What's in a name?

"'Tis but thy name that is my enemy:...
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."
Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

Rahul Gandhi and his gandhigiri, Shiv Sena and their Marathi Manus agenda, SRK and his Namegame... have generated alot of questions in my mind... “Do I think I am who they say I am?” Do I look the same up close as Ido from a distance? Who am I, really? How easy is it to tell who YOU really are? Is your Religious/Non -Religious conviction apparent in everything you do and say? Do you, does your life, reflect who you say you really are?

I would like to ask this question? What should a person staying in Mumbai call himself? A Mumbaikar, Maharashtrian or an Indian?

It is one of the toughest questions to answer. You never know, who might come and bash you up for just expressing your opinion. For the last couple of weeks, there have been innumerable cases across the country especially Mumbai and its identity.

First the RSS took a stand on the issue. The Shiv Sena responded to it, the BJP followed suit. And then out of no where Rahul Gandhi jumped into the battlefield... And then My Name is Khan a.k.a SRk took over with his global identity crisis that needed correction...

A common man staying in Mumbai is always afraid to reveal his identity. For example, I was born in Mumbai, brought up here and even completed my education in this city. I work here, pay my taxes here, but I am forced to carry three identities with me. For someone who claims that Mumbai belongs to all, "I am an Indian." For someone who thinks otherwise, "I am just a Mumbaikar" and for a third who thinks I should know Marathi to stay in this state, "I should be a Maharashtrian."

Take SRK and the Shiv Sena war for e.g.: Aren't SRK Sena and the Shiv sena portraying the 2 sides of the same coin...? For days at end i see a Mr. Rahul from the Shiv Sena bandwagon defending his party's stand across all media channels... whereas the more tech savvy SRk is tweeting his heart out... about the MNIK release... Really people... what was it all about? Did anyone really benefit? Why keep Mumbai at stake?

The Mumbai Police, for once, got a pat on its back for standing guard in front of multiplexes as people filed in and guess by doing that; some intelligent reports about the Pune blast just slipped out of their minds maybe... Mr Chavhan who came all out in support of SRK and even went and watched the movie... wasnt aware of what was going on in Pune when talking to a news channel right after the Pune blast... because he was in "far away" Mumbai... maybe trying to ensure that all the shows of My Name is Khan ran house full...

The shiv sena says that they just initiated the rebellion against SRK but the slogan shouting morons who were all over the streets on Friday were actually the aam mumbaikars... Now Mr. Shiv Senas of the world... Are you seriously out of your mind...? Do you really think the aam Mumbai has the time and the energy to do what was done... We are just trying to do some productive work and some sit twiddling our thumbs in the traffic that leads us home...

Many of the so called "Mumbaikars have decided to watch SRK's My Name is Khan, not because they are his fans, but they are proud that at least for once, Bollywood that has been a soft target always of the politicians didn't bow. Atleast there is hope when SRK did raise his voice and expressed himself in reel and real life by saying that "He is a Khan and He is not a terrorist" and I think its time the common man too takes a stand and for once breaks away from the Identity crisis and shout out loud that "We Indians sure are Mumbaikars... but we are not Maharastrains..." So What? Come Kill Us!