Mumbai is a melting pot for people who come from all corners of India in search of greener pastures. But lately the city has been rocked by violent attacks on migrant workers, seemingly incited by the zero-tolerance stance of a fringe political party. These local politicians bemoan the influx of newcomers in Mumbai, claiming that there is not the infrastructure to support them.  It is an emotive issue the politicians want to exploit with an eye to the vote bank.

Last month the migrants belonging to North Indian states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were targeted by a political party. Television cameras rolled in with live scenes of poor migrants being beaten up in the streets of Mumbai by political goons. The political party's leader achieved his objective of gaining 15 minutes of fame, increasing his support base among the local Marathi population and boosting the sagging morale of party workers.

I am a product of migrant parents who came to Mumbai from the southern state of Kerala in search of greener pastures. I can lay claim to this city as being born and bred here. As a teen staying in an area inhabited by the locals I was witness to large-scale violence directed toward south Indians migrants.

The perpetrators of the violence then belonged to a regional political party. As part of their political agenda to garner support among the local population, it had espoused the cause of a "son of the soil" policy; now, after gap of many years, the same issue is rearing its ugly head again, raised this time by a breakaway political party.

Fortunately, our forefathers, bearing in mind the multi-ethnic and multi-religious makeup of India, had the vision to frame the constitution in a way that allowed any Indian to move and work freely in any part of the country.

During the sixties and seventies, the first post-Independence migrants flocked to the city of Mumbai. It was largely southern Indians backed by proper education that came down to Mumbai to seeking white-collar jobs as clerks and typists or other office work. Due to their sheer hard work and dedication, they came to be known as the rising middle class of the seventies and eighties

This city has seen it all, from the idli/vada sambhar culture introduced by the Udipi of the south to the bhel puri and pani puri from the migrant bhaiyyas belonging to north India. The vada pav (Indian snacks) introduced by the locals is today eaten by one and all.

Migrants belonging to north India work as Dhobhies (washermen), newspaper vendors, milk suppliers and carpenters. Lately, the taxi and auto drivers are largely from north India. They are all here to make a living, largely made possible by the space given them by the locals, who were more or less reluctant to take up such menial work.

The original inhabitants of Mumbai are the Kolis, the fishing community. Post-independence, it was the Parsis, Bhatias, Pathare Prabhus, East Indians and Muslims who formed the bulk of the population. In fact, the local Marathi community is made up of migrants from Maharashtra who came to work in the textile mills.

One common thing among this multi-cultural community of Mumbai is that they have all contributed immensely to the city's growth — not to mention the great contribution made by the big industrial houses of Ambanis and Tatas.

Mumbai's international fame was due to the contribution of the Bollywood industry and the stars of yesteryear, such as Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Meena Kumari and Madhubala, and those of today, such as Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. The famous lyric, Yeh hai Mumbai meri jaan, is still etched in our memory.

In the context of migrant’s controversy I decided to visit Mumbai’s washer man’s colony known as Dhobi Ghat located near Mahalaxmi railway station. Dhobi Ghat is manned by the migrants belonging to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar of North India and also Andhra Pradesh of the south.

Dhobi Ghat is unique for the washing of garments is still being carried out in a primitive way of flogging and cleaning manually.  It is 150 years old built by the British to take care of the washing of their viceroys during British rule. All the washing is carried out in a cubicle wash pen with a stone ( pathar) slab placed in the centre beside a water pool. There are in all 507 wash pen and some 10,000 workers are employed. Garments from export manufacture and laundry comes here for a wash. The place is huge tourist attraction and one of the VIP to visit this place was President Clinton.

Dhobi Ghat is the living proof of the hard work, dedication and perseverance of Mumbai’s north Indian migrant’s. 

                                                                                                                -  Rajen Nair