MNS: Vote bank politics or fanatism?

Raj Thackeray, the name could bring an expression of contempt for several and a sense of pride for others. So what has Raj actually done to invite the wrath of so many people across the nation on one hand, and to become a hero in the eyes of several Mumbaikars on the other?

Raj, firebrand leader of Maharashtra NavNirman Sene, has a political ideology that is considered extremist by many people across the nation. His recent outburst against North Indians has evoked strong reactions from political leaders, parties, and media. He lays great emphasis on the interests of the Marathi Manus. According to him, Marathi Manus is a person living in the state and born to Marathi parents, though of a different linguistic origin, born in Maharashtra, who speaks Marathi and loves Maharashtra. And MNS will strive hard to make Maharashtra a glorious state with the upliftment of the Marathi Manus.

Seems to be a nice objective. Nobody should have any problems with it. Nevertheless, the ways adopted by MNS to achieve this objective are far from commendable. Rather than engaging into constructive work for people in general, MNS targeted North Indians, or Uttar Bhartiya as they call them, and waged a battle against them. The rationale of MNS behind this diatribe against North Indian people working in Maharashtra is that they are snatching jobs away from the native Maharashtrians and are crowding Mumbai.

To a certain extent, the second part is true, not the cause, but the effect. There is no denying to the fact that Mumbai has become over-crowded. However, it is not only because of the influx of people from North India, but also from other parts of the country such as the states in south and central India. Together they form 40% of the population of Mumbai. MNS and other political outfits seem to be fighting the effect and not the cause.

One needs to ask questions as to why Mumbai has become over-crowded. Why do people come here to seek job?

Mumbai has been a hub of economic and commercial activity for a long, long time. There are two or three particular industries that are native to Mumbai, namely Bollywood and Stock Market (Bombay Stock Exchange). In addition, Mumbai is a port, which makes it accessible to other centers of world through shipping and airways. Also adding to the mix is the development-driven policies of the Maharashtra government, which focus on Mumbai, as it provides huge amounts of taxes to it, making it one of the richest states.

So would not the dilution of the concentration of this huge economic activity in Mumbai loosen the tightening grip of excessive population concentration in Mumbai? However, one does not intend to say that all the economic activity should be made to come to a standstill. Rather, if we could make one city in every state like Mumbai, would it not solve this problem to a certain extent? Every state can have its own hub of commercial activity. This will not only solve the problem of unrestrained migration of people in Mumbai from other states, but also will prove to be a driver for economic development and upliftment in each state.

Now this is not incumbent only upon the Central Government, but the responsibility also lies with the state government as well to take initiative and start working towards it. Time and again, government has taken steps like creating SEZs, EOUs and STPI Parks, which have lost their sheen in the long run.

Central and State governments need to take proactive steps and work in tandem if they have to find a solution to this issue. A separate committee should be formed to identify such centers across different states, which would then devise a plan for the strategic makeover of these centers within a stipulated time.

Tax benefits and relief should be given to companies and factories, which are willing to relocate their operations to these centers. The major hindrance that stops from companies from coming to these centers is infrastructure. Strong emphasis should be put and proactive measures should be taken by the state governments to improve the infrastructure and make it more appealing.

By adopting these measures, we can ensure the overall development and can also address the issue of economic concentration in some particular parts of the country.