Maximum Intolerance

The Shobhaa De tweet of Mumbai separating from Maharashtra has really touched a raw nerve among the Mumbai's political class, who have arrogated upon themselves what is best for 18.4 million denizens of the city. Hence there is no room for any dissenting opinion and whoever makes one should be bullied to silence. Leaders from parties, which are usually daggers drawn, showed one of those rare unison, all thanks to a socialite's 140-character remark.

The attacks were incessant and two pronged - firstly below the belt personal remarks and secondly downright sexist, with each one of them trying to outdo the other. Thank God De happens to be a Maharashtrian, otherwise that would have opened a much more virulent front. Going by the war of words it seemed as if a mere tweet and that too from a person who does not hold any public office, can lead to bifurcation of a state.

Those carrying out personal attacks invoked her visits to page 3 parties and getting drunk; her divorce and of course calling her a 'bai'. There were others openly intimidating her to say the same on the streets of Mumbai and threatening to make her lose her 'shoba'. The hapless people of maximum city would have appreciated if the Congressman (who made this statement) had shown the same zeal to restore the 'shoba' of Mumbai's streets, decimated by potholes. Or done something to reduce the abysmal toilet to persons ratio in slum areas of the city.

Even Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who to his credit was prompt enough to ensure security to De, was expedient enough to be on the right side of political spectrum by denouncing her tweet as 'frivolous' and 'assured' that the city won't be separated from Maharashtra.

For the political class Facebook and Twitter is quite unsettling as 'plebeians' are freely expressing their opinions, notably dissent, and reaching out to like-minded ones. Earlier there was hardly any such outlet (a very limited one was 'letters to the editor' in newspapers). They would like the public to troop to polling booths every every five years and then shut up.

To the credit of De, unlike some of other Mumbai intellectuals, she has so far soldiered on and neither showed any remorse, nor taken back her statement.

Also Read: Bangalore Beat