I read the following article in Mint yesterday.
http://www.livemint.com/Articles/2010/02/19213129/The-Thackerays8217-primitiv.html
I was shocked by the bias shown by the author against the Marathis. I completely agreed with him when he talks about Sena. Both Shivsena and MNS have done more damage to Marathis than they have helped. Their methods have been of violence and oppression. May it be Shiv Sena’s reaction to racists attacks in Australia or the MNIK controversy, common man is the one who usually suffers.
But the author then checks the list of 30 companies in BSE and 50 in NSE, to prove that there are no Marathi person “owning” a company and goes on to say - “The Mumbai Marathi, better at renaming things than building something himself”. Then he says -
If we observe Marathi society we notice the total absence of mercantile castes. Into this space the British imported the multi-religious trading community of Surat—Vohra, Khoja, Luhana, Memon, Jain, Parsi and Vaniya. They control the economy of Mumbai and its capital markets, and occupy the city’s best real estate.
Well, we might not be good at starting businesses, but we are good at managing it. I guess he should go through this list. Then he talks about Bollywood. Now this one was funniest.
The participation of Marathis is not of consequence.
In some ways it is negative.
Who the hell Ashutosh Gowarikar, Madhur Bhadarkar are? Madhuri Dixit was Punjabi? I guess he even doesn’t know that Marathi film Harishchandrachi Factory was sent to Oscars beating the Bollywood flicks. He even mocks the ban on Dance Bars saying they are “unique dance bars where young women entertained men”.
The worst part in the article was discussing problems between Tilak and Gokhale. Can’t two leaders have difference of opinion? Did Gandhiji approved Netaji Subhashchandra Boss’ policies? All leaders have their own way of working and they think that it is the right way which might result in conflict.
A genuine request to author is to get his facts correct and then make acquisitions against Marathi People.
Comments
Also, the author never made a statement saying Marathi people are not good at managing. You *concluded* it.
This article can be kinda taken in a very negative way. But if you read it as a third person, I guess u will get a better view
Also, abt owning/managing the company, i am trying to make the point that there is a presence of Marathi people at all levels whether the lower/middle/higher level of business hierarchy.
May be I am a little biased considering that I myself am Marathi, but I really felt the media is going over the board the Marathi Manoos issue.
on some of the points u can just laugh (e.g Bollywood, i m not sure if the author knows who is the father of indian film industry so called bollywood).
And just as he has the right to criticize Sena and Marathi people, I have the right to criticize him for flaws in his arguments.
I hvnt refuted all his claims either. I agreed on his arguments regarding Shiv Sena and MNS.
@NKHL: Getting a better view on the article means understanding it in the context which the author wrote the article. That does not translate to the article being correct or incorrect. Stereotyping, whether done in an article or a comment is unhealthy.
Context is (might be) right, but the way things have been put up is absolutely wrong. The facts(?) put up in the article are actually made up in his mind, than proven.
@sid Sorry for using ur space for discussion.
@shenoysneha i respect your views and i suggest u to read this article as "neutral marathi" (non supporting SS or MNS fellow), just like ur other marathi friends to get a little better view (Not trying to fight, just trying to convey emotions).
Cheers (over n out) Finally :)