The Maximum City

I recently finished reading Suketu Mehta's "Maximum City"... I must admit that I read it, not to learn anything new about this wonderful city of Mumbai... but to reiterate my faith in its beauty..

Mumbai has everything going against it... It is bursting at its seams due to a dangerous heady cocktail of Pollution and Population... There seems to be a rather "parochial" (I dunno who quoted this word first, but the media has been lapping it up and regurgitating it again and again.. and I suspect if many users actually even know what it means).... so where were we??.... ah yes... there seems to a rather parochial tension flowing underneath the fabric of the society... Mumbai invites many, It cant handle any... It has a lot of money to flaunt, but none to give...

So what is so great about this city?? why is it that inspite of being reminded about the grim realities, a farmer leaves his acres and settles here in square foots?.... Why is it that inspite of all the complaints, nobody ever says that enough is enough... why doesn't anyone want to leave this city?...

Every person who lives in this city has his or her own reason for being here... so in a way, Mumbai is a city of close to 15 million reasons... some come here to satisfy their needs, some to satiate their greeds... some have nowhere else to go, while some have everything here...Mumbai shows a hope and a dream to everyone who comes in.... Contrary to what some "popular" parochial (there, i used it again!!) leaders might want to think, I find Mumbai to be one of the least biased cities in India.... I have seen Mumbai give a fair chance to whoever is willing to work... irrespective of caste, creed, religion or even nationality.....

If you look at it careful, there is not much difference between Mumbai and any other city in India... they have common problems of slums, poverty, dirt, pollution, electricity, water, roads, roaches and politician (the last two can be used interchangeably).... the difference lies in perception... while other cities with all their incongruences, give a sense of despair... Mumbai, with all its limitations, still manages to shine a ray of hope... a person walking on the street (quite literally, because the sidewalk is probably dug up!) will look at all the Audi, the Mercs and the BMWs and will feel invigorated... He'll try to go an extra mile so that if not the Merc, at least he makes enough to afford a BEST which would at least take him off the road....

Mumbai is a cruel place... and hence, it is safer.... it robs you off all your ignorance and innocense and makes you street smart... Here, you fight against the criminals, by having a criminal streak of mind... women are safer, because they know how to fight, and know how and which expletives to use on whom....

Mumbai, as a city, is greater than the combination of all the people who inhabit it.... Mumbai is the summation of their aspirations.... aspirations, which are not quantifiable.... Mumbai cannot be the domain of a few... It is as much of the poor, as it is for the rich.... I thank Mr. Mehta for giving it the sobriquet of "Maximum City"...... It has a maximum of heaven and hell, on offer... It is up to you as to what you take from it....


P.S.:
Parochial: adjective
Relating to or supported by or located in a parish
Narrowly restricted in outlook or scope