Some Random Ramblings

Everyone has a moment of rage where all his/her inner frustration is vented out by some constant pricking thorn in the side. Well, this is my moment.

For quite some time now, every time I open my Facebook account, someone or the other has posted something new regarding the ongoing debate on the Maharashtra issue. Now I respect people's right to have their opinions & love a healthy debate. But to speak incessantly about something without having an iota of knowledge on the matter does not help. But when I saw someone refer to Balasaheb Thackeray with an abject insult, that was the final straw.

First the issue. For all those flaunting that golden rule in the constitution which says "Every Indian has the right to move & live anywhere he wishes", why don't you invite some of them to your homes? Or in your apartment building compounds for that matter. There's lots of space where all those poor souls with no means of livelihood can find some shelter. Every Indian also has a right to live in their homes, so what about those scores of Indians, the Kashmiri Pandits, who have been driven out of their homes. Or do all rights only apply to people from the cow-belt. And the necessity to follow rules only to those cowards who fail to raise a voice. Or may be you can go teach some of that to those in the North-East who gun down Biharis. Or to people in Tamil Nadu, who regard the national language with disdain. And please, enough with that "Why follow the bad examples?" crap. Maharashtra does not follow examples, it sets them. Nobody's bread comes at a city's cost. And just because a city is doing well, it doesn't mean it has to limitlessly bear the burden of states where leaders are too busy eating cow fodder to think of their progress.

Now this thing about "Outsiders have made Mumbai". MUMBAI MADE EVERYONE AND MAHARASHTRA MADE MUMBAI. If they were all so great, why didn't they set up their factories where they came from. If Mumbai runs today, its because the rest of Maharashtra sacrifices itself for it. Right from the boundary of Mumbai, places like Thane suffer at least 8 hours of power cuts, so that the City that never sleeps can run smoothly. This very fact has been pointed out by Babasaheb Ambedkar in one of his books. Will UP & Bihar allow part of their power supply to be routed to Mumbai? Well go fuck yourselves, we don't even want it. We just want our share from the national treasury that Maharashtra fills up most, but never gets anything in return for its development. The sad part is some of my fellow Maharashtrians also fall prey to this belief that we need help to prosper. All we need to do is look how well Gujarat, especially the city of Ahmedabad is doing. I don't remember the last time "Chhat Puja" was held there.

Then people go on about how different languages create barriers. The first language to create a barrier was our national language, when it was put out for a vote in the Parliament. The truth is we are a country of diverse cultures. All the states were formed on the basis of linguistic diversity. Thus, every state is entitled to promote its language. Which every state does. Except when Maharashtra does it, they term it as detrimental to the "democratic fabric" of our country.

Now, about all those people abusing the Thackerays. It seems to me we are a country of incurable conformists. We are happy with something that fits into a certain "politically correct" mold we have created. Anything that seems slightly out of place is shunned. (To divert to another topic that I noticed recently, musicians who do not conform to what is the stereotypical view of the ideal, are termed as "gay" - now what relation sexual orientation & musical ability have, I do not know) Back to the Thackerays, because they do not make all those cliched right "political" noises like the others, they are termed 'illiterate' and dangerous. On the other hand, people (I despise calling these insults to humanity this) like Lalu, Amar Singh and their ilk, who are truly destroying our country, seem perfectly fine to these "intellectuals" because they fit into that cliched mold of a politician. If one reads into the history of the Thackerays, one can easily observe they are anything but 'illiterate'. Raj Thackeray probably reads more books in a week, than we did for our entire undergraduate degree. And regarding Balasaheb Thackeray, before calling him names, better understand that you do not even have enough aukaad to judge the dirt beneath his feet. I do know both Raj & Uddhav have their own political ambitions. Who doesn't? And after every misfit cronie who has ever held office in this country, I would most certainly want someone like a Raj Thackeray be given a chance at power. So what if their children go to English schools. Did they ever say not to learn another language? Do their kids not understand or speak Marathi? Such useless comments don't even pass muster. Then, on the other side we have somebody like a Rahul Gandhi. Young, suave, educated - packaged & sold to the Indian youth like any of the latest gizmos we buy. From the history of the Congress, its not difficult to know what to expect from him. Though he is far better than grade-A dacoits & cons like Lalu et al, his latest speeches have been unnecessary harping. He better be careful with his talk on Maharashtra - he might be born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he might end up with a Kolhapuri chappal lodged in his ass. (hey, I didn't actually abuse him :D)

The end, for now.

Statutory Warning: This article was written by me in a state of fitful rage. Hence the excessively inciting comments. If any one has a problem, then all I have to say is, you can kiss my abusive, conceited, brash Marathi ass.

Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra!!!