Friday, February 12, 2010

Fortification of Mumbai

The kind of fortification that has to be provided to cinema halls of Mumbai, which are prepared to screen Shah Rukh Khan's film, shows how the Shiv Sena wants to do politics on the basis of violence. The problem is not that the Shiv Sena has gone on rampage as part of its politics, but that the political leadership of the country is refusing to show the necessary political will to stop it from doing so.
It is true that the Maharashtra Government appears to have decided to facilitate screening of the film, but there does not appear the necessary determination behind its decision. After all, what is the reason that Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has to expect an anarchical party like Shiv Sena to show understanding? Is it perhaps because the central government is refraining from stating anything publicly? Is it not strange that when the financial capital of the country is restless, the central authority is behaving as if nothing has happened?
Tug-of-War
It cannot be denied that the disturbed condition of Mumbai is the result of mutual tug-of-war between the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, but it is difficult to understand why the state government appears unable to stop the hooliganism that is being perpetrated openly? The manner in which Mumbai is being turned into a military base only underlines the defeat of the state government. It is disappointing that the state government has failed to give this message that the Shiv Sena is indulging in hooliganism in the name of politics and it cannot be tolerated.
Is it not the right time to give a stern message to Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena from the national political leadership that they cannot be allowed to do politics of violence? Why are they not taking any initiative so that the recognition of organizations like the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena as political parties could be annulled? If we could not rein in Shiv Sena, it would not only stop the screening of just one film, but it would also hurt democratic values and beliefs.
IPL Issue
After all, Shah Rukh Khan has only said that he was desirous of including Pakistani players in the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament. Is it some kind of a crime? The Shiv Sena has the right to disagree with Shah Rukh, but every citizen of the country has that right. Disagreeing with someone's thoughts does not mean you could resort to violent means. The Shiv Sena is not only doing that but it is also justifying it. This is not only hooliganism, but also dictatorship.
It is not surprising to see film stars maintaining silence over the Shiv Sena's violence, because when the national leadership is silent, what could they do? The central government's silence over the incidents in Mumbai is surprising as well as causing concern. This silence increases the audacity of the Shiv Sena and other so-called political parties like it. Agreed that polluted ideology should be dealt with at the ideological level, but the central government is considering it better to do absolutely nothing about the same.

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