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Mumbai: As the nation commemorates the 82nd anniversary of Quit India Movement that started from Mumbai’s August Kranti Maidan, a new revolution took birth in the city’s eastern part in the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar constituency where the residents have launched ‘Quit Govandi’ movement against the sitting member of legislative assembly Abu Asim Azmi. As the state assembly elections come closer, the residents aim at ousting the current legislator and free the constituency from “25 years of outsiders’ rule”.
Known for India’s oldest and largest Deonar dumping ground, the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar constituency consists of lower middle class population and falls back in factors like education, cleanliness, health and well-being. While the vigilant residents have long been opposing the elected representatives who reside outside the constituency and have failed to provide better government services in the locality, residents have now came bold with their demands, just like Mahatma Gandhi’s slogan of ‘Karo Ya Maro’ while announcing the Quit India Movement.
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In June, the residents of Govandi launched ‘Govandi Democratic Front’, a political movement inspiring locals to join politics and run for the state assembly elections. Along with promoting local leadership in governance, the political movement also aims at educating the citizens about their democratic rights and responsibilities. The movement is a clear opposition of the sitting MLA Azmi, who is being alleged of being inefficient to address the woes of the locals.
Shaikh Faiyaz Alam, convenor of Govandi Citizens Forum and a member of Govandi Democratic Front, said, “It has been a tradition for 25 years that people who do not reside within the constituency elect from here and during their rule, there is no communication with the people to hear their grievances. People have lost the potential to contest an election as they believe that a lot of money and manforce is required for it. We are trying to kill the narrative and bring political empowerment among the residents.”
With slogans like ‘Non Govandikars Go Back’, ‘Ab Ki Baar No Baaheri Aamdar’ and ‘Free Govandi’, the political front has launched the ‘Quit Govandi’ movement replicating the movement of 1942 which was the final blow to end the British rule. While the Vidhan Sabha elections are yet to be announced, the Govandi Democratic Front has already turned on the heat against Azmi by making a clear call of ousting him and calling for a local leadership.
The Govandi Democratic Front has simultaneously launched a door-to-door awareness campaign asking people to question the candidates in the coming time about the work they have done earlier and their future plans for the locality. As a part of the campaign, the members of the political movement also distributed pens among children and youth as a symbolic hope of increasing the education level in the constituency.
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“Even today, the constituency lacks a degree college and a secondary or tertiary healthcare centre. These are the most basic things our MLAs could have done for us in the last 25 years. But now we have decided that we want to bring an end to the rule of outsiders by taking inspiration from the Quit India Movement which freed the country from British rule,” added Shaikh.
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