The Good Citizen

There8217;s more than fair game. For starters, an annual municipal budget of Rs 12,000 crore 8212; twice that of a small state 8212; to be devoured by hook or by crook. Both are tried and tested strategies.

That8217;s only the official prey. Don8217;t forget, the municipality is the cog around which Mumbai8217;s roulette wheel turns. Everything, from a birth certificate to a construction licence is issued only by the BMC 8212; at a price, obviously. That8217;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 8212; 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 8212; dare I even say this? 8212; 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 city8217;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: Mumbai8217;s sullen, indifferent electorate is finally coming of age.

Here8217;s what we, the Mumbai voters, have realised:

8226; 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 8216;star8217; rating to each BMC candidate and formed 8216;vote blocks8217; for 8216;five star8217; nominees. 8216;Rate cards8217; appraising candidates will also be put up outside polling booths, to help voters make an informed choice

8226; That our vote will determine not only Mumbai8217;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

8226; That as the country8217;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

8226; That if we deserve better governance we better demand it. This has spawned a new breed: the 8216;squeaky clean8217; independent candidate who still dares to dream. It includes, among others, a laundryman, a tailor, a cabbie, an 8216;ayah8217;, a director of a software firm, a former ACP, and a gift shop owner, all determined to 8216;make a difference.8217;

8226; That we simply cannot 8212; will not 8212; 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, 8216;five star8217; 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 8212; 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 hasn8217;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 party8217;s manifesto.

8220;This time the campaign is not about wooing voters, its about giving citizens what they need8221; says BJP state general secretary Vinod Tawade. That, in the end, is what makes this civic election so different 8212; and so important. Not just for Mumbai8217;s future, but for the future of Indian democracy.