in 5 years … people forget about Shanghai...and talk Mumbai...

[gpit]

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In October, 2004, India PM Manmohan Singh, as a leader of a great nation, gave a grand speech that was truly heroic and was resonating around the whole world, East and West:

"When we talk of a resurgent Asia, people think of the great changes that have come about in Shanghai. I share this aspiration with the chief minister and senior Congress leaders to transform Mumbai in the next five years in such a manner that people would forget about Shanghai and Mumbai will become a talking point."

Make Mumbai No 1: PM

Five years have passed unrelentingly. The biggest democracy enters an election again.

Looking back into the history, one can’t help but ask:

Do people forget Shanghai?

Does Mumbai become a talking point in a manner that Mr. PM had perceived?

Would people in a democratic developing country, with vast un- or under-educated population constantly subject to brainwashing and low quality media, rather reject honesty and realistic leaders perhaps with a low-key attitude, than love and accept boastful and/or arrogant candidates?

Should Indians politicians be hold responsible for what they say, or they should enjoy the freedom of manipulation their constituents again and again under the name and norm of democracy?

Please kindly share your view.

Thanks.

[Hasnain2009]

Mumbai











Shanghai











I think shanghai is already 3 decades ahead of mumbai!

[jeypore]

^^^

Have you ever been to mumbai?

[Jako]

Billion dollar question,jeypore......,i come from an indian metro.....but when i visited mumbai,i was just awstruck......it was like,omg, is it india?? Truly its a great and a very modern city.......and delhi isnt far behind....,with the commonwlth games coming....delhi has unergone a seachange...

[MARCOS]

Billion dollar question,jeypore......,i come from an indian metro.....but when i visited mumbai,i was just awstruck......it was like,omg, is it india?? Truly its a great and a very modern city.......and delhi isnt far behind....,with the commonwlth games coming....delhi has unergone a seachange...

Coming from the mouth of a Man born and brought up in Mumbai....

Mumbai is a potpourri of different classes of people. More than the name the place has an essence about it which one has to feel. Yes we have the tall buildings and it is the financial capital of india. But the livelinees of the place makes it awe inspiring.

Mumbai Meri Jaan !!! Man ... There is no place like home... Amen

[Machoman]

I went to Mumbai and Shanghai both there are some good part of it and bad part like all cities. But honeslty I cannot compare Shanghai with Mumbai, I mean come on dude Shanghai is much more develop city then Mumbai and better buildings then Mumbai. It will take may be 30 years or more for Mumbai to even compare.

[MARCOS]

True I agree to that. That Shanghai would definitely be better in infrastructure than mumbai. Each place then has an essence about it. But I am not sure about the 30yrs part. Maybe in the next ten years. It's growing fast and expanding.

[ironman]

@gpit

Are you serious???? Normally we Indian people are less bothered about these election dramas..

[paritosh]

shanghai is a true world city...mumbai needs a lot of catching up.

[Energon]

In October, 2004, India PM Manmohan Singh, as a leader of a great nation, gave a grand speech that was truly heroic and was resonating around the whole world, East and West:

"When we talk of a resurgent Asia, people think of the great changes that have come about in Shanghai. I share this aspiration with the chief minister and senior Congress leaders to transform Mumbai in the next five years in such a manner that people would forget about Shanghai and Mumbai will become a talking point."

Make Mumbai No 1: PM

Five years have passed unrelentingly. The biggest democracy enters an election again.

Looking back into the history, one can’t help but ask:

Do people forget Shanghai?

Does Mumbai become a talking point in a manner that Mr. PM had perceived?

Would people in a democratic developing country, with vast un- or under-educated population constantly subject to brainwashing and low quality media, rather reject honesty and realistic leaders perhaps with a low-key attitude, than love and accept boastful and/or arrogant candidates?

Should Indians politicians be hold responsible for what they say, or they should enjoy the freedom of manipulation their constituents again and again under the name and norm of democracy?

Please kindly share your view.

Thanks.

You are aware of the difference between a binding contract and hyperbole yes? Also, you do realize that this isn't "brainwashing" which is for the most part mutually exclusive at the national level when the state does not control the media.

Also "democracy" has nothing to do with this. People can vote any party in or out of office for any reason they see fit. Recent data polling on Indian constituencies and electoral patters suggests that introspection, or lack of it hasn't really been an issue. Furthermore the results of the last election showed that cosmetic opulence didn't seem to matter either.

[wtf]

You are aware of the difference between a binding contract and hyperbole yes? Also, you do realize that this isn't "brainwashing" which is for the most part mutually exclusive at the national level when the state does not control the media.

Also "democracy" has nothing to do with this. People can vote any party in or out of office for any reason they see fit. Recent data polling on Indian constituencies and electoral patters suggests that introspection, or lack of it hasn't really been an issue. Furthermore the results of the last election showed that cosmetic opulence didn't seem to matter either.

The original quote was not even hyperbole. If he had said "in the next 5 years Mumbai will be better than Shanghai" then yes. What he said is that he is sharing his aspiration.

What else can Mumbai aim for? No other Indian city compares to it. It cannot aspire to be like Barcelona or Monaco - Mumbai is too big for that. It could try to be Rio-de-Janeiro, but that would be a step back. If it has to target a city to equal it has to be New York or Shanghai.

I think New York is the best city for Mumbai to aspire to - financial capital, mix of rich and poor, grime and grit and crowds. Both cities share these. Except Mumbai is on the average some 10 times poorer. But then, why aim low ?

Shanghai is the industrial capital - maybe something Noida or Baroda can aim for.

[jeypore]

The original quote was not even hyperbole. If he had said "in the next 5 years Mumbai will be better than Shanghai" then yes. What he said is that he is sharing his aspiration.

What else can Mumbai aim for? No other Indian city compares to it. It cannot aspire to be like Barcelona or Monaco - Mumbai is too big for that. It could try to be Rio-de-Janeiro, but that would be a step back. If it has to target a city to equal it has to be New York or Shanghai.

I think New York is the best city for Mumbai to aspire to - financial capital, mix of rich and poor, grime and grit and crowds. Both cities share these. Except Mumbai is on the average some 10 times poorer. But then, why aim low ?

Shanghai is the industrial capital - maybe something Noida or Baroda can aim for.

I am intrigued, why Baroda, why not ahemdabad!!!

[wtf]

shanghai is a true world city...mumbai needs a lot of catching up.

Shanghai is a world class city. I would not call it a world city the way New York, Singapore, Hong Kong or Dubai is. Unless the signs and billboards are in 3 languages, I don't consider them "world cities" :-)

(London, Paris and Amsterdam are in my opinion other world cities).

Mumbai gets the 3 languages part OK, since there are signs in Marathi, Hindi and English but there are too few foreigners there. Goa is already the playground of the (poor mans) world - I've seen signs in Hebrew, French, English, Portuguese, Konkani, Marathi, Hindi and Spanish there. Hebrew billboards confused the heck out of me.

[wtf]

I am intrigued, why Baroda, why not ahemdabad!!!

Subliminal bias -- I hate commercial cities that are also national capitals :-) . I lived in Mumbai/Bangalore and dislike how a (legitimate) political strike shuts down commercial activities. And similarly I dislike the "my dad is an MP" culture that goes on in Delhi. You can have Ahmedabad if you like it though.

Mumbai gets an exception, but I would move the Capital of Maharashtra to Pune if it were up to me.

[asq]

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Shanghai is a world class city. I would not call it a world city the way New York, Singapore, Hong Kong or Dubai is. Unless the signs and billboards are in 3 languages, I don't consider them "world cities" :-)

(London, Paris and Amsterdam are in my opinion other world cities).

Mumbai gets the 3 languages part OK, since there are signs in Marathi, Hindi and English but there are too few foreigners there. Goa is already the playground of the (poor mans) world - I've seen signs in Hebrew, French, English, Portuguese, Konkani, Marathi, Hindi and Spanish there. Hebrew billboards confused the heck out of me.

And no Urdu. what is this, discrimination against Urdu, the language most used by Bollywood.