Tags:
Journalism of Courage
If somebody accosts you tomorrow on the road and asks you to tuck in your shirt, don8217;t be alarmed. Comply. They are Mumbai8217;s new cultural keepers and are prone to stripping people and ransacking their houses for disobedience. They have barred Mumbaiites from kissing in public, they have thrown out chairs shaped like females from Bistro Bar and are all set to prevent Madhuri Dixit from acting in a film to be directed by painter M F Husain. In short, there is no reason to believe that they are not serious when they say they don8217;t like your shirt hanging out.
And if it makes you nostalgic about the Mumbai that was liberal and tolerant and where you could do your own thing, then you are living in history. You are living in a time when Mumbai was also Bombay and Bambai 8211; a clear pronouncement of its cosmopolitan character. No more. Now, its Amchi Mumbai 8211; Mumbai where Husain is made to feel like an outsider and Ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali is told point-blank he8217;s not welcome. This Mumbai is all aboutvandalised pitches and ravaged newspaper offices. But don8217;t feel insecure. If you follow certain rules you can still survive. First and foremost you must learn to hate everything Pakistani 8211; Pakistani singers, Pakistani artistes and Pakistani culture. Second, keep your eyes and ears open to what Shiv Sena leaders, especially Minister for Culture Pramod Navalkar and his deputy Anil Deshmukh, say. From time to time they8217;ll pronounce their code on dressing, dancing and even drawing. Follow these hints meticulously and no harm will come upon you. Think of Hindustani names for a few places in Mumbai that still have their original titles 8211; Gateway of India, Band Stand, Prince of Wales museum are a few that come readily to mind 8211; and write to Saamna demanding their renaming. This will endear you to the powers-that-be. Another sure-shot way of winning their approval 8211; wear saffron colour clothes. This way you may even get away with your shirt hanging out.
