Remember the famous Johny Walker song of yesteryears!?
....Kahin building, kahin traame, kahin motor, kahin mill
Milta hai yahan sab kuchh, ik milta nahin dil
Insaan ka nahin, kahin naam-o-nishaan
Zara hat ke zara bach ke, yeh hai Bombay (Mumbai) meri jaan
Aye dil hai.....
How apt! And this was written so many years ago! Off late, I have been thinking that Mumbai has changed and the change has only been for the worse. Mumbai no longer has that old world charm. Neither does it have a heart anymore. I say this having seen Mumbai for the last six months, and after a gap of about seven years. The biggest change that I do see in Mumbai is in the people. Even seven years ago, I thought the population of Mumbai was a very happy community, opening their arms wide to welcome outsiders, being very accomodating and helpful to others even when living by the barest minimum. There was a sense of camaraderie in the entire population.
Unfortunately, it is no longer the case. Some might say, 'This is not news. Johny Walker already told us so years ago'! But to me, this is definitely significant, because it has come as a rude shock to me that this is no longer the old Mumbai, that I knew.
I have been observing how people in Mumbai react in different circumstances over the past few months. And the biggest thing that strikes me is that 'I' and 'Me' are the most important beings for the people of Mumbai these days. In the streets, it is a mad rush, with the single objective of being the first and the fastest. Forget lane discipline, everyone tries to squeeze into the smallest of space available on the roads, often resorting to 'elbowing out' the others. Nobody stops for anybody else. Patience is not a word which is very popular on the streets in Mumbai.
Elsewhere, people come to blows at the slightest of provocations, or even the lack of it. And these behavioural traits seem to be consistent across all types of people and all sections of the society. It is amazing that the tolerance levels of an entire city has collectively diminished. Friends no longer just meet. It takes months to plan a meeting with good friends! The spirit of Mumbai is often lauded. I am very sorry to say, there is no such thing in the social fabric of Mumbai today.
How and why has this happened? It could be a combination of many factors. First and foremost, the population growth and the inability of the city's infrastructure to cope with it. This puts so much pressure on an individual to just get by his / her day to day activities, resulting in him / her being on the edge, always. Second, and probably a offshoot of the population growth, is the competition. And couple that with limited opportunities. Naturally, 'I', 'Me' and 'Myself' becomes the most important being. Third, the world has become a small place, resulting in making us more cruel and heartless. As we interact more with the western world, the 'Self' keeps becoming the most important thing. Even if just to copy the westerners. Everything is wanted instantly. Everything is needed instantly. There is no time to wait.
Last, but by no means the least, is the repeated assaults on Mumbai's psyche by riots and terrorist attacks. These have resulted in a general sense of mistrust that people have for each other. Everyone is looked at with suspicion.
People in Mumbai live on the edge, perenially. I think this city and its metamorphosis is a great case study for sociologists. But I do crave for the Mumbai of the past, which had an old world charm around it.
Take care.
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