Yes. And it’s for a reason. Marathi speaking Maharashtrians are feeling resentful. Chetan Bhagat makes very interesting observations about the whole MNS fracas here.

***”Later, four of the 13 MNS MLAs including Kadam were suspended from the assembly for four years, a move that critics say should have been stricter in the form of an expulsion.”

Ya obviously, because the 4 constituencies they were elected from will go unrepresented in the Assembly for 4 years. Ultimately it’s the people of these constituencies who are going to suffer. Expulsion, and then by-elections in those constituencies would have been a lot more appropriate, IMO.

**”Aren’t we supposed to be one nation? Can Maharashtra live in isolation? Can any state live in isolation?”

Actually no, the constitution defines India as a Union of States. We’re one big continent knocked together as a nation.

***”Already, there is the much talked about north south divide, where the people from the southern states aren’t particularly fond of north indians, and the north Indians reciprocate the feeling through typecast terms and expressions. madrasi, anyone? ”

Well that sort of animosity is because of the insular attitude of a few Northies. And that in part is also the cause of the MNS’ rising popularity. See every state in India has a rich culture, and the attitude of Hindi-speaking people and their attempts to force Hindi down the throats of non-Hindi speakers didn’t go down too well. I wouldn’t generalize, but I’ve experienced it myself. Many North Indians tend to be insular, and tend to stereotype us all the time. “Madrasi”, “Darkies”,etc.

“Sid’s” comment puts it beautifully.

My father’s UP driver here in Navi Mumbai always refers to native Agris as “Ghatis”, a very derogatory term. I reprimand him, but he doesn’t listen. So yeah, Marathis should treat outsiders properly, but how about outsiders giving Marathis some respect as well?

Interestingly enough, my relatives in tamil nadu are becoming more “tolerant” towards Hindi, and it’s because of Bollywood! Pop culture has done what Indira Gandhi couldn’t!

***”People from UP will pull out of Maharashtra”
Don’t see that happening. Indians all over the world-be it the US, Canada,Australia -complain about racism, about missing India, and the “depraved” Western society. But we don’t see people returning in droves, do we?
Apply the same logic to North India(UP,Bihar) and Maharashtra. Better opportunities in Maharashtra, respect for talent, less corruption, etc.

Maharashtra itself isn’t getting any better, though.

***”Punjabis will start beating up people from Kerala. Tamils will beat up people from Orissa”

Lol, I don’t envision that kind of a scenario. People are too busy living their own lives, their own problems to worry about hating others. Even the MNS violence is only being perpetuated by a small fraction of the locals, who are by and large ignorant and a bit pissed off with Bhaiyyas. Such angry people are soft targets and get brainwashed by politicians like Thackeray into thinking it is outsiders who are the reason for their problems.

***”No wonder i dont even feel sympathetic to them. Morons voted morons to power and now they are getting it back with interest.”

Yeah, and such patronizing statements are so intelligent, eh?

It’s high time we stopped trying to be politically correct and tried to examine WHY such people get elected in the first place. But it’s much easier for us to call the voters a bunch of jingoistic pigs, isn’t it?

Like d’you really think these people are going to call off their stoning campaigns if we call them “morons”?

Like it or not, people feel inside. And it’s in the interests of all of us to try and examine the reasons why people resort to the brand of politics practised by ppl like Mayawati,or even Raj Thackeray FTM. It highlights certain miserable failures of the Union, and its citizens, things we’re too afraid to examine objectively, so it’s much easier to call the Naxals rabid islamists, BSP supporters low-IQ regressionists and MNS supporters “morons”.

(something I’d tried to explain in that Gandhiji post a few months back, which led to me being called a mad delinquent by some.)

Obviously the methods MNS wallahs use to fulfil their agenda are very condemnable, but Abu Azmi is no less a SOB than Thackeray. He’s the richest MLA in the assembly, yet his constituency is the most impoverished in the city, and it’s like the Garbage Capital of Mumbai. Power thefts, water thefts, polio, diarrhoea. You name it.

Shivaji Nagar has an overall HDI of less than 0.4! Pathetic state of affairs. So he deserved the slap if u ask me, just the timing wasn’t right

That’s how in the span of one generation so much has been achieved here, whereas we
with our rich ancient heritage and civilisation of 1000years plus are reverting back to the barbaric age.

Migration is a healthy issue; as long as it is in India.

I do understand this will force every state to take primary responsibility of native people, I feel very funny when Mr. Amar singh who is all the time with Bollywood, must take some time out for native people and do something for local development in place of giving out provocative comments. People of Bihar should understand importance of properly elected leader. I feel Amar singh and Abu Azmi is just creating more problems for local North indian people in mumbai.

-Sachin