The sainik's argument
The whole 'Uttar Bharatiya' issue started by the MNS in Mumbai has been in the news for quite some time now.
While this is nothing new, I am glad that the Sena (or offshoots thereof) have returned to doing something they're really good at. There's no point in living life if you can't do the things you like and are good at, and the Sena and its sainiks should be no exception. So, more power to them as India adds fascism to the list of political ideologies that it tolerates. Hey, we tolerate nihilistic pacifism, so what's the big deal about fascism? Let's give them the floor too!
Seriously, though, there are two points that I want to make. Firstly, I see this as a tussle between protectionist economic policy and free market capitalism, rather than a regional divide. Now, that the protectionism is based on regional colours is true, but that is marginally relevant. The fact that a group with a protectionist agenda is clashing with another group that's advocating essentially free market economics.
Even though I said 'Seriously' above, I can't help but enjoy the inherent joke in this incident. The Samajwadi (lit: Socialist) Party, advocating protectionism on the national scale, is pressing for free market policies in Mumbai. In the other corner, the Sena (read: fascist Marathi parties), which invited Enron into India, is advocating protectionism regionally. In other words, economic policy all but evaporates when it comes to vested interests in a milch cow like Mumbai.
Secondly, this is not so much a case of divisive regional politics as much as it is an indicator of what happens when there is an infrastructural developmental gap within the country. Hordes of Biharis and UPwalas aren't coming to Maharashtra because Marathi people don't want blue-collared jobs. It's because Bihar and UP, with the exception of some areas, are backward hellholes that attract about as much FDI as a dung heap. The blame in this case lies squarely on the politicians of these two states, and by extension on the people. On the other hand, the credit for the industrial growth and economic prosperity in Maharashtra goes to the state government and by extension, to the common Maharashtrian.
Then, instead of facing the music, instead of reaping what they've sown, instead of being politically accountable for their actions, or rather, inactions, if UPwalas and Biharis wish to peter down to Maharashtra instead, not only do they condemn UP and Bihar to further regress, but also pose a political threat to the continued progress of Maharashtra. Any way you look at it, the nation does not benefit. Then how is wanting to keep the electorate of states that are utter failures economically, socially and politically out of the state of your domicile an act of sedition?
