Dedications

Punjabi now becomes the 4th top language in Canada. Just shows the grit and determination of a hard working community who have travelled to foreign lands and created an identity for them and gained respect of the local community where their language now is respected and signboards have directions in Punjabi language, besides English, French, etc. This was a community on who was the butt of all jokes in India, now rocks the world.

Back home in India, we have a brigade of political parties in the state of Maharashtra who feel that Marathi as a language must be forced and muscled into society. So it is forced into the school curriculum, which kids learn it disgustingly as it adds to the pressure of already burgeoning amount of academics. Then traders are threatened with vandalism if their shops don’t have Marathi signboards. If a politician takes his oath for his swearing in ceremony to office in the National language in Hindi, he is beaten as he did not take his oath in Marathi.

Marathi a very beautiful and sweet language is now getting pushed to a language of being hated and repulsive. Hated and repulsive again thanks to the politicians whose speeches are just of inciting violence, dominance and hatred to other communities. In the process these parties don’t even make it to State elections. When they were in power it was ruling the state inciting fear of learning the language or you get out. So development, infrastructure and investments into the State dwindled. The State wanted to carve itself as an independent autonomous entity where outsiders were not allowed, language imposed, so now Bombay City which was the first preference as a port of landing for trade and commerce from pre colonial times, is a city which is a literal mess.

Punjabis wherever they migrated it was not easy for the first generation who labored in factories and most have great success stories of fortunes made. They never forced recognition of their language, but the sheer respect of their peaceful coexistence with the local community got the community reciprocating respect of not just recognizing their language, but also having Punjabi people who are in Canadian Parliament. Recognition of Punjabi as a language came about with local Punjabi radio stations urging Punjabis to register the mother tongue as Punjabi. In Bombay radio stations are forced to air Marathi songs, theaters vandalized if they don’t show Marathi movies. Why would Radio Stations and Theatres not run Marathi programs or movies if there was a commercial gain? Today Punjabi Radio stations are a rage across Europe and Americas. Bhangra music is a part of the International Disco circuits. Would International audience be bothered about Punjabi if there was no entertainment and commercial gain?

South Indian languages and culture which were also a butt of jokes in India, is now dominating the entertainment Industry in India. Bollywood actors cannot command anywhere near the remuneration earned by actors in the South. South Indian cuisine is fast catching up globally. At the same time Maharashtrian cuisine was doled out subsidies in real estate to serve Maharashtrian food at cheap prices. These outlets were called ‘Jhunka Bhakar’. How many Jhunka Bhakars does anyone know off in Bombay? How many would take their families there for a meal. So with the language the politicians even degraded the culture of Maharastrian cuisine. Maharashtra cuisine is not just ‘vada pav’ the politicians have made it to be.

Being a Maharashtrian by birth, I want to revel In Maharashtrian culture and music. I don’t want it pushed onto people of other cultures from India who made Maharashra their home, I want people yearning and craving for it. I wish my Bombay to be a city of dreams where people like Dhirubhai Ambani come from a foreign land like Aden and create history, where an Amitabh Bachhan comes from Allahabad and becomes a legend, where we are proud daughter of the State like Lata Mangeshkar, where a Rajniknath who is a Maharashtrian rocks in South India. If Punjabis can make it in Canada, I want Indians to make it in Bombay. If an Italian can make it in India, its time Indians make it India and not abroad. Its time Maharashtra made an identity, not by force or power and bullying of few politicians but by sheer talent of the Maharastrian people and by people across India.

When I think Punjabi it is Balhe Balhe…..so when I think Marathi I should be Dhina Dhin Da, ekdhum solid dhinchak. Jai Maharashtra.