Maharashtrian Taxi Drivers - an endangered species
Rarer than the tigers at Indian tiger reserves, is another endangered species… right here in Mumbai!
Maharashtrian taxi drivers.
It has been a long time since one was sighted in the wild (for the streets of Mumbai are a jungle!). You will find the ubiquitous ‘North Indians’ - a term exclusively reserved (in Mumbai) for biharis and bhaiyyas, in plenty. You will also come across numerous muslims driving taxis. And nowadays you may occasionally find a burly Sardar (a huge climbdown from the old days when a Sardar driving a taxi was a common sight on Mumbai streets). But a Maharashtrian taxi driver… umm, well… forget it!
So, if you come across one, make sure you treat him with the same sense of wonder as you would a tiger in Sariska.
11 comments
now thats a keen observation. thumbs up for ya
so muslims dont include marathis! that sure is keen!
shodZ >> cheers! :)
anil >> care to elaborate?
yes, I remember calling a cabbie bhaiyya and he almost bit my head off growling (in true sariska tiger ishtyle) mein aapko bhaiyya lagta hoon? - and more on how the bhaiiya cabbies have ruined the city
Charu >> Haha. In any case, I’m not trying to belittle bhaiyyas or for that matter anyone. Just stating what I’ve been observing.
I’m a maharashtrian myself, but more accurately a cross between a Maharashtrian Bramhin Father and ‘Bhaiyya’ Mother.
I can’t help remarking that your post reminds me of Shiv Sena’s “Marathi Manus” speeches aimed at lower-middle class ‘ghati’ Maharashtrians - trying to create Xenophobia (with respect to North Indian ‘bhaiyyas’ and South Indian ‘annas’)
Saket >> Show me one sentence which displays my xenophobia.
And with due respect, your comment reminds me of the pseudo-secularist/pluralist drivel dished out by the “intelligentsia”.
it mirrors a conversation that i was having with a Puneikar friend of mine. He was saying that almost all the Maharashtrian vada pav guys in Pune have disappeared. And they have now been replaced by upitesand biharis.
Your post has been featured in The Acorn — April 3, 2005 @ 7:17 pm
The weekly blogside review of the Indian economy (10)
The weekly attempt to size up the Elephant as perceived by bloggers — this edition features all new bloggers appearing for the first time in this series…
Link: http://opinion.paifamily.com/?p=1354“>The Acorn — April 3, 2005 @ 7:17 pm
The weekly blogside review of the Indian economy (10)
The weekly attempt to size up the Elephant as perceived by bloggers — this edition features all new bloggers appearing for the first time in this series…
i had never noticed this … but now that you do mention it, i do realize that on an india trip a couple of months ago, i didnt hail a single maharashtrian cabbie out of several instances of traveling by taxi.
on the other hand, rickshaw drivers in pune are almost all maharashtrian (no surprises there!), and i must say i do find the statement about marathi vada pav wallas extremely hard to fathom!
my first visit to this blog … enjoyed it! will visit more often now …
hi
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