[Reader-list] Fwd: Me Pun Mumbaikar - please forward widely

[abshi at vsnl.com]

It is important that as secular Maharashtrians we speak and not allow the Raj Thackerays of this city to assume the unilateral voice of the Mumbai Maharashtrian. We're hoping to collect over 500 signatures of Maharashtrians who live in Mumbai currently and have the letter published in a city newspaper. 

Please do sign your name and forward this to as many Mumbai Maharashtrians as you can. 

When forwarding the mail please also copy it to  mepunmumbaikar at gmail.com 

 
Letter from Mumbai Maharashtrians


Me Pun Mumbaikar

 
As Mumbai Maharashtrians, we would like to say that we disagree with Raj Thackeray. We believe that Mumbai has been built on the hard work of people from different linguistic and religious communities and as such belongs to everyone. We also subscribe to the fundamental right of every Indian citizen to live and work anywhere in the country upheld by the constitution. It is also true that Mumbai is a highly divided city and it's very easy for some Maharashtrians to be manipulated by a nativist ideology. This is as true in many other parts of the country as well. However we firmly believe that the vast inequalities in the city need to be addressed in real ways rather than this shadow-boxing that Mumbai has been a victim of for decades. We the undersigned would like to place on record that Raj Thackeray does not speak for all Maharashtrians. He certainly does not speak for us. 

No.      Name                                       Affiliation (optional)

1.         Shilpa Phadke                          TISS, Mumbai
2.         Shilpa Ranade                          PUKAR, Mumbai
3.