Shiv Sena orders all settlers out of Mumbai
S.N.M. Abdi in Calcutta for SCMP 29/6/03 All Mumbai immigrants who took up residence after 1995 are being told to leave by the end of August by the far-right Shiv Sena Party. The �ethnic cleansing�, as part critics call it, targets hundreds of thousands of jobseekers from backward states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal who have settled in Mumbai, the capital of Maharastra, India�s richest and industrially most advanced state. The party also ordered Mumbai firms, including multinational companies, to reserve 90 per cent of jobs for Maharastrians by August. Sena was voted out of power in Maharastra in 2000. Although it does not have state organs to evict or deport �unwanted� people, its armed cadre are a law unto themselves. Given the Sena�s bloody track record, Mumbai is bracing for violence when the deadline expires and fear hangs over the city. Even the Maharastra government�s repeated announcement that it will not spare the Sena if it tries to evict a single non-Mahrastrian has failed to instill confidence. �Mumbai, including slums and adjoining areas, should be purged of outsiders�, says Sena supreme Bal Thackeray, who is urging Maharastrians to boycott shopkeepers, hawkers, small businessmen and domestic helpers from other states. Sena�s ultimatum has reignited opposition to the extremist Hindu outfit among secular parties and civil rights campaigners. Congress Party leader Vayalar Ravi said: �The mob leader never had qualms about dividing society, and the notice served to non-Maharastrians to disappear from Mumbai is yet further proof of his sick mentality.� Sena is a key ally of Prime Minister Atal Vajpayee�s federal coalition government. Analysts say the regional part is pitting Maharastrians against non-Maharastrians to garner votes in next year�s state elections. Sena first tasted power in 1995 after the worst anti-Muslim riots in Mumbai that left 300 dead and polarized the city�s Hindus and Muslims. A commission of inquiry censured Mr Thackeray for engineering the riots and accused him of leading his 40,000 supporters �like a general during war�. He was charged with dozens of offences but was never arrested. When the Sena came to power, all but two of the charges were withdrawn. Although Sena was swept from power in 2000, it is still a key constituent of Mr Vajpayee�s Hindu nationalist federal government. Four of the 15 ministers in Mr Vajpayee�s cabinet. Analysts have warned that the Sena�s latest campaign could take a violent turn any day. �The Sena is not in power but its dreaded muscle and firepower are still intact,� said Sajeda Mormin, a political commentator. Sena hoodlums paralyze Mumbai whenever the authorities try to arrest Mr Thackeray for pending criminal cases or his inflammatory speeches and writings. Significantly, opposing Mr Thackeray�s drive is Mr Vajpayee�s BJP, which shared power with the Sena in Maharastra for five years from 1995 and is the Sena�s senior partner in the federal government. The BJP and Sena being ideological cousins, the BJP fears that it will have to pay a heavy price in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar if the Sena�s campaign against �outsiders� is not halted. But Mr Thackeray is getting ready for what he calls a �do or die political battle� in Maharastra. __________________________________________________ Yahoo! Plus - For a better Internet experience http://uk.promotions.yahoo.com/yplus/yoffer.html ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
