Mumbai Musings

Mono Mania

It isn't easy to impress Mumbaikars. Always suffering from Post Traffic Stress Disorder, infrastructure projects such as freeways, flyovers, sea-links and so on don't move them. But the Mono Rail made the day for 20,000 enthusiasts. On Sunday, the first day after the inauguration of India's first Mono Rail, people crowded through the day to take their first ride on very "international-looking" mode of transport. The monorail, which connects Wadala and Chembur (an approximately 9 km stretch) runs at an average speed of 65 km and has seven short stops. The project, which had more such routes connecting populated suburbs to railway stations, may or may not be extended to other pockets of the city. This itself was delayed by two years. However, if people's response is anything to go by, the service is useful and loved and perhaps much needed in the city whose infrastructure and government has let its people down frequently and regularly.

Divine Warning

While on the subject of suburban railways, the lifeline of the city, officials have come up with a unique idea: 'Yamraj to Rescue'. More deaths occur on railway tracks than in terror attacks or even major illnesses in Mumbai. Commuters, perpetually in a rush to get home or to office, more often than not skip the bridges to leap over tracks. Commuters also don't seem to have any choice when they hang precariously in overcrowded trains and lose their lives or get seriously injured. Not to mention the stupidly adventurous kids who want to ride atop the trains and risk electrocution. So yes, a bulky looking theatre actor, dressed to the tee as none other than the scary Yamaraj, Hindu mythological god of death, was seen persuading commuters to observe safety rules. While it surely made for interesting pictures, one wonders if the pressed-for-every-second commuters were amused and, more importantly, followed those really important instructions.

Resignations, Designations

Mumbai police commissioner Satyapal Singh resigned from the top job in the police force in Mumbai to join the Bharatiya Janta Party. Reports indicate he may contest elections from Uttar Pradesh. While those in the business of law and order may not be expected to have obvious political leanings, one cannot but forget that he had excused himself as head of SIT enquiring into Ishrat Jehan fake encounter case. He is said to have had a close relationship with the RSS when he was posted in Nagpur. So there. Even more surprising is the former Congress spokesperson Ajit Sawant, joining hands with none other than the Aam Aadmi Party. Ajit Sawant has also claimed that many more workers would be following after him because they are no longer happy with the ways of the Congress party. Local Congress leaders are yet to react to the development.

Only Connect

Congress MP Priya Dutt seems to have hit fifth gear when it comes to pre-election outreach efforts. After interacting with youth (urban and modern and concerned about politics types) at Bandra fort, she recently attended a haldi-kumkum ceremony organised by MLA Krishna Hegde in the very Marathi-Gujarati dominated Vile Parle. Within couple of days, she also attended an inauguration of Rashtra Kavi Pradeep Chowk at the same place. She has also called for regularisation of residential buildings (till 1995) that do not have the Occupation Certificate. While the Bandra girl may look clearly far more comfortable in a cosmopolitan urbane casual atmosphere at Bandra fort, one must give credit for leaving no stone unturned as far as reaching out to those who traditionally favour the BJP-Sena alliance. Just a request, while you are at it, what may perhaps help is improving living conditions of people— roads, traffic, accessible hospitals, fair redevelopment plans etc — without getting into whose job it is— the state, the BMC, the centre and so on.

A Toll Order

Last week MNS chief Raj Thackeray, in his ever-appealing speech asked people not to pay toll and not bow down to the force of those at toll booths. Following his speech several toll booths were vandalised by MNS workers. It is not the first time that Raj Thackeray has spoken against "wrongful toll collection" in the state and it is only probable that the agitation will be intensified in the days to come. Although at least two FIRs mention Raj Thackeray as the instigator of the violence, his arrest is as likely as stopping of toll collection (so lucrative for state revenues) in the state.

Prescription Warning

The Food and Drug Authority has yet again issued warning against chemists selling drugs without prescriptions. The tussle between chemists and FDA began a couple of years ago when FDA commissioner Mahesh Zagade cracked down on illegal (without prescriptions) sale of antibiotics (their rampant and unsupervised consumption has been listed as one of the major factors of drug resistant TB in the city), medicines that induce abortions and running of chemist shops without the presence of a licensed pharmacists. While he says he is only following the law, several chemists, used to running a competitive business without these regulations, say that they are untenable in reality. If the TB figures are any indication, wouldn't one rather be safe than sorry?

Festival Time

After the religious festivals are done with— Pongal, Sankranti etc— it is time for the Kala Ghoda festival. This time organised by the Hindustan Times (It was a Times of India event for many years) the festival seems to have retained its spirit and variety with several programmes— for children and lovers of literature, theatre, music, architecture, heritage and so on— simultaneously on at various venues.  Also on is the Mumbai International Film Festival of documentaries and short films at the NCPA, Nariman Point. "MIFF 2014 has received over 790 entries including 205 entries in the international section. Among the highlights of the festival is the Good Pitch India campaign by the BritDocs—a social entrepreneurship organization to nurture new talent and new approaches in documentary film making."  Organised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the festival honoured Anand Patwardhan with V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award. The news is so refreshing, especially because, for the past few weeks we have had only filmy awards hosted and attended by Bollywood stars. More power to the brave filmmaker, who only last week introduced and screened Manufacturing Consent at Prithvi House.