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Mumbai Meri Jaan
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This is a pavement, pedestrians for their safety from vehicular traffic were given the oasis like pavement, but the Mumbaikar hates walking on pavements, he prefers to walk , jaywalking its called in our terminology, he walks on the road, the car drivers have to dodge save him from getting killed under their wheels, if you go to a street in Dadar called the Ranade Road , the driver would have to drive on the pavement, as the entire road is a mass of people that empties out of the belly of Dadar Terminus dont give drivers a space to drive , honestly this is asymmetrical warfare, my brother Firdaus Shakir once almost gave up, he went bananas, trying to get out from this area.
Now as these migrants , make their temporary dwellings on the pavements, greasing the greedy palms of the concerned authorities, the local mafia don, life goes on, incase there is a demolition raid , they are told in advance.They move out and come back when all is quiet.And I am proud of the die hard citizens of Mumbai that are really trying to change all this, make Mumbai a beautiful green and clean city.And these citizens, prominent historians, industrialist, environmentalists, theatre personalities, artists, filmakers, stand up against the corrupt builder mafia, the corrupt bureaucracy, and the politicos, leave no stone unturned to bring up much needed changes.The cloudburst that paralysed our brave city on 26/7/2005 has really been a beacon, a harbinger for change in the quality of life.The demolition of the slums on the Mithi river, cleaning of choked gutters awidening of roads , I think instead we should make Mumbai in such a way that it resembles a bold and beautiful Mumbai instead of pretentiously trying to make it into a sister city like Shangai.
Mumbai should be emulated as an example to the rest of the upcoming cities of the World, that want to reinvent and rebuild their existing infrastructure.Its Mumbai s living Soul , that is of greater importance than mere cosmetic changes , like horrendously unaesthetic pots as planters on stereet corners and a clock on a heritage building where the ghosts of the city fathers collectively collect , to add fuel to fire with Don Quixotic schemes, the only thing missing is Wind Mills of Despair.
April 18th, 2007
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