the migratory birds

‘Why would I leave a good life at one place in search of a good life elsewhere?’ I must have heard this dialogue somewhere because it keeps popping up in my mind whenever I am told to ‘broaden my horizon.’ What people mean with ‘broaden your horizon’ is ‘go to a metro.’ Although it seems that metros like ‘Mumbai’ aren’t willing to help me broaden my horizon. One of my acquaintances got a job with an automobile company in Italy even though he couldn’t speak Italian. Since thenhis horizons have expanded unabashedly while mine lay intact and untapped. However, since I can’t speak Marathi my chances of relocation are rather slim. It must be wondered as to why I am hell bent on going only to Mumbai? Answer to this question is simple and plain; because I want to and it’s my country and I should have the freedom of movement. However, I know I would say this just to make a point because I really don’t want to go to any metro in the first place as I said why I would leave a good life in search of a good life elsewhere. This clarifies, that most people who do leave their comfort zone is because their ‘comfort zone’ is not comfortable enough. All hell has broken lose by a back-breaking inflation these days. You find it extremely difficult to chug along if you earn less, but what happens to people who don’t earn at all. Mass exodus happens when native lands offer no jobs to people.

When people move from one place to another, it is called migration. Migration is not a new-age concept; it is as old as we. Man has been wandering around on this planet to search of a favourable place, where he could get what he needs. It all started with nomads who drifted from place to place for food, escaping extreme weather or natural calamities. As these needs were taken care of, need to spread one’s territory arose which led to invasions and military conquest. Moving further ahead in time, people migrated for exploration and later to establish their colonial power. Since Industrial revolution started much earlier in the west, a large population from Asia and Africa moved to these industrially developed nations as cheap labour. The trend continues even now. The concept of migration proves that no piece of land can be exclusively yours and earth provides no-one such copyright.

Coming back to the topic of Mumbai and putting aside what stand do the hardliners take on the city’s problems, one thing that just can’t be ignored is the immense pressure on the Mumbai’s infrastructure that the mass migration has brought with it. Let’s just face it, the financial capital of the country does smell of sewage at most places. Not that the native population or the local institutions ever cared much about keeping the city clean but since all places have a certain self-correcting mechanism, Mumbai was reasonably clean earlier. Congregation of a huge population does make a difference. It’s pretty much like your own house that remains unsoiled when you are alone but when 10 more members join in, things don’t look all that clean anymore and you bump into people all the time. Can you help not bumping into people all the time? NO. Neither should you mind it especially when you see that those people are no outsiders, they are your own family. Same goes for the so-called native population (who must have also migrated from distant lands in ancient times to what they call their home now, it must have been home to others earlier and it would have a completely new demographical structure in future, this trend would continue). The inhabitants must understand that all those who are coming to the city are no outsiders; they are the fellow Indians. You wouldn’t throw your brothers or sisters out of the house even if they don’t behave like you do. So what should you in such circumstances? Well, you make them see your-point of view, make them hygiene-conscious. Incorporate some effective measures to keep the city in order. Sadly but people respond faster when there is a looming fear of ‘penalty’ and ‘fine’ every time they add to the muddle. More mess, more fine. People who can’t afford to pay the penalties could be asked to tidy the place themselves. Repeated faltering of hygiene codes could cost one even more. These are just ideas and people could always come up with better. As for those who come to this metro with dreams in their eyes, should respect the place, contribute their most to it, keep it clean and love it for giving not just opportunities to them but also a hope to aspire.

The local administration should streamline and work towards a strong infrastructure in the city. They cannot get all cushy and complacent about the problems about the place. The citizens should also support the administration and proactively address issues that can be solved at their level.

As for all those political figures who have caused a lot of commotion in Mumbai in the last few months, they clearly don’t have it them to be called leaders. They are pessimistic in their approach, least bit solution-oriented and fail to be a cause of confidence in people. A leader is the exact opposite.

Finally, the lop-sided development has resulted in mass-scale migration. Administration just can’t always run for cover that says ‘Don’t talk about your problems, ‘cause we are really not interested in development of backward areas even though we say we are.’ I just can’t think of one single thing that has changed my life for the better ever since this government has taken over. Until the government does something really substantive, they’ll surely be asked to leave and then you would totally hear them say, ‘ Er…it was because of anti- incumbency.’