The chalta hai attitude puts me off

Neera Punj
Convenor, CitiSpace

As we decided to shift to India in 1993, my husband asked me where I wished to live. He presumed I would say Delhi and when I chose Mumbai, he was rather taken aback. There was something about this hardworking city that caught my fancy.

As a tourist, I had only noticed the city’s dynamism and its pace. But when I stepped in a citizen’s shoes, the quality of life — or the lack of it — struck me. Back in places like the Middle East and Singapore, I had grown up seeing political will shape the city. People were provided with low income houses and holistic townships. Mumbai is apathetic.

I first raised my voice in 1995, against a demonstration outside my home, at J Tata Road. I moved court and henceforth, all demonstrations are held in Azad Maidan. I realised that citizen activism can take us places and spread the thought amongst friends and in my locality. I then turned my attention to the filth in the city. However, there was no point cleaning up an area when every street was encroached upon. Solving a problem in Mumbai was like opening a Pandora’s box — I just didn’t know where to start. CitiSpace was born in 1997 and 28 associations were a part of it.

I notice a sea change in the attitude towards civic matters today. People are coming forward to take care of their own areas. The changes one sees in the city are only due to its citizens. As an activist, I am proud to say that we are now exploiting all options to make Mumbai a better place. People are asking questions and do not allow authorities to get away with anything. The media has turned its attention to civic issues, strengthening the causes.

One thing Mumbaikars should understand is that simply cursing the authorities will not help us. Instead, one must network with them and work in tandem.

Every BMC plan seems perfect on paper but I cannot say the same when I look around me. There are 16 executing agencies at loggerheads with each other and all they do is pass the buck. We need a person who is familiar with the goals of the city, can take charge and turn the city around.

The ‘chalta hai’ attitude of people here puts me off. So does the inane comparison of Mumbai with Shanghai. We must enhance the city within its capacity and make Mumbai a better place. There may be days when one feels it’s never going to happen but persistence will get us through.

As told to Kareena Gianani