The epic Mumbai contrast | A brief history of Bombay
We all know Mumbai as the land where dreams are sown and
grown, and of the dream merchants who crop them ruthlessly. There are so many
faces and facets, but in reality we see Mumbai as we dream it - mystic and
superficial, gay and painful, beautiful and ugly. The life of Mumbai oscillates
like a pendulum between two hopelessly opposite standards of living. It is glamorous,
extravagant, lavish, and luxurious yet at the same time it is dull, deceptive,
poor and filthy.
The past of Mumbai is quit enchanting and unique. It was a
cluster of seven islands inhabited by different fishing tribes whom we call
kolis. These traditional habitants are still there in Mumbai, spread over
different koliwadas. The seven islands were Colaba, Smaller Colaba, Worli,
Parel, Mazgaon, Mumbadevi and Mahim which were in possession of Aryans from
North India for a thousand years.
Marine Drive |
The Portuguese were the first Europeans who landed on these
Islands and commenced their rule from 1534. They ruled Mumbai for about 125
years before giving it away as dowry to King Charles II for marrying
Portuguese Princess Catherine Breganza. This event gave a broad base for the
British rule which took firm hold of India in the later years. The name Mumbai
is derived from the Mumba Devi, the patron goddess of the Kolis, but the British
started calling these islands as Bombay, however in 1995 it was renamed as
Mumbai.
The shrewd tradesmen of the past had a good foresight on
this island for trade and commerce due to its safe isolation into the Arabian Sea.
The tremendous sacrifice made by the people during freedom struggle has made it
viable for us to roam free on this land today. Free we are from the rule of
foreigners but how free are we from our own selfishness, corruption and suppression?
Mumbai was destined to create for itself a matchless and
everlasting identity that people fall in love with. We are in the dark abyss of
its love, were one either plays the game or is a victim of the players. Player
or Victim, we always had a choice, didn’t we?
things have not changed much...time has gone but rulers remain..new ones...and more biased ones....rules are for us..they are the rulers....very unfortunate....
ReplyDeleteYes things have not changed much but time has given us a choice.
ReplyDelete