Poem

POEM

Mumbai- it is a city…..

Mumbai a six letter city, but on a deeper thought it is a book of controversy.

It is a city where thousands of people migrate, while the population makes the land vibrate.

It is a city of slums and roads of bumps,

But still the government plans to make the city the next Shanghai, but what about the increasing “MEHANGAYI.”

It is a city which never sleeps and where the rain water also manages to seep.

It is a city of dreams where zeros become heroes and heroes become zeros.

IT is a city where the Page 3 brews makes peoples views ,while important news are yet to pay their dues .

It is a city full of stains of paan, but still it is

“MUMBAI MERI JAAN”.

The Third Gender

2. THE THIRD GENDER ……..

Mumbai is a city of vibrant dimensions and people. It is a city where all the genders live together whether male or female, but then why does Mumbai forget some people who are also a very part of the society. They have the body of a man but the soul of a woman and their claps form the symbol of their community. They are those people who are fighting for their identity as the third gender. They are known by many names like “Hijras”, “Chakkas” or most commonly known as “Eunuchs” all over the world. Eunuchs are not a sudden discovery in the world but are also there in the pages of many historical events. They have been shunned and boycotted by the so called “Normal people”. They are forced to beg on signals do menial jobs or work as sex workers as they do not get good jobs even if they are highly educated because they are considered as a taboo to the society. We talk about illiteracy, poverty and other problems faced by the society, so why aren’t these people taken into consideration.

Today these individuals do not get suppressed easily. This community is finally getting out of its shell. Many of the eunuchs are surprisingly graduates from esteemed universities. The best part about this community that the whole world should learn is the “UNITY AMONGST DIVERSITY” between these people. They do not divide themselves on the basis of religion and they accept everyone with open arms even if one works as a sex worker or has AIDS. Here we fight in the name of religion and kill each other forgetting that we belong to the highest community that is humanity. Eunuchs are also humans and not an abnormal being. In order to prove this to the society some eunuchs have formed an NGO called “Sakhi Char Chowghi Trust” to bring reforms in this community. It is really sad to know that this is the one and only trust working for this cause. It is a completely different experience to speak to the organizers of this trust. The determination and enthusiasm of the eunuchs is highly motivating. They just behave like normal people working for a good cause. They believe that they all are woman, but are trapped in the body of men. They want to be free from this fake identity and be what they actually are. But then why is the society ignoring them or not accepting them. They long to be a part of the society they long to be heard they have a voice, they have opinions and demands, then why during social, political, and economic discussion regarding the city they are forgotten. That is why these people are relying on them selves to make a difference and to break the barriers around them. The society does not accept them but they have accepted the society with due respect. One of the organizers of the NGO quoted “Ae Zindagi gale lagale, hamne bhi tere har ek gam ko haske gale se lagaya hai”. She also said,”we have no enmity against the society inspite of all the atrocities we have faced because of them. We are also human beings and a part of this god gifted world”.

It’s high time that we all leave are orthodox beliefs behind and open ourselves to a wider horizon in the world. We cannot ignore a whole community of human instead we should “BAN IGNORANCE AND NOT HUMAN RIGHTS”.

mumbai an autobiography

1. MUMBAI- AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Mumbai is a city full of scandals, sex, controversies but over all of them a city full of dreams for many people. People come from small villages and towns for its celebrity status, its glamour, and the “SHEHERI BABU” syndrome. They come with big dreams where they see themselves as Sharukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai or for the matter of fact any other famous celebrity, but is Mumbai everything that they dreamt of? Mumbai is a golden city but as it is said that “All that glitters is not gold”, the harsh reality of Mumbai is learnt by these people on the very first day as they come to the city. The inflated prices, corruption, the problems of boarding and lodging etc prove to be an obstacle for these people. They get to the city but their dreams remain farfetched. Surviving in Mumbai is not an easy task for everyone. People struggle whether they are in the higher or the lower pedestal to stay in the race to reach to the top. Who is to be blamed for this? The tough competition or the population boom. Mumbai population is approximately 18 million and in the next two decades it is expected to reach to 28. 5 million that is more than Tokyo’s population which is currently the highest populous city in the world. Still people are migrating to Mumbai just to be termed as a Mumbaikar, like many Indians want to be termed as a British or an American. Mumbai is getting so populous that within few years the government will have to issue “visas” for coming into Mumbai. Increase in population has not only worsened the standard of living in Mumbai but has given rise to poverty and many anti-social crimes. Mumbai’s sky rocketing prices of properties, congestion, traffic, lack of space and greenery and many other factors have forced people to shift to suburban areas, but everything has its positive and negative aspects.

Mumbai may not be a perfect city but it is a city where all communities come together not on the division on their respective religions but as a Mumbaikar. During calamities people help each other on the basis of humanity and not on the basis of which religion they belong to. The Mumbai city has won many accolades from international borders too. This city has gone through many hard ships but has always proved victorious because of the “never say die” spirit of the people. The second most important aspect of Mumbai which comprises of what Mumbai actually is that whatever happens in Mumbai , this city is constantly on its feet trying to move forward . The clichéd saying that “Mumbai never stops” actually holds true for this city. The best example for this is the Mumbai bomb blasts which happened a few years ago where the city was back to normal within a few hours after the unfortunate blast. The “Aamchi Mumbai” attitude haunts a person from the very time he steps into Mumbai, thus making him feel as an integrated part of this famous city. Whether its day or night the mysteries of this wonderful city keep on unfolding itself by beautiful surprises with every experience in the city .

Mumbai a six letter city but on a deeper thought it is like an autobiographical book of memories and experiences of thousands of people. This city with its ups and downs has taught people the true purpose and meaning of life and to deal with the highly competitive world. Therefore this city resides in the heart and soul of every Mumbaikar. Probably that is why the city is considered as “MUMBAI MERI JAAN”.