I am appalled by the news of north Indians leaving Mumbai and going back to their villages as they feel that their lives and livelihoods are not safe in Mumbai anymore. If people continue to leave Mumbai like this, will those who indulge in hate politics, like Raj Thackeray, not get emboldened? The Indian Constitution allows all citizens to earn their livelihoods anywhere in the country. This act of forcing people to leave Mumbai challenges the tenets of the Constitution.

In the last few days the nation has been witness to the drama in Maharashtra. Those who were running this campaign came out with various statements that can only be termed outrageous. They know that wide media coverage will flash their statements everywhere and in the process they will become relevant for a few days. For the time being they have succeeded in their nefarious design.

In Mumbai, Raj Thackeray’s supporters beat up workers and small enterprises of self-employed migrants were destroyed. In Nasik, Pune and Aurangabad there was violence against north Indians. Even Amitabh Bachchan’s house was stoned. Raj Thackeray mocked north Indians referring to Chhat Puja, perhaps the most revered event in Bihar and eastern UP.

A stunned nation is wondering whether there is any rule of law in this country and whether any government can take action against the hate campaigners. I totally disagree with the notion that Raj Thackeray is too minor a player to be taken seriously. The magnitude of damage caused by his campaign is a big issue. But the more dangerous thing is that by not acting promptly, the state is legitimising a particular ideology that breeds hatred of one community for another.

... contd.