Mumbai Musings

Z-curity
He may have many firsts and top slots to his name and now Mukesh Ambani will also be the first private person in India to receive Z security. Few days after the centre approved Z security for Mukesh Ambani and much debate over payment for the same, the CRPF team of around 30 well-armed men has now been deployed. Ambani reportedly has to pay for their transport and lodging, which may be to the tune of Rs 15 lakh. For the richest and perhaps the most powerful businessman of the country, it is a small price to pay for safety, especially after receiving a handwritten threat letter from the notorious Indian Mujahideen. 

Rich and Famous
There is one institution that won’t complain about Mr Ambani’s security. After all Mukesh Ambani may have helped University of Mumbai make it the only Indian entry in a top 20 graduate 'rich list' of universities that will make you a millionaire.  A report in Times of India says that the university has more multi-millionaire alumni than Cambridge or Brown. “With 372 multi-millionaires (net worth: $37 billion) as alumni, it is ranked 18th in the list... According to research by wealth analyst Wealth-X, Harvard boasts of the highest number of rich alumni globally: 2,964 multi-millionaires worth a total of $622 billion,” it said. Delhi has 229 millionaires and is listed, though not in the top 20. So here's another standard for those interested in the perpetual Mumbai vs Delhi comparisons.

Teachers Don't Teach
However, the sorry state of affairs at the same university continues with the teachers being on strike for more than two months. They have been demanding payment of dues as per the Sixth Pay Commission and recognition for teachers, who haven’t appeared for NET exams and were appointed between April 1991and January 2000. Although the degree exams were conducted, the results may get delayed. Finally, the Bombay High Court has stepped in and said that the striking Maharashtra Federation of University and College Teachers Organisation (MFUCTO) and the state government should reach an “amicable settlement” by April 30. Wonder what the students, who have been appearing for exams amidst delays and question papers with mistakes, have to say about this.

The Doctors' Demands
Teaching and practicing medicine may still be considered noble professions, but things haven’t been easy for the practitioners. Earlier this week, nearly 2000 over-worked and under-paid resident doctors of three municipal hospitals went on strike demanding better pay, fixed hours and security (from angry relatives?). After more than 200 surgeries were postponed in two days, the Bombay High Court told them to return to work in a day’s time or else face action. The government was considering whether to evoke the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA). The medical colleges also threatened expulsions from hostels and post graduate courses. Among all the warnings was a promise of increase in pay and consideration of other demands. We are not sure what worked, the promises or the warnings, because as we write this, the doctors have announced calling off their strike and are scheduled to return to work starting tomorrow.

Operation Goat
Earlier this month, the police were in for a surprise when they seized several cartons of cigarettes and 31 goats on a dhow (ship) coming from Dubai. Five people have been arrested. The x-rays showed black patches in the stomachs of five goats. After operating upon two of them, the doctors recovered some polythene pouches and some black powder. It has been sent for analysis to see if it is contraband. Six goats have died. The remaining are at Yellow Gate police station, which is in charge of the entire western coast of India, and the cops there are currently busy attending to the remaining goats. No one has claimed them so far.

Scraping The Sky Scrapers?
Normally the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is busy razing illegal shanties and removing illegal hawkers in Mumbai. But now it is all set to demolish more than 100 flats from 7 buildings in upscale Worli. The BMC will have to use a special technique to remove “only” the illegal floors and retain the rest of the structure. This is following a Supreme Court verdict which in Februrary asked the BMC to demolish unauthorised floors of seven buildings in the Campa Cola Compound. Reports say that the municipal commissioner, who considers this landmark judgment will help the civic body in dealing with other such constructions, will take a call on other buildings on individual case basis. And if the ‘special technique’ works, who knows many sky scrapers may just lose their top floors reaching for the skies.