From North to West

“Suna hai Bol Bacchan bahut badia picture hai, kah rahe hai ki baady guard se bhi zyada business ker rahee hai, to badia he hogi” (Bol Bacchan is a nice movie, its doing big business I hear) said a taxi driver to me last night, while driving down from airport through a busy lane in Mumbai. Of the many things he was, he wasn’t shrewd. Candid about his origins in Allahabad in North India, he wasn’t wary of ballot hungry politicians who despise Northern Indian labor in the Maximum city. Curios about migration that has continued for years and is likely to persist for many years to come, I asked him, “so how is it that one after another, you land up in Mumbai, are their some recruiting agents in your villages/towns”. He said its almost everytime about some relative who comes home and brings all good news about work options in Mumbai. “Hum to apne papa kay pass rahte hai, and hamari apni taxi hai” (I live with my dad, both of us drive our own taxi).

I didn’t stop there, and asked him why Mumbai and why not Delhi, since Delhi is cleaner, greener and not as costly as Mumbai. He didn’t have anything to say there but his desire to see Delhi. He said its four years in Mumbai and he wants to see Delhi and has friends there. Then I inquired about his awareness of Mumbai as a traveler and not a taxi driver, he mentioned about his weekend excursions and movie outings. It’s a strange city, Mumbai, only growing even weirder by the day. My househunt and struggle to be in office in time is a story better told in a longer note later.

But this is seven years after my first innings here came to an end. The centre of the town is far well developed (real estate) however, there is still hardly any vacant space in suburbs. Suburbs are booming as well, the filth on the roads has only multiplied. Lower the card windows and the city stinks on its roads. For what its worth the night life remains vibrant, for me its one Friday night which really matters. Migration aint stopping, skilled or unskilled, labor, is moving to this city, which today probably prays that the deluge it is famous for doesn’t occur, for everyone needs to get home safe and in time.