I felt quite bad when the shoe was flung at Chidambaram. Simply because I felt that hitting one member of a political party in the face with a shoe, is no guarantee that you will get justice. Neither is it right to humiliate one person for an entire political party’s misdoings. And finally, I felt it was wrong for a member of the media to become activist. I’ve had this argument often. You can either be at a place as the journalist, the observer, or then as an activist. When you cross those lines and breach trust, you create problems. Mostly though, I don’t condone taking the law into your own hands.
And yet, inspite of the family rushing in to call their son depressive after his attack on Rathore, I can’t help but feel that this was in a weird way, justified. Don’t get me wrong – in my sane moments I go back to condemning violence.
But I also feel this sense of hopelessness. That no good is going to come of this case. That the poor girl’s soul will get no rest. And it’s somewhat better to see young men go attack molesters and rapists rather than waste their time storming pubs, molesting young women and being ridiculously xenophobic.
Funny thing though, I notice our ICICI ATMs in Delhi have instructions in Hindi, English and Marathi. It’s never really bothered me and it still doesn’t make a difference to my life – but I think its time to show the MNS and Sena guys a mirror by registering my protest here.
So – why Marathi in Delhi? Why not Punjabi or Bengali or Tamil? Take your Marathi off my ATM and replace it with ANY of the other languages across the country before you send the poor taxi drivers packing. No, I really don’t care if you replace it with Bodo, Santali or Dogri – just replace it with any language from any state that doesn’t behave as though the rest of the country needs a visa for entry.
The Mad Momma 
MM – I know you did a post on the whole one-boob show that celebrities do with their sarees..but this takes the cake:
http://www.highheelconfidential.com/liz-hurly-wears-sari-to-de-beers-love-ball/
Agreed one hundred percent, esp with your third para. If young men have to get into vigilante justice, they’d rather take up genuine causes.
Did you feel bad when it was flung at Bush though?
😀
Hey, hey, cool it, MM. Why not Marathi? Maybe ICICI has more Marathi customers in Delhi. That said, a Tamilian may say, why Hindi in Chennai? Strange seeing you intolerant. If you want Marathi off, fine. Why any other language then? Why not just English and a local language? Which in the case of Delhi would rightly be Hindi.
I also feel vindicated about Rathore. That said, if we all go attacking culprits on the strrets, what is the difference between them and us?
exactly! but its better to see young men fighting for something like this than going around harassing young lovers, no?
LOL! I am entirely cool and very tolerant and inclusive.
Its just that if the Sena and MNS goons want to make Maharashtra so insular, humiliating and beating up people from the other states, why should they get a taste of their own medicine no? See what its like to be excluded from public spaces in other states.
All ATMs here anyway have Hindi and English. The other language most relevant here would be Punjabi – I can bet you there are more Punjabis here than Maharashtrian customers. Any why any other language? well because no other state is going around behaving in such a brutish manner, is it?
Frankly I dont care whether they keep Marathi or French as the third language.
Hear, hear!
Yup, I feel good about it too. And also when Muthalik’s face was blackened. I try to tell myself that this is not what should happen, but there’s a good feeling of vindication achieved.
Yup yup, out with Marathi. Its an amazing language and culture and all that, but dont force it on others..
oh all languages are wonderful – its just damn annoying to hear about the UP/Bihar guys being beaten up and the latest bit of rubbish that they wont allow people jobs even if they can read and write the language. Which is when you sit up and say – hello, so are we idiots then if we dont mind marathi in our ATMs when this is nowhere close to maharashtra and by rights should really have punjabi – heck or even bengali or tamil or any other language here…?
Looking at the state of affairs..Ineeded i am depressed 😦 😦
Oh MM, how true!
Give them a taste of their own medicine!
Seriously, I wonder whether these sena guys have any regard for their brethren who are NOT in Maharashtra! What if the rest of the states and countries start throwing out the maharashtrians staying there?? Will these guys provide jobs and shelter to all those people??
Anyhow, we all know its a political gamble.
As for the depressed youth, well, we need more like him 🙂
yeah – if something like this were to happen in the US and all the Indians were thrown out of there, it would be a diplomatic situation. I dont see how and why these louts away with it.
During the Chhat Puja, practically every single cop was on the road around every single beach ensuring that people from ‘another State’ got their chance at peacefully celebrating their festival. There was as much, if not more, security than the Ganpati Visarjan – a typical Maharashtrian festival. But this doesn’t get the press. This doesn’t get reported. This gets noticed only when you are on the streets. So…I’m not sure about the state only acting like it’s out to keep people away.
This is where the problem lies, Mukta. Why is that so praiseworthy? People are supposed to celebrate their festivals without fear even if they’re from another state, arent they? Even the so called rowdy cowbelts of UP and Bihar support the Bengalis through ten days of Durga Puja until they finally take out processions for immersion.
Why exactly is it supposed to be reported when they’re merely doing their job? Naturally it is when the cops are unable to stop the fanatics from beating up innocent people going about their business that it will be written about. There are 1000s of Indians driving cabs in Australia, yet we’re reporting on those being beaten up arent we? Because that is wrong. And it needs to be solved.
How can we behave as though maintaining peace and respect towards others is a huge favour? Food for thought? 🙂
Thats the whole thing mukta that police had to protect chatt puja from home grown goons like we protect our nation from terrorists..
aila! good point!
I am with you all the way, about condemning violence on one hand and supporting it on the other:)
Totally with you on the Marathi thing as well….
Why MArathi in Delhi though? Would have thought Punjabi would be the natural choice?
precisely. its been around a while but i didnt give it much thought until this nonsense with the MNS.
This whole war cry for the Marathi manoos makes me so angry, first the whole fiasco with the cabbies knowing Marathi- like really, when did anyone discuss Marathi poetry or literature with ones cab driver, why doesn’t it suffice if the man just knows how to get you from point A to B and can talk to you in some language???
I wish someone would throw a shoe and more at these losers who for some psychotic reason think Bombay is their ancestral property!
its not ended there no – now they say just knowing to speak and read and write the language isnt enough – you have to BE a maharashtrian to get a job. WTF?!
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_jobs-only-for-those-born-in-state-raj-thackeray_1341919
Wow!!! There really is not end to thier stupidity, where is the logic in any of this???? do they even stop and think about the nonsense they are proposing?
so there should be no marathi in delhi because of the mns and any other language would do? but mumbai should have every language?
🙂 well yes, until the MNS and Sena back off! That should teach them. None of the other states are behaving in such a juvenile manner are, they? So they’re most welcome. Its a two way street.
And that said, err.. take it easy – its meant to be a lighthearted dig even if the hurt is real. Do you really imagine the rest of the country is as backward as these guys?
But seeing the way some of you guys have gone all serious and aggressive – I understand why they still have such control over the city – there might actually be some support for them. I dont see anyone giving them a good old heave ho!!
If MNS=Maharashtra/Maharashtrians then priests=God. Must not forget the difference.
Anyway I think this is probably just a case of ICICI reusing some machines meant for Maharashtra cities in Delhi due to some of their internal locha.
way to go all of you 😀
nice to see you sit up and take notice of a post. all maharashtrians? go on, be honest – even you someone somewhere person!
well absolutely. i wanted to see this reaction and its awesome to see it come through. now lets see if you can figure out a way to take it into the real world and kick their arses for them for giving the rest of you a bad name. There ARE people voting for them though, which is rather pathetic because its sad to see that they have even those followers.
and maybe its just a few of them doing it, but what are we doing to protect those getting hurt ?
I am of a mixed breed, if it that means anything. I just wish we don’t equate MNS or any bad apples with any set of people, because all they are doing is pushing their own agenda in the name of representing the people.
And I do vent my frustration through my vote.
no – they’re not equated, where did I say that anywhere in my post?
but its a shame to see theres no real protest against them either.
I think it is a case of slogan politics. I know that sounds like nonsense, but I think the average thinking Maharashtrian doesn’t really support such goonda-gardi. It is more the rather uneducated masses which rally behind such ‘slogan politics’ to vote for these parties. This is true all over the country, not just the sena or MNS. Look at the JDS.
It is truly unfortunate that after so many years of independence we still cannot provide for the basic needs of our citizens. All these parties obviously care two hoots about the real welfare of the people. Fighting about non-issues when there are so many real issues that need to be tackled.
These are a handful of goons doing it in Maharashtra and they definitely do not represent the state or the people of the state .Yes they have got quite a few votes,but still they aren’t in power and I am sure there is a reason for that. It is like saying.” Oh the Indian Mujahideen attacked us. They claim to represent the cause of Indian Muslims. Lets bomb Kurla(where many Muslims live) and give them a taste of their own medicine.” I don’t think it works that way!
I get more information from your blog than anywhere else. Thank You, MM.:) The first time i realised and was appalled by all the politics with this north/south/west divide-language nonsense was here in the US at the University. We have 4 different Indian Student Associations based on languages/or region. No shit. There’s one which is neutral and most of us undergrads(&ABCDs) are members of it. I can totally imagine what these students would be doing if they were back home, probably supporting one of these parties. So, I’m not all too surprised by the support that these morons get. Blech.
First of all I am sorry if my comment came across as rude, it wasn’t intended to be that way.
I am born and brought up in Maharashtra and my mother tongue is Tamil.I have loads of Maharashtrian friends most of who condemn this and do speak actively about it. I did my bit by not voting for MNS and SS , I do my bit by blogging about it and I do my bit by telling every fanatic Marathi Manoos that I know of, how useless the cause is and how it is just a vote bank game.Most of us, mango’ people can do only that much no?
No no.. not rude at all. You’ve got to meet my pet trolls to know what rude is 🙂
I see your point, but I remember while living in Mumbai I came across a lot of mango people who totally agreed with the Sena’s views and tactics. It was just… sad. For a great cosmpolitan city to be reduced to just a language. Bombay is so much more than that. The insistence on Mumbai, the burning up of anything that is not Marathi… what would any great city be without its diversity?
It is sad. And yeah, even I know of educated people who support this waste of a cause , IIM-A grads at that . But then again I know of so many people who believe in the cause of Al Qaeda!!!! I am guilty of calling it Mumbai myself, not because of any fear or belief, just like that. Chalo let me be the change,my resolution for the day would be calling it Bombay henceforth !!
🙂 true. What say we bundle them into a ship – and leave them stranded with each other?!
you know – its just a name. I’d be happy to call it Mumbai if it werent for the tamasha they created over it. To me Bombay is that great big city I watched on the big screen with wide eyed awe as a small town kid. Mumbai just brings up images of a crowded insular place that doesnt display the same warmth and welcome other parts of the country do. Which is why I prefer sticking to the older name that brings a smile to my face.
These Sena and MNS people have brought such a bad name to the so called “Marathi Manoos”, and to think that some people even support their views and not understand that its just a political gimmick.
Being a Maharashtrian, I really think all the other states should team up and send back all the Maharashtrians back to their “own” state, and then see what Sena, MNS would do.
Take a look at what Rajdeep Sardesai, a Maharashtrian, has to say about it –
http://ibnlive.in.com/blogs/rajdeepsardesai/1/61523/an-open-letter-to-uddhav-thackeray.html
Heh? Weird!
Being a Maharashtrian born & brought up in the state, I strongly feel that Raj Thackeray is a nuisance to humanity in general & the average marathi manus in particular. And I have tons & tons of fellow-marathis who will back me up on this. Trust me, the MNS/SS and their arsebrained supporters represent only a tiny fraction of the M’ians, so no, the entire state definitely does not ask for a visa from outsiders. After filling every cranny of Mumbai with an ATM (not that I’m complaining, I’m mostly cash-free!) I guess ICICI Bank has just sent some spare ones to Delhi. No Sena/MNS angle to this, rest assured 🙂
With you on this, Shivani, being a Maharashtrian myself.
Damn!! I meant to write about the Rathore thing & look what my comment is all about! This is what Raj Thackeray does to you
Regarding the boy, I don’t blame the parents. They did just what they should have to escape the torture that Rathore Inc has already heaped on Girhotras all these years. Whether the boy is really depressed or not doesn’t matter 😦 The family is safe now
seriously??? Marathi in Delhi??? my!!
Re Rathore – why cant we have young men go attack molesters and rapists rather than waste their time storming pubs, molesting young women and being ridiculously xenophobic?
Because that would be the easy way out. Because it would be prone to abuse and it would show us to hold the lower standard (as compared to due process & reasonable doubt). It would be called mob rule and do you think a mob of hot heads can render correct and unbiased decisions. It would boil down to who can collect the biggest mob.
Setting up a legal system (police +judges) which is fast and efficient is much tougher and a much more worthy (and lengthy and painful) challenge.
While I can understand the frustration I cannot figure out why people fail to see this. Particularly why highly educated people fail to see this.
Re Mumbai etc. It is a big city in a big state governed by small men.
very true.
Yes the vindictive streak in us does get some instant gratification when a shoe is thrown or a face is blackened but the problem with that is that then we get primed to feel that that is ENOUGH while in reality it achieves pretty much nothing. If anything it distracts from the true process of justice which is tedious, long and not that exciting. So not just journalists, I do have a problem with the attention-getting (and violent) methods of protest. Media happy, mango junta has a laugh, but justice?
darling – there IS no justice in this country 😦
all you get is instant gratification. Its hard to say this – but i must.
>> Take your Marathi off my ATM ??
Must have been some, not meant for outside MH.
If you generalise, you are like one of them 🙂
Also the problem is not that simple, a political situation taken advantage off, which rests on top of an economic problem that needs to be addressed.
@Someone-Somewhere : Stay off my Kurla :X
it was light hearted Khalil. Meant to show how superficial their idiotic demands are. You know – a taste of their own medicine.