Thursday, June 24, 2010

The truth about Mumbai

I am from Mumbai, a city which never sleeps. We are 2 crore people, who are treated like animals as we travel like "CATTLES" in "CATTLE CLASS" trains of Mumbai. We are used to now living under threat 24*7. Some day in evening we cant reach home as the motormen are on strike. The real game is not the grievences of the motormen, but the urge of the political parties to take control of the union. No one realises the pain a common man underwent in that 24 hours. No Court took suo moto action against the guilty. No minister showed unhappiness at the sufferings. What was there at end of the day was a pure political statement which was a mocekry of democracy. We suffered and they played dirty politics.

My pain is not that of one day. Some day the Rickshaws go on strike and the Government quietly concedes to their illegitimate demand of a hike of 30% in fare. No one cared to ask us wether we have any complaints in the increase in the fare. The Common mans view was unimportant. We travel by rickshaw. They refuse to go as per our desires, but only allows us to sit when they feel that we are going their way. No one wears uniform, baddges. At times their legs function as signals and their meter is running faster that normal. If there is a hawaldar he may or may not take action against refusal to carry passengers on particular route. If we file a complaint we have to run to police chawkie and thats not possible. We all know and even the police knows that the meter is adjusted most of the times, the rickshaw is driven by a person who is not the owner of the rickshaw and the owner runs a fleet of rickshaw and may be a minister or minsiters relative or his khaas admi. The police knows that most autorickshaws refuse passengers, take extra fare from the airport. Still the Police and top officials are silent. Is it that they want to test are patience and when we start beating up the Rickshawwalas for refusing passengers, then only they will act. I would say that the Governemnt is indierctly signalling us to be violent and then when media will report, then they will set up a ministerial body to look into it and also will pass a BILL ( dont know how to implement existing laws). If the Union represents the drivers cause then they must also take up the blames.

My story doesnt end, its just a beginning. Last two days the taxi guys were the culprits and the Unions and parties like Shiv Sena and MNS behind it and so also a powerful Congress leader. Again same story of political illwill and harrassment. Names published in papert and the CM has no guts to throw out his own minister and also sack the minister incharge of the transport system. Courts dont act suo moto..

The CM and the PM only make statement that the accused and guilty wont be spared. To come in limelight ministers of other portfolio also make statements. The law ministry will talk of new legilations. When the new law comes, it is used to frame innocent or to bail out guilty and nothing more. I have seen that even when someone is convicted in Bomb blast case like sanjay Dutt, he gets bail and is enjoying free world, whereas a common man if accused of a petty offence like having not put up name plate of his shop in Marathi, struggles to even be heard. The Courts have time to dispose of Disputes of two brothers and also mining cases which travels from lower to higher court to final disposal expediously, but a small investor who got deemed relief in MPID case still is struggling to see the Justice be his fate. What is more important AMBANI BANDHU MARAMARI or thousands of common men who has lost life long savings...???? Law is used to frame innocent and he has only two options, to get Justice destroying his entire life for decades or forget Justice.... That means he pays throughout his life in quest for Justice. The guilty seldomn get punished and the dons like Dawood rest in peace as they know that no one will dare to touch them as all will be in trouble if he exposes them including ministers, police and may be Judiciary..

When I go to Court or any government department, then I have to carry money for getting work done. In High Court departments also money works and many are taking bribes and maybe Judges know it. But no action. In Mumbai, on each station where policewala is there, pronography is marketed and the Police is in hand in gloves with all persons dealling in pirated movies, song and softwares. So the police in reality is a protection officer given to the illegal activity traders.

I can say oine thing, there is no incentive for truth. If the guilty files false statement, then Judges take it likely, but a small mistake of victim gives a right to acquittal to the guilty.

In Mumbai, I saw 26/11 and followed by the home minister saying BAADE SHAHR MEIN CHOTE HADSE HOTE RAHTE HAI. He was removed only to calm me and take my votes and once that was done I again became a cattle to be ruled by the same home minister.

We all know the legacy of Sharad Pawar, Praful Patel, Raja, Rane, Mayawati, Arjun Singh, Mulayam Yadav, Sharad Pawar, Sibu Soren etc. We have seen them in a postion where action against  is must, but still we maintain silence and the Government grants more power to them. Corruptions are alleged and then the proofs are burried. No one cares.

We know all ministers are growing wealthy and actual benifit of globalisation and progress is felt only when we consider their wealth. We all know that serious allegations have been levied against Raja, Mayawati, Rane, Pawar, Patel, Arjun Singh but still we cant do anything. The Government has been dividing us bit by bit on lines of religion, region, language, caste, reservation etc. etc. and still they claim that they have done a lot and publish it in a page ad in newspapers. They have no money to feed children who are living on streets and are of tender age of 2-4-6, but have money for putting up ads, hoardings, organising parties and functions, arranging security for ministers.

I do not understand the development in Mumbai. The Chief Minister decides that now he wants more FSI for say Hospitals and it is implemented. Oh.. lobby for MHADA.. increase FSI... what is the function of law then and where is the explaination on the basis of which action has been taken or is it discretionery.

I live in Mumbai.. You say you have law. I dont find any builder quoting carpet area rate and most ask for 50% or so in cash.  Where is your petrolling on black money. Or is it that since the ministers are so corrupt that they cant even think of ending the parallel economy.

We have full faith in kanoon. What if all Policewala take hafta, what if the Poilce always traps innocent and leave culprits, what if it takes decades to get the matter heard, what if there are all the scams of Judiciary like Dinakaran, Nirmala Yadav, Gazibad scam, Ramaswamy, Somitra sen etc. etc... we still have faith in law and Justice will be done. This is not the statement of the innocent but the clupit, who knows that he will not be punished for years and even when done, the ratio of enjoyment of fruits for wrong done will outsmart the ration of the punishment...

I stay in Mumbai, a city where my bag is checked 24*7 after any tragerdy and still i live in fear. where when I leave home, I say bye to my parents , as I do not know if and when I will return. A city where I may be beaten up for not knowing marathi and the government will do nothing for me but under their pressure will make registration of Birth compulsory in Marathi. I stay in Mumbai, where each office drains me financially. If I dont bribe I will pay in terms of distance travelling and time lost and conveyence. I stay in Mumbai, where overnight an illegal tenanment is ready and documents are there to trace it to ancestral property. I stay in Mumbai, where a BMC tsaff working 4-5 hours is paid several times more than a contract labourer in building making ( I call them bandua mazdoor). I stay in Mumbai where with money you can by anything and everything, where it appears that we have a right to speach, but dare not speak against Rane and Thackareys. I stay in Mumbai.. where I am a common man... but treated as Conman.. I stay in Mumbai

Siddharth Murarka
Advocate High Court
Member of arbitration panel of FICCI
Member of CFIB