Shameful its create rift between Gujarat and Maharashtra
RK Sinha
Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal has a lot to learn about Maharashtra- Gujarat close relationship. IIT doesn’t teach these issues, then how could he know such common things of political history, during his recent Gujarat tour, taunting the Bharatiya Janta Party, said that “Gujarat BJP President is a Marathi. Doesn’t BJP get a suitable Gujarati for its state President seat? People say that he is not just the President, instead he runs the Gujarat government from the backdoor. He is indeed the real CM. It is a humiliation of the people of Gujarat”. He was pointing to the head of Gujarat unit of BJP Mr. C.R. Patil. Kejriwal could have even a little knowledge of the collective history of Maharashtra and Gujarat, he would have abstained himself from such comments.
He himself being a Haryanvi, shamelessly commented on such words even after he held the office of CM of Delhi . Isn’t it also an insult to the Pandits, Thakurs, Jaats, Gujjars, Mathurs and Shrivastavas of ancient Delhi?
Kejriwal ji, understands the fact that Maharashtra and Gujarat came on Indian map on 1st May 1960 on language basis. Formerly both were part of Bombay province. Both these states set an example for other states who continue to have disputes. Gujarati and Marathi from beginning, lived with mutual harmony and brotherhood. Both in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Both these state are supplementary to each other. Gujarati desperately aspired to become businessmen, Marathi more or less confined themselves to the service sector. Both respected spaces of each other and forbid themselves from encroaching others territory. Marathi people are greatly interested in arts, culture and music etc. whereas Gujarati society showed true and good business qualities. Both has mutual understanding for each other. This way both collectively continued to prosper.
When you walk on Ghatkopar, Andheri and Mulund as in Mumbai, you will get the vibes of Surat, Bhavnagar and Ahmedabad of Gujarat. Here most of the dwellers are Gujarati. Mumbai based Gujarati, with their proficient entrepreneurship capabilities prospered in this metropolis. They continued to flourish their business after 1960 also like before. Gujarati have a major stake in the grains, clothes, paper and metal market of Mumbai. 90 percent of Diamond merchants are Gujarati. Mumbai stock exchange can not be even imagined without Gujarati brokers. In Mumbai, we cannot differentiate Marathi and Gujarati people. Both are souls of Mumbai. Mumbai, the money capital of India. Mumbai has dozens of colleges, schools, Dharmshalas, Gaushalas, cultural institutions etc. of native Gujaratis. Gujarati of Mumbai are Gujarati by emotions only. They have diffused in the atmosphere of Mumbai similarly as sugar dissolves in milk. Almost 35 lakhs Gujarati live in Mumbai. Dhirubhai Ambani, Gautam Adani, Ajim Premji, Ratan Tata, Aadi Godrej, Sameer Somaya like people who secured places on international level also came to Mumbai from Gujarat and thrived. Almost all the Gujarati living in Maharashtra speak at least three languages Gujarati, Marathi and Hindi.
If we talk about the Marathi society in Gujarat, they have also secured a different place for themselves. Marathi tongued people are considerate in numbers in Gujarat’s Surat, Badodra, Ahmedabad, Nawsari and others. C. R. Patil, the leader on whom Arvind Kejriwal has attacked is the Member of Lok Sabha from Navsari constituency. He is a widely accepted leader of Gujarat. Once he said” the big hearted Gujaratis are a major factor behind the close relationship of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Gujarati have never discriminated against Marathi people as outsiders. Welcome everyone. Similarly they didn’t treat me as an outsider. Now I have also become Gujarati, and speaks Gujarati”, said CR Patil Proudly.
Even Parsis landed first in Navsari in India, which means they are also Gujarati. It is also true that rich Parsis like Wadia, Tata, Godrej are natively Gujaratis. They speak Gujararati in their homes. In Gujarat, Surat has the maximum number of Marathis . They have completely become Gujarati in all respects. But, they still converse in Marathi in their homes.
Countering the comments of Arvind Kejriwal, C. R. Patil stated that” Kejriwal is a threat to national security. He has active connections with Khalistanis and Naxals. He is a scholar of lies. “
Who will tell Kejriwal that Maharashtra and Gujarat will continue to have mutual friendship and cooperation. Both these societies enjoy mutual respect because none of them have haughtiness Or ego. Both have assimilated the festivals of one another. Gujaratis celebrate Ganeshotsav with the same joy and enthusiasm as the Marathi celebrate Navratri. That’s why despite two states’ separation, both the states and societies haven’t seen distances. It is highly unfortunate that the CM of a state is trying to create rift between two old and prosperous states. He must keep in mind that Gujarat and Maharashtra are major industrial hubs. Their economic progress has boosted and provided strength to the economy of India.
Grabbing the opportunity of economic liberalization of the 90s both these states strengthened their GDP and at present Maharashtra is the leading state of the country in terms of GDP. Even if the GDP of Gujarat is slightly less than Maharashtra, it is overpowering Maharashtra in terms of growth rate.
Everyone knows that Maharashtra and Gujarat were part of the same Bombay province. But even after separation both these states haven’t faced any dispute on any issue. The Chinese saying that “neighbors cannot coexist in an atmosphere of peace and harmony” is proved wrong by these two Indian states. But this is never the case in Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Arvind Kejriwal is a political person and he should do politics in a manner. Nation also wants this. Instead he for his political gains, trying to create a rift between two states. He must abstain himself from these cheap ideas, else mandate will teach him the lesson.
(Writer is editor, columnist and former MP)