> So whose Bombay is it anyway?

But we need some balance also....you dont want suck out a place bone dry...right??

May be you are right. But using force is no solution. Increase local taxes, increase the cost of living of mumbai. Few people will leave the city. Thats legitimate way of doing. But by beating innocent people on streets is just gross.

Originally Posted by KingKrool

Look, there is an easy way to prevent immigration. STOP ALLOWING NEW SLUMS TO COME UP. That is all it takes. But none of the politicians have the guts to do that. Let alone the MNS or Shiv Sena. Hell, they rule in some of those places.
When the people from UP and Bihar come in, where do you think they find a house? If you prevent these encroachments, the people will stop coming in.

And a quick little note for all the people who seem to support anti-immigration measures. Remember two things:
1. Locals probably wouldn't do many of the menial jobs.
2. A lot of Mumbai's success is because it is the city of dreams. Everyone wants to come there, setup there. Of late a lot of companies have left mumbai, and such agitations will only increase that outflow. That will be really bad for the city.

You need to balance these two points with the fact that the city is near breaking.

As for North vs South, it is interesting how the definition of North keeps on changing. Back when the Shiv Sena was young, it targeted South Indians in Bombay (it was Bombay back then). Not North Indians. They must have considered themselves North Indian then I guess...

My professor from Bengal once claimed he was from south India Apparently living in the US for 30 years has completely confused him.

Note also that a lot of what the Marathi Manus people ask for is unfair and dangerous for Maharashtrians. The Shiv Sena once asked that 30% of Air India intake be people from Maharashtra. Now, Air India is HQ'd in Mumbai, and most of its hiring is done there. But it is an INDIAN enterprise (PSU at that). If we go that way, then IAS (HQ'd in Delhi) would have no Maharashtrian officers.... that would be bad.

BTW, I've lived in Maharashtra for the larger portion of my life (was born in Mumbai), though I never did learn the language. I can understand it to some extent, but can't verbalize it myself.

They live in the worst ways possible and it is a real problem for ppl living around those areas....
Some might say provide them with toilets n water etc but thats just regularing those slums and asking for more to come up....And if these ppl arent provided with toilets n water n etc they will continue to live in a filthy way!!!

Originally Posted by Wraith

There a certain problems which are true and thats why most Maharashtrians are supporting Raj Thackery who has brought up an issue which is genuine...

Originally Posted by Wraith

Proabaly the Central Govt shld provide all cities with a Migrant Welfare Fund

Do you feel they love to live in such a way? When they dont even get a glass of clean water or 1 hour of electricity in a day, what they get in cities is "satisfying" experience for them. Will you prefer to kill them (yes i use the word kill since they dont have anything to eat at their home villages) or will you tolerate hardship. Choice is yours. Basically its about sharing of gains from development of cities. If you choose to stay in cities you have to accept the burdens that come in package. Mumbai is not built ONLY by work of particular section of society. Its hard work of many incl n.indians. If someone feels they cannot take the pressures of city life but still wants to enjoy the amenities, then its as good as asking for freebies.

Well, i am a neutral speaker here, but the word 'Migrant' sounds so terse, when we all belong to the same country. We are all indians. How did one become a migrant in his own country? When the constitution has given every indian the right to work and settle anywhr in this country, just when did we all become migrants in our own country?? To think of it, my dad was a government servant and he retired as a chief engineer in Indian railways. And since my childhood, i've been to almost every nook n corner of this country since he had a transferable job. So does tht mean, i was a migrant in each of the city/town i lived in?? Tht i was not welcome thr?? If any1 feels so, then he probably needs a few lessons in the rights of a citizen granted by the constitution of this country.
A government servant can and has the right to travel anywhr in the country as decided by the central government of this country. It'll be a criminal offense if he is disallowed to offer his service. So, if a UP-ite serving in a government organization has been posted in Mumbai, does he become a migrant?? To this u may say tht the rules for migrants apply to the lowest class of workers and not a government servants. Well, borther, we cannot have different set of rules for different ppl...thts against the very constitution of this country.
Seriously though, i agree tht this thing had been brewing up for many years and has only come out in open now..but if it is so, then its a sad day for this country. I wonder how long will this country hold on like this if this thing spreads on to other states. Already, we are tackling the issues with KAshmir and the north east which want to be separated from india thanks to the militants and naxalites, then there are others who want to divide the country further into smaller states. And now even cities will be divided on the lines of caste, creed and communities.
Great progress we have made after 60 years of independence. Keep it up, guys