways. Is Swami Swaroopanand not aware of it? What has he done about saving Hindus from them?

Even if the latest controversy initiated by him is regarded as saving Hindus from Sai cult, is it the way to resolve an issue? Is the intention to resolve the issue or something else? 

Does he really believe that people will stop going to Sai Temples intimidated by the way he has tried by asking them to ‘purge’ themselves to become eligible to be called Sanatan Hindu again? Will he not alienate such people from Sanatan Dharma? Does he want to serve Sanatan Dharma by dividing Hindus?

Does Shankaracharya have no role to play in Modern India?

It would be wrong to conclude anything like that. In fact, the Akhara-System founded by Adi Shankaracharya needs to be protected and strengthened. But it needs to be modernized too. It should respond to the needs of the present society. It should come close to people. This is unfortunate but true that most of the Akhara heads are not connected with Hindus. Not even with temples. Most of them are enjoying the comforts and luxuries of their own Ashrams. Most of them are quick in telling people their duties. Few of them realize their own duties to the people they claim that they represent.

I appreciate that Swami Swaroopanand has taken pains to tell we Hindus what is ‘Shastra-sammat’ (in accordance with the holy scriptures). Thank you for telling us. We are obliged for the trouble you have taken. You claim that being an Acharya (teacher) it is your duty to guide us. Thank you for the guidance. Now leave the rest to us.

Instead, focus on the better management of temples across India. Do something to ensure that people feel connected with Hinduism and do not go to Fraud Babas in search of worldly benefits and quick solutions to their everyday problems. Do something for Vedic Education in India, at least in temples. Teach us what is meant by 33 crore gods and which of them should be worshipped and which of them not. Teach us what is the meaning of “Gurur-Brahmaa Gurur-Vissnnur-Gururdevo Maheshvarah; Gurureva Param Brahma Tasmai Shrii-Gurave Namah”. If Guru is Supreme God, why can guru not be worshipped. 

And if guru cannot be worshipped, why are gurus of Sanatan Dharma get them worshipped on Guru Purnima day?  Do something for keeping the society united. We are fed up hearing that Bharat was once a world-guru. We want that leadership position once again. We want to know what Vedic Religion is, what Sanatan Dharma is. Show us the way by example. Save us from Asaram Bapus and Nirmal Babas.

Do something for the pathetic condition Hindus in Pakistan are forced to live. Do something for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in their homeland with dignity and security. Do something to ensure that Ram Lalla gets a pucca roof and dwelling place in his birth place at Ayodhya. Do something to ensure that nobody dares make attacks on the symbols of Indian Culture like Shri Ram Setu. Do something to stop conversion of Hindus in North-East, Kerala and other parts of the country. Do something to improve the living conditions of poor Hindus so that they are not lured by missionaries who find it so easy in India compared with other countries. Why are you after Hindus who refuse to succumb to your wishes, whims or fatwas, call them what you will?

And for God’s sake do not project Sanatan Dharma  as yet another cult competing with others, proactive Parampujya Sri Dwarkapeethadheeshwar and Sri Jyotipeethadheeshwar Jagadguru Swami Swaroopanand ji Maharaj!

We would love to see a proactive Shankaracharya on air but not for wrong reasons.

A Lifetime Formula-1

Hunting is an inhuman sport, they say. So many Maneka Gandhis are actively trying to save various species the world over! So many big names in the corporate world are spending fortune for the cause and earning goodwill of countless people!

When I came out of the cinema hall after watching ‘Zindagi Milegi na Dobara’, I was wondering about the psyche of participants in the bull-run.. What does life mean to them? What do their parents, their near and dear ones mean to them? Do they think they have the sole-proprietorship of their lives? Do their parents or guardians, who raised them, have nothing to do with their lives?

We find on roads, motor-cyclists and even plush-car drivers doing adventures on roads! They sure, do not have regard for the lives of others on the road; but do they have any value for their own lives? Or any consideration of how their near and dear ones will cry after their unceremonious death on road?

I often wonder if we need some Maneka Gandhis to raise this issue too!

I sure sound like an oldie having few fans these days! But those who have suffered losses due to such incidents will readily find value in my lines! They call it adventure, which looks misplaced to the people like me!

When my son insisted and I accompanied him to witness Formula-1 final race on 30^th October, 2011 to Greater NOIDA near Delhi, I was wondering if it was not somewhat similar to the ‘Bull Run’! People deliberately endangering their lives in the name of adventure sports! Apprehensive of a fatal accident in the race, I was feeling responsible for a possible mishap, as these events take place only because spectators are there to cheer them and pay for the show!

The event can, however, be summarised in one word – “spectacular”! About a lac of spectators thronging the huge stadium after buying expensive tickets. There were fans, as reported by media, who were ready to pay premium on tickets as all the tickets were sold out.

The weather was good. The arrangement within the stadium was excellent and the excitement among predominantly the young crowd was difficult to fathom. The final practice by the participants in the race was going on. A car came screeching and the spectators standing up shouting! I wonder how many of them knew which car it was, from which sponsor and with which driver! But it was a treat to watch a real car on road in front of you speeding like this though I found it monotonous to watch 24 cars taking 60 laps on the circuit which meant watching cars passing and shrieking 1440 times in front of you in about 90 minutes!

Formula 1 is a very noisy sport. Speeding cars, blowing horns and screeching like hell! The young and educated crowd, so concerned about the pollution, seemed averse to any talk about the sound pollution! Even the ear-buds proved useless to stop the deafening noise giving you an unforgettable headache!

Each car participating in the race uses about 2,00,000 litres of petrol every season for testing and racing. And there are scores of cars involved in the race and scores of others vying to be in! These too must be practicing and using fuel somewhere! Add to it the fuel used in frequent transportation! I am carefully using the word ‘using’ and not ‘wasting’, because I cannot risk offending many including the youngsters in my own family! It is not difficult to imagine the carbon emission adding to the air-pollution by these cars racing at the speed exceeding 300 kms per hours despite measures to reduce these emissions.

I swear I did not want to be a spoil-sport. I wished to write a balanced post. But what can I do about the logic in what I have already written?

But, it is nice to find India on international map for presumably a good reason.

Almost all the leading sports-persons of the country have given a thumbs up to Formula One coming to India except former sprint queen PT Usha calling it a criminal waste of money as the sport has not got anything to do with more than 99% of Indians!

About Rs.2000 crore were spent by jaypee on building the state-of-the-art Buddh International Circuit and getting the F1 licence to host the race. The infrastructural development in the area is not seen in others parts of India which is sure to get further boost by the event.

Media from different parts of the world has praised the organisation of the event. After the bad name we earned owing to the State-managed Commonwealth Games in India, the praise seems like music to ears!

If asked to sum up my experience, I would say that Formula-1 was a life-time experience for me, never to be repeated in life!

Whither Mumbai

Mumbai is in news again. For wrong reasons. It has emerged as a promising battleground for all ambitious politicians from regional as well as national parties. Is Mumbai going the Kashmir way? Is another north-eastern India in the making? Is India disintegrating? We may like India to stand united, we may like India to be a unitary state, but the problems are there and we can hardly wish them away.

What Makes Mumbai Unique
Mumbai, founded in 1672, is the second most populous city in India and the country's chief principal west seaport. Mumbai's prosperity is largely due to its natural harbour supported with rail, road, communication and an international airport. It is a major port of call for European and American vessels and handles over 40% of India's trade. Mumbai is the largest cotton textile milling centre in India.

The confluence of varied currents and cross-currents has given Mumbai a unique position of being the most cosmopolitan city in the country. The population comprises people of Koli, Bhandari, Indo-Aryan, Parsee, Jewish, Muhammadan, Arab, Portuguese, Armenian, English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh origin. Mumbai has developed into India's commercial capital with several leading financial, industrial and commercial centres located in this vibrant city.

Mumbai is the financial capital, the most glamorous city, the bubbliest city of the country today! The city has been built by Indians from all communities and regions with the obvious advantage of the natural factors like its location and weather etc.

Despite challenges of various kinds like overloaded infrastructure, communal riots and recent terrorist attacks, the city has preserved its unique cosmopolitan nature. In the face of every onslaught, natural or made, Mumbai has shown the world its resilient, undaunted spirit.

Danger Looming Large
But, the city seems to be in serious trouble if the politicians, cutting across party lines, have their say. Bent upon making Mumbai an akhara, eying their respective vote banks, not just in Maharashtra, but all over India, are once again playing their divisive politics.

Nationalists must rise to the occasion and ensure that the nasty intentions of these politicians are exposed before they harm national integrity further for their petty selfish motives. Media too must resist adding fuel to fire in national interest, howsoever tempting it might look for getting TRP or readership.

The Problem
It would be foolhardiness to think that everything is fine in Mumbai and some miscreants have succeeded in creating the hue and cry out of nothing! The problem is not imaginary.

A common citizen of Mumbai wants an end to his daily woes. Cracking infrastructure, narrow roads, local trains overloaded with people with hardly a space to breathe, scarcity of water, ‘Best’ buses not longer so, sky rocketing rentals, soaring prices of essential commodities, unemployment and deteriorating law and order are but some of the problems a common Mumbaikar is faced with. Public is with whichever party can lure it with an end to its miseries. It is not very difficult to make innocent people believe that the cause of all their miseries is the influx of people from other parts of the country; that if non-Marathas go back to their respective native places, all the problems of Mumbaikars will be resolved.

The way the problem is being mishandled by all concerned the problem may soon grow to a magnitude which may be difficult to contain. It is not an issue between Shiv Sena and MNS, or Shiv Sena and Congress. Nor is it between Raj and Lalu, or Udhav and Rahul. It is not even between a Marathi and non Marathi.

Are the problems of Mumbai different from those faced by a citizen of another part of the country? The whole nation is afflicted with the same or similar problems! The fact is this is in search of a solution to the everyday problems that a common man from other parts of India moves towards Mumbai, or for that matter, a metropolitan city or a city with better opportunities.

Even if the non-Marathis are ousted from Mumbai, the problems may not solve. Even if some are, partially, problems of different natures may emanate. After all, non –Marathis are not responsible for the communal riots or the terrorist attacks the city faced. Nor are they responsible for natural calamities. With or without non-Marathis, these and many other hardships will continue to be there in the life of Mumbaikars as well as in the lives of their fellow Indians elsewhere in the country.

Mumbai is not the only city in India, facing problems due to overburden on its resources. According to the Forbes magazine, Mumbai and Delhi are among the 25 dirtiest cities in the world while Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore are among the 20 densest cities of the world. Even Sukinda in Orissa and Vapi in Gujarat are among the 10 most polluted places globally.

Living in a dense place affects quality of living, unless you have loads of money and the place is gentrified like Tokyo and New York, the magazine commented. Dense is, however, a relative term. "A Mumbai native visiting New York is bound to feel like a New Yorker vacationing on a Wyoming dude ranch," it added.

Let us identify the problem then. The problem is lack of infrastructure. The problem is lack of opportunities, a word read and heard by everybody in India but seen only in select cities. Who wants to leave his or her native place and lead a life away from dear ones, full of hardships and humiliation? One is forced to so.

Beware of ‘Leaders’
Despite India having the second largest number of billionaires in the world the masses are fighting for basic infrastructure, food, clothing, education, housing and a respectful life. A pity indeed! And the politicians who are responsible for this mess are still leading and misleading the common man! We still call them leaders and follow them!

We have not been able to resolve the Kashmir imbroglio ever since independence. Despite spending a fortune and losing umpteen lives of our jawans as well as innocent people, a solution to Kashmir problems remains a distant dream. Despite continuous deployment of sizable forces we saw nationalist Indians being butchered and ultimately forced to leave their motherland. Despite having rounds and rounds of peace talks initiatives of myriad nature we failed to get them reinstated.

We still learnt no lessons. We continue to take things casually. We allow problems to grow to alarming proportions and then surrender. We allow secessionist forces to gather, to strengthen themselves and even when things look beyond control we continue to ‘hope’ and handle them superficially, as if to gain time.

We have seen local politicians of places like Kashmir converting ‘a paradise on earth’, into a living hell. We have seen national politicians of India failing miserably in their duty of preserving the unity and integrity of India and getting its people the basic rights and amenities. Should we still look towards them and wait for some good days? Should we keep ourselves busy in chanting ‘hum honge kaamyaab’ and ‘mera bharat mahaan’ while they keep befooling us and amassing wealth?

We are the world’s largest democracy. We are one of the oldest civilisations of the world. We have a glorious past. We need to lead the so called ‘leaders’. We need to be guarded against playing in the hands of who are using us and the national resources for their vested interests.

Are Mumbai and Kashmir Issues Alike?
But not all the problems can be equated, however. Nor can there be a common solution to all the problems. While the problem of Kashmir is predominantly political and dates back to pre-independence, the north-eastern problem grew in independent India and had more economic than political reasons. The problem of Punjab was the result of unseasoned steps of some greedy politicians, cutting across party lines and had no roots in the society. That is the reason why it could be tackled with whatever means and whoever taking its credit. Not all the state related issues are secessionist or even separatist. Some are economic and some are mere creations of some petty politicians.

The present Mumbai problem cannot be equated with Kashmir, as some politicians and their misguided followers are trying to project with their petty selfish motives. Some politicians started it with an eye on their vote banks. Other politicians joined in not to be left behind.

Patriotic Maharashtra
Insofar as Maharashtra is concerned, it has had a glorious past. Marathas are no less nationalists than people of any other state. They were Marathas who went as far as to Panipat to fight the Afghans in order to save their motherland. Even later, in 1803, they fought the British near Delhi, Aligarh and Agra. A misguided action by a handful of people is only an exception and should be treated like that.

The song of non-Marathas sacrificing their lives for fighting terrorist attack on Mumbai, being orchestrated by some is also ill placed. It was the great service to their motherland, done by great Indians, ever to be remembered and honoured by all Indians. That is it! Any attack on any part of the country will be fought by all Indians, together, ever!

Friends and Foes of Maharashtra
The activists leading the drive to oust non-Marathas are doing the greatest disservice to the state and its culture. Even if they succeed in their ill-conceived drive, they will not win. Sooner or later, the people so ousted will get rehabilitated somewhere. Those ousted from the erstwhile Pakistan, have got settled in India. Many of them are flourishing today. Those ousted from Kashmir have also got settled by now. See the fate of Pakistan and Kashmir today.

Shrills of ‘Amchi Mumbai’ is driving investments towards Gujarat. In a year when both the states are celebrating their golden jubilee, Maharashtra is trying to slam the doors on ‘outsiders’ while its neighbouring state is welcoming investment with open arms with its ‘Swarnim Gujarat’ campaign!

People have already started moving out of the city. Along with the Bihari labour and taxi drivers, people in respectable positions have also started having a gagging feeling in the city. Many people associated with film-industry have already expressed their intentions of moving out.

In addition to Mumbai, India has three more film cities, viz., Chennai, NOIDA near Delhi and Ramoji Film City of Hyderabad, the latter being the largest in India. Film studios exist in cities like Bangalore and Kolkata too. Alternatives to Mumbai film city already exist. If Mumbai continues to be a disturbed city, all these forces look bent upon to make, filmmakers already have alternatives.

Being the financial capital and the most glamorous city, Mumbai is the most happening place in the country. So far regarded as the country's busiest airport, Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) has slipped to the second spot, behind Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI), with the number of air traffic movements (ATM) it handles dipping from a daily high of 720 flights last year to 650 this year.

Mumbai has a 110 km long coastline out of the 7517 km long coastline India can boast of. Mumbai, thus comprises 1.46% of India’s total coastline. In other words, India can develop 68 cities like Mumbai along its coastline, though, being a peninsula, Mumbai has a distinct advantage of being a natural harbour.

The Hope
Agitation or no agitation, things always change. Necessity is the mother of invention. With more and more people getting attracted towards big cities, these cities are expanding. New cities are emerging. Small towns are developing into cities and big cities turning into metros. There is need to speed it up.

There is a good news which thanks to media, got lost in the crime news and more important (!) news like injustice meted out to Pakistani players. India and Japan have signed agreements to build eco-friendly cities along the Rs.3,60,000 crore Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor (DMIC). 24 new eco-friendly townships would come up on this corridor. The project will help in faster movement of goods through the corridor and will generate employment, infrastructure and will have a huge multiplier effect for wealth generation.

The 1,483-km Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor will cross six states —Delhi and the national capital region, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana. The project is expected to finish by the year 2017.

The Government of India, the State governments and the Planning Commission need to work in close coordination and ensure that the project is completed by the deadline. The good news is that Japan wants to showcase the DMIC as a model not just for India, but the whole world.

The good or bad fortune does not come for ever. History records our character on the basis of how we deal with it. It is for Marathas with a glorious past to decide whether to go down in history as nationalists as ever, or as people who bowed down to adversities. With the first option comes prosperity with glory while the second option leads them to a forgettable past.