The Great Wall Project (of Mumbai) Part 2

August 14-16, 2009. The Great Wall Project (of Mumbai) (Part 1) happened over the mega Independence Day weekend and I got to know about it through a close relative.

Inspired by him, I, accompanied by a few family members, rushed to Tulsi Pipe Road a.k.a. Senapati Bapat Marg, Mahim.

There we saw an awe inspiring sight of scores of fellow Mumbaikars, armed with paint brushes and paints, lined up from Mahim station all the way till Matunga Road station, painting walls with some of the most beautiful paintings I’ve ever seen.

Being a holiday and ours being an impromtu decision, we rushed to Magnet hyper market located nearby, and picked up a few spray paint cans.

We did a few wall segments and felt really proud. While our work and skills were nowhere near to what was on display, the fact that we were contributing, made us feel one with our city.

A few days later, I noticed a poster covering my painting and i promptly got down from my car and ripped it off. That was the last of it and I did not see any other movie posters covering mine or any other painting after that day.

October 25, 2009. Sunday
The Great Wall Project 2 takes place. This time at the Lower Parel end of Tulsi Pipe Road. The residents of Mumbai have learnt from their first experience. They are better armed and also much better planned. This time around the paintings are really awesome. Some are so good, that it may put even the legendary M.F. Hussain to shame. One that really caught my eye is this Diwali painting with a lot of glass and diyas stuck on it. Absolutely marvelous!

My relatives make up for my absence and paint a few walls and I feel proud for them and for my city.

October 26, 2009. Monday.
I avoid taking the Bandra Worli Sea-Link and pass by Tulsi Pipe Road to glance once again at those magnificent walls.

~~~ S H A T T E R ~~~

More than a quarter of these painting are covered by garish movie posters of upcoming Bollywood releases.

I seethe in anger, I will not let some dumb posters dampen the enthusiasm on my city. I stop my car once again and start ripping the posters off. Only difference between August and October being the monsoon. This time round the poster has not been dampened by the rainfall. Along with the posters, I realise that the paints coming off too. I stop. Dont wanna damage any painting below.

And then the next morning, scores of newspapers carry the pictures of the mutilated paintings. The twitterati are at it. Condemnations fly thick and fast but what we need is action.

And Action finally it is. Word is out. All to meet Saturday October 31, 2009. This time with brooms and brushes and soap water to clean off the posters that deface all the efforts put in by the people. Clean Up Mumbai, Chaka chak Mumbai !

Why should we VOTE ?

WE SHOULD ALL VOTE. We know that, but we, the so called educated elite have found certain excuses to skirt the issue.

Excuses for not voting:

1) My 1 vote does not count!!

Ask Shri. C.P. Joshi,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._P._Joshi

Shri. C.P. Joshi, currently Minister of Rural Development in the Union Cabinet under Manmohan Singh, lost his election to the Nathdwara Assembly seat in Rajasthan in 2008 by one, yes, ONE VOTE!!

HIS MOTHER, WIFE & DRIVER NOT GO TO VOTE that day!!!

He was the President of the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee at that time and was credited with the Congress victory in the 2008 Rajasthan Assembly Elections. He would naturally also be a contender for Chief Ministership, but I guess that 1 vote made all the difference.

2) Whom should we vote for, they are all the same !!

Select the best candidate, not necessarily the best party…

3) Why waste our vote voting for those Independent Bankers and Professionals when they are not going to win…..

How many seats did Raj saheb Thackarey and his Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) win, 12/13 ….
How many seats did they make others loose. Many have put that figure close to 40 seats.

So, if for example, the Professional Party of India, or the like, are able to garner more votes than the margin of victory or defeat in many of the 38 Assembly segments in Mumbai alone, won’t that be a big chattering point on our news channels.

Politicians try to sway a block which is decisive in their victory or defeat.

Just visit any slum and see if Coastal Zone Regulations or CZR regulations are a speed breaker in an extra slum or an extra floor coming up near the sea shore.

Just visit your friendly neighbourhood slum to see if:

a) It has paver block tiles (or newspaper reading stands, or a temple, mosque or whatever) installed thanks to Corporator / MLA / MP LAD funds,
b) at a time when your tap runs dry to see if water is flowing through theirs
c) to have cold sherbet with water from their fridge, sitting on their sofa and coffee table set on a marbled floor watching your favorite cricket team playing on their telly (I have visited more than 1 such “slum”)
d) Try buying a slum, it may cost you more than 10 lakhs. They are truly slumdog millionaires! and they got their slum for free. oops, sorry, they voted for it !

If you, or your building, or club or community or ALM has the power to make some one loose an election, you will be wooed. Your problems will be heard and redressed.

So, we must learn from the MNS and make it matter where it hurts. If not in “our” victory, then at least in “their” defeat.

Unfortunately, the next (& the most important) elections are the BMC Corporator elections and they are still 3 years away!!

So in true Middle Class Mumbai voter tradition, lets plan where to head to for a well deserved holiday when that E-Day comes.

Jai Hind,
Jai Maharashtra,
Jai Mumbai

(And for my dear football crazy fellows,
Go Man U !!)

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