On the face of it, nothing much seems to have changed. 2252 predators scuffling for 227 seats, with all the dignified decorum of Jungle Politics: pawing, clawing, stalking, balking, mating, baiting, fighting, biting.It’s the customary, pitched battle for Mumbai’s Municipal Corporation. Brutal, bloodthirsty and backed by the city’s scavengers, mostly civic contractors and wily land sharks who will naturally expect their pound of flesh once the kill is over. There’s more than fair game. For starters, an annual municipal budget of Rs 12,000 crore — twice that of a small state — to be devoured by hook or by crook. (Both are tried and tested strategies). That’s only the official prey. Don’t forget, the municipality is the cog around which Mumbai’s roulette wheel turns. Everything, from a birth certificate to a construction licence is issued only by the BMC — at a price, obviously. That’s why even a single, five-year term in the corporation can prove to be the proverbial golden goose. So far, all depressingly deja-vu. And yet — something has changed. Something that is pushing persistently through the muck, like an unlikely hot house flower in a Dharavi scrap yard. Fragile and tenuous, yet determined to survive. It is — dare I even say this? — a subtle, but unmistakable blooming of civic consciousness, a germinating awareness of our rights as citizens. The mood is infectious, spreading quickly from fetid gully to ivory tower. But it is in the city’s quiet bylanes where the real revolution is taking place; where we, the Rang-De-Basanti-inspired middle classes are standing up to be counted, after decades of official neglect and exploitation. In short, the unthinkable has happened: Mumbai’s sullen, indifferent electorate is finally coming of age. Here’s what we, the Mumbai voters, have realised: • That those we elect to power are not our masters but our servants, and their jobs are subject to our appraisal. So this year, civic NGOs like AGNI have assigned a ‘star’ rating to each BMC candidate and formed ‘vote blocks’ for ‘five star’ nominees. ‘Rate cards’ appraising candidates will also be put up outside polling booths, to help voters make an informed choice• That our vote will determine not only Mumbai’s destiny, but the quality of our lives. This is why an unprecedented 94 per cent of Mumbaikars say they will vote today, compared to the traditional turnout of barely 41 per cent. And 84 per cent believe their vote will actually make a difference • That as the country’s highest tax payers, we have the right to know how our money is being spent, and to demand a transparent audit. So Praja Foundation, another civic watchdog, is using the RTI Act to make corporators spill their beans • That if we deserve better governance we better demand it. This has spawned a new breed: the ‘squeaky clean’ independent candidate who still dares to dream. It includes, among others, a laundryman, a tailor, a cabbie, an ‘ayah’, a director of a software firm, a former ACP, and a gift shop owner, all determined to ‘make a difference.’ • That we simply cannot — will not — tolerate inefficiency and corruption any more. We cannot wait any longer for the promised concrete roads, clean streets, dumping ground, sea link, metro, air-conditioned buses, trans-harbour flyover, revamped zoo, new aquarium, twelve-year-old drainage plan, clean water, ‘five star’ public toilets, swanky parking lots, state-of-the-art public hospitals, more schools, better lives. Moreover, we cannot be held to ransom for a legitimate shop licence while hundreds of illegal buildings are being audaciously regularised. And we cannot stand by while our entire city is clandestinely auctioned to builders, and every developmental rule brazenly flouted.This is it guys — shape up, or ship out! Presumably, the message is loud enough, and clear enough, because the tremors of this provincial poll are being felt all the way in New Delhi. Last month, Sonia Gandhi herself paid us a visit (something she hasn’t done during our worst calamities) and promised to put her money where her mouth is (something she should have done years ago). Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena asked its flashy candidates to cut the bling (no trademark gold chains or flamboyant vehicles to jar voter sensitivities). And city Congress chief Gurudas Kamat posted 5,00,000 personal letters asking citizens to send in suggestions for his party’s manifesto. “This time the campaign is not about wooing voters, its about giving citizens what they need” says BJP state general secretary Vinod Tawade. That, in the end, is what makes this civic election so different — and so important. Not just for Mumbai’s future, but for the future of Indian democracy.
