There was a time, when every now and then Mumbai, the economic capital of this country witnessed serial bomb blasts. With these blasts, many families got affected. Some parents lost their son, some her husband, some lost their father, brother, sister. People got scared, numb and sometimes rebellious, when water reached above the head. However, there is something which makes this maximum city unique and that is its spirit.
When we talk about history of Mumbai, then we start it from 1992, when communal riots rocked the peaceful city post Babri Masjid demolition. We talk about the rise and fall of gangs after the riots and gang wars. The city which is considered as a dream fulfilling city, the city which has changed the fate of many, the city of superstars, the city which has survived the massive attacks on internal harmony and even external disruptions. The very city wants to know for how long, we have to tolerate this.
People are coming in this city from all over the nation and because of that, large number of manpower is available here. That makes me to feel proud of myself as a Mumbaikar. With more people as manpower, more corporates show interest, with more corporates coming in, we have more employment competition, thereby increasing the quality of the companies and the employment available here. But, there is always the other side too. As a city of dreams, it does not guarantee the best but also shows what could otherwise be a nightmare. With many stories left untold, there are innumerable scams which exist in the city. One of which is ‘property scams’. We may never know the entire surface or even get to see the tip of this iceberg but, there are many buildings which are illegally constructed, which comes out as a fraud in later years. When you go to buy a property, you are always asked for the ‘percentage’; with one policy, no one shall be spared! Even people working in government sectors like income tax department are aware of this and are happily paying it. The shame of this act of gathering and paying ‘black money’ (to be blunt) is no more a shame. We join the ‘forces’ against the country’s administration asking for justice for so much of black money but when it comes to buying a house for our own, we need to sort that ‘cash’ out. This fact is so outspoken that even an estate agent / broker will ‘arrange’ percentage negotiation for it. 60 – 40 per cent is the standard ratio which is prevalent in Mumbai. It means, if your house costs Rs. 1 lakh, you end up paying 60 per cent as white and 40 per cent as black or cash. It is a known fact for every government official but still it is not considered as ‘black money’.This is a bias attitude towards builders.
Collapse of Mumbra housing society has exposed the scam of ‘illegal construction’. Well, you might want to know, where this will lead to. When the house was illegally built, it was not the responsibility of the builder or the people governing that area but the person who are selling that area. So, when is that person coming up? What will be the final judgement after following the protocols robotically? All are scott-free. At the maximum, the builders will be charged for culpable homicide because they were not ‘intending’ to kill the people whose bodies lie under the unfortunate debris. The construction where people actually lived is tagged as illegal, thus the sufferers are ‘abandoned’. Follow up on this will not be covered in news, and current affairs all that these people are waiting for is, ‘thanda honey do’. We are Indians, we like spice with everything we eat! But, too much spice which we enjoy might end up in bleeding. Such eye-opening is required.
We have one habit to be blind towards reality. People were affected, families cried and their dreams were shattered. After few days, one more incident, then another news from reporters and another edit from my table. The need for change is what everyone asks for whereas the only thing they need to realise is, they have changed themselves.The lazy attitude and slow paced investigation from municipality levels are resulting in such incidence. If illegal buildings have electricity, drainage system and even water supply then how can these ‘illegal’ structures be left unnoticed? Who is responsible for this?
