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Of Mills........and Boons!

In the mid-90s the Maharashtra government  gave the green signal to several textile mills to sell of their surplus land.1854 - Mumbai got its first mill called ‘Bombay Spinning Mill’ famous for producing Cotton textiles to be exported to Britain.By 1870 there were about 13 mills and by 1875 total count of mills in Mumbai was about 70 which still went up to 83 by 1915. Famous mill locations were Lower Parel, Parel, Lalbaug, Byculla.

It's a whole new experience now...just walking around Parel.Earlier the narrow lanes filled with children playing gilli-danda or flying kites, voluptuous women draped in 9-yard saris, their foreheads smeared with vermillon sold vegetables and the strong  pungent aroma of spices, masalas and pickles tickled the nostrils..The millworkers lived in chawls with hardly any amenities, but the area was centrally located and connected by road and railways with other parts,schools and markets were near by and above all it was safe!

In 1982 Mumbai's Textiles Mill workers waged a historic and long battle under the leadership of militant leader Dr. Datta Samant. 28 years later, the mill workers are back on the path of struggle on the demand of rehabilitation. The struggle was brutally crushed by the ruling  party in collaboration with mill owners which resulted into forced unemployment- 80 thousand to 1 lakh workers were sacked ruthlessly,those mill workers who re-joined mill after the strike were humiliated, forced to work in inhuman conditions .                

In 1991 Sharad Pawar declared that Mumbai would be built on the lines of Hong Kong and Singapore: accordingly mill owners adopted a new strategy. They closed the mills and started redeveloping the mill-land for huge profits. Even profit-making mills like Bombay Dyeing, Mafatlal, Morarjee, Birla's Century, Thakarsey group and Piramal group mills were all closed down. The mill owners started re-development on their mills land for constructing residential complexes, hotels, malls and commercial complexes. The gigantic looms which had clanked tirelessly for over a century ground to a halt!

Construction actvity was booming with over 2 crore square feet of land up for sale! Luxurious residential complexes,  gleaming  glass-faceted commercial areas and malls now dot Lower Parel.Smartly dressed executives zoom in and out of the bylanes in their Zens and Benzes and the smoke and dust have long been replaced by exotic fragrances of  Ralph Lauren's Notorious and 24 Faubourg!

  

  

Unique Angadias

While thieves were busy looting diamonds worth Rs 250 crore from inside the high security zone of theBrussels airport on February 19, it was business as usual in the world's biggest diamond cutting centre - Surat. 

It is believed that at least 90 per cent of the stolen sparklers were meant for polishing units in Surat. These units, known for putting the shine on nine out of 10 diamonds in the world, enjoy an annual turnover pegged at Rs 80,000 crore. Yet, Surat has never seen a Brussels-type heist. The secret perhaps lies in its unbelievably simple trade system founded entirely on trust. It is a system that could give corporate lawyers and executives a nightmare because of its informal nature, but it works perfectly well for Surat's businessmen. The Brussels incident has rattled some of Surat's top diamond merchants into rethinking its loose security system . But it is unlikely that this will lead to any alterations in how crores change hands in this city. Here is why. Surat has more than 3,500 large and small diamond manufacturing units employing around 4.5 lakh workers. If this sees like a story from the Panchatantra don't be fazed....more than 150 years ago,2 brothers-Jairam and Ambalal Patel came to Bombay from Gujarat to earn a livelihood.The Patels consider themselves superior to the Vaniyas ( traders from Gujarat).
Struggling to make a livin the brothers  began running errands---delivering parcels  to Gujarat--- for a modest fee.The oldest industrial belt ---- the textile belt-----at the time extended from Bombay to Gujarat.This set the brothers thinking--they realised speed, regularilty and reliability were  of utmost importance. Railways were in their embryonic stage and postal services not as speedy, so they hired couriers from among the commuinity.

The first service was between Bombay and Surat ( where the East India company was located).Today, a vast network of angadias deliver anything from small parcels, cash to valuables and precious diamonds!

Historic VT

Historic Heritage

For a newcomer arriving in Mumbai or a young student landing in the city to pursue his dreams,alighting for the first time at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus-CST ( erstwhile Victoria Terminus) can be an interesting and confusing experience..getting familiar with the signs on indicators,maze of platforms and jostling crowds.As a sea of people disgorge themselves and scamper hurriedly,you may feel you are in a cold,unfriendly place.Far from true! 

CST retains the charm of the British Raj--viewed from the outside it appears like a grand museum.An architectural landmark it is one of the busiest and most crowded terminals in the country. The country's first ever train was flagged off from here in 1853,the modern building took 10 years to build (1878-1888).

The dome is reported to be the first octagonal ribbed masonry adapted from the Italian Gothic style.A torch-bearing  lady's statue dominates the western facade along with gargoyles, grotesques and figures  positioned strategically.