Mumbai ducks the voting

The media has made a big thing about the poor voter turnout in Mumbai. The valor, compassion and other fantastic attributes given to the ‘Mumbaikar’ are a creation of the media and the page three intelligentsia. The real Mumbaikar is of several shades:

i) the businessman trader community who worship Goddess Lakshmi. They have no loyalties or affiliation and love any politician who helps them to make money, evading taxes in the bargain. They can afford all the worldly comforts, lack for nothing and do not care who is in power. They believe that everyone can be bought at a price. They talk in ‘petis’, ‘khokas’, etc ,;
ii) The middle class NDTV / Timesnow /CNN watcher. Typically working in offices, having comfortable lifestyles, with houses bought on housing loans. This Mumbaikar is one who likes to talk a lot, but will not go out on a limb to help anyone. His problems are focused on the EMI, school admission, and higher education for children etc., No time for politics and at heart, really does not care who comes to power.
iii) Same as above, but a government employee. Works for some form of government or a government company. Low working hours, some side money, pension, etc. Highest level of job security. Not concerned with who is in power. Limited ambitions, uses public transport and is more worried about train crowds rather than anything else. Generally does not vote.
iv) The slum dweller. Has migrated from Bihar, UP, Tamil Nadu. Is divided by religion and language. Sponges on the city, whilst at the same time providing a cheap source of labour for above classes. Always on the lookout for freebies and a high propensity to be argumentative and is the backbone on which the local politician and the gang lords thrive. Will vote for the highest bidder. Provides the crowd to all election meetings.
v) The chawl walas. Each and every suburb of Mumbai has this in large numbers. Pre-occupied with day-to-day living. Only aspiration is to buy a house. In the last few years, with this being out of reach, a high spender on things material. Watches soaps, sports and Barkha Dutt/Rajdeep Sardesai. Has an opinion on everything, joins rallies from time to time. Generally makes it to the polling booth with friends and family.
None of the above have any hidden agenda of trying to help anyone. Help is on if it does not come in the way of what my life is. I do not mind waving a few candles here and there. For 26/11, I am glad it was not me. On 27/11 I have to go to work. If not, I lose my job. Simple. Do not label it saying that Mumbai has ‘bounced’ back to normalcy. As they say in Hindi “Majboori ka naam Mahatma Gandhi”.

My friend, Rajrishi Singhal, in his blog “Monday Mocha”(see link) has written a very nice piece about the poor turnout. The irony is that people who sponge on Mumbai cast most votes. The sad part is that the intelligentsia or the thinking voter is so starved of choice in Mumbai. How do you vote for a Priya Dutt or a Deora? They have all made it big without doing a drop of work. It is not surprising that most MP’s have added so much wealth between two elections, but what is new is the openness about it. And of course, the election commission has added a new dimension. It has said that if there are falsehoods in the ‘affidavits’ filed by the candidates, it is not a big issue!! Wonder why bother with the effin affidavits at all?
In this election, we Manmohan Singh, who wants to be PM but not an MP!! This can happen only in India. A wimp who is scared to face the electorate and a demonstrated rubber stamp is a wannabe PM!! Shame, shame!! Or we have a rabid LK Advani with a team of fanatics, to whom economics is a second priority. Of course, not to mention the ladies’ brigade of Mayawati and Jayalalithaa!! With choices like this, do we want to vote?? Especially if I can use the voting day holiday and club it with a couple of days to get away from the hustle and bustle of it all.

Bombay 1974 Mumbai 2009- The cost of 'Living'

1974 was the year I started my formal employment. 1974 was also a year in which there was world wide depression. 1974 was the year when the Middle Eastern countries got control of the oil companies, which till then were majority owned by foreigners. As a result, oil prices spiked up nearly four fold leading to a depression. There was price control on oil in the USA. In India, jobs were hard to come by. However, by then, Indira Gandhi had created the PSU banks, which became one of the best employment opportunities. Mumbai life was tough, but still fun. In the private sector, jobs were predominantly got through influence. Let me try and pull out some numbers from my memory and place it alongside today’s prices:

(all figures in rupees)
1974 2009 change

Starting salary of a bank clerk --------- 500-------8000----- 16X
Cost of a thali in an udipi restaurant ----- 1.50 ------30.00---- 20X
A cup of tea at an Udipi---------------------0.20------ 8.00----- 40X
Taxi meter fall ------------------------------2.00------13.00----- 7X
Petrol per litre------------------------------17.00-----45.00----- 2.5X
Movie ticket at Sterling-------------------- 3.50 ----150.00----- 40X
Rice per kg--------------------------------- 2.00-------30.00------15X
Bombay Poona Deccan Queen Ticket----- 7.50-------90.00------12X
Cost of a haircut--------------------------- 2.00-------70.00------35X
Auto rickshaw min fare--------------------1.00---------9.00-------9X
Vadapav ------------------------------------0.25--------6.00-------24X
Income tax exemption limit--------------- 5K ---------150K------30X
Gold (per 10 grammes)--------------------500-------13800------28X
Penguin paperback novel------------------3.00-------150 --------50X
Rupees per US dollar----------------------7.75---------49 ---------6X

Flat in Goregaon (per sq ft) 80 7000 90X

In 1974, Indira Gandhi was boss. Today, Sonia Gandhi is boss!!

Even in those days owning a house was beyond the means of the average person in Mumbai. It continues to do so. The demand has been created by a class of super earners who have been spawned by the burgeoning financial services and other service sectors. Since the supply of flats in Mumbai is a limited one (do not include the outlying areas) the average mumbaikar has been outpriced by the super earners.

Are we better off today?
Yes, if you have your house in a decent location. If not, you will be struggling all your life and have nothing to show at the end of your working life. In those days, housing loans were not available, unless your employer gave you one. Today, the generosity of the bankers makes it possible for one to think about buying a house. Other than that, the only thing that has become cheaper is money. Too much of it going round and a few grabbing most of it. Yes, we have better infrastructure and cheaper communication methods, but beyond that the grind of the mumbaikar continues.

"Who is secure in all his basic needs? Who has work, spiritual care, medical care, housing, food, occasional entertainment, free clothing, free burial, free everything? The answer might be nuns and monks, but the standard reply is 'prisoners'"
Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn