And for a HOLI Friday in Aamchi Mumbai, some thoughts….. some musings…..
Nothing to beat the clean fun, warmth and lovingness of Holi festival of colours and pichkaris, water in bucketful from upper floor balconies, played in Mumbai by all castes, all religions and all age groups. After almost two years of forced abstinence, it’s Holi fun with a vengeance and why not? Mumbai eating joints and restaurants are also changing for the good. Lots of new funky as well as fine dining places in the old Parel /Worli area, now referred to as Upper Worli, trying to position the new high rises as comparable to old SOUTH MUMBAI, which in my days, almost ended in Haji Ali junction.
Mumbai is also distinguished by its amazing Entrepreneurship which is world class. An average Mumbaikar will outclass, outsell and outlast any other world city including New York, Paris, Frankfurt and London, cos an average citizen has been baked in very tough conditions from school days itself. No challenge in any city can be too big or shake him/her, this, irrespective of the political combination in Power in the state. You can’t get a more motley and unlikely coalition like the MVM, Shiv Sena /NCP /Congress together. But any combination of politicians will have to support Entrepreneurial spirit in Mumbai. Unlike, say Communist Kerala where the Political establishment is now fighting to bid for Central PSU – HLL Life Care limited which even GOI can’t manage and has asked for Global bids for 100% strategic disinvestment. It’s so comical that Commies who have almost squeezed out Private investment will not encourage any scope for change and improvement, want to bid for management control. One can only hope the youth of Kerala learn from Mumbai.
This Holi, let’s hope and pray, will be the harbinger of good times to come. Let’s look forward to celebrating every ensuing festival this year, the fun way, the safe way, the SEEGOS way.