Saturday, September 6, 2008

Mumbai meri Jaan

I have read it so many times, at so many places..that Delhi is not a safe place. Girls can't go out in Delhi after evening. There had been so many cases of eve-teasing and other unfortunate incidences that keeps Delhi in one of the top un-safe cities in the country. 
We Mumbaikar (though I am from Indore, but in Mumbai for more than 7 years now... also because of  current conditions I would prefer calling myself Mumbaikar though I have spent 74% of my life at my hometown) always boast to be living in the safest city of the country. But is it really the case? Quite a lot of us believe it when they enjoy the night life of the city, the city which never sleeps. Even I have went out late at night with my friends quite a few times and so even I used to believe that this is really a very safe place till I heard of this incidence. 
Some days back my colleague (a delhi-ite who used to believe Mumbai is much safer than his city) went to his friends place at Juhu. He was coming back in a Rick at around 2:30 midnight. Just a stone's throw from Saki-Naka square (which sees the heaviest traffic in Andheri suburb) a guy claming to be Marathi-manoos policewala, stopped the Rick and asked something to my friend in marathi. Unable to understand what he is asking for he said that he doesn't understand marathi and said he is a student studying at IIT Bombay and came from Delhi. The guy started hitting him all over, he slapped at face, punched at face, abdomen, all at the main road. He claimed to be a pliceman and asked him to come to police station with him as he said he is doubting my friend for something. He kept on abusing and hitting  him saying non marathi's are spoiling their city. 
He took his mobile and took him to ATM. He withdrew Rs. 25k and then with further scaring my friend the robber left. When we came to know this we like good friends suggested so many things, you should have remained inside the ATM since that guy wont have entered ATM as there are cameras, you should have said that card is not working, there is no cash, you should have used citibank or sbi ATM where you can lock yourself inside, you should insert your pin reverse so local police will get signal.. etc. etc. etc. endless advices. But being at that place, you can think of only one thing - LIFE. Anything could have happened that day, losing money was the least. 
My point is when political party protest for Marathimanoos (am one for staying in the city for more than 7 years and marrying a Maharashtrian girl, and above all am Mumbaikar because I love this city) they should also think of this. There are always anti-social elements in the society who can misuse the fact. I am not against any political party for favoring Son-of-soil but they should also think that there might be such elements in the society who could misuse their theory.
For my friend, he is still scared, not even using his old cell number now. Scared his identity could revel and he could be attacked again. Being an outsider in the city, he was scared to go to police. With a new number and with fear he now says: Delhi is much safer, if this would have happened in Delhi, I could have tried so many things or at least complained to police. 

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