If you live in a vegetarian housing society in tony south Mumbai and refuse to admit non-vegetarians, chances are you will have fish or chicken stalls set up close to your building.At least that’s the threat the south Mumbai Shiv Sena held out today to covertly vegetarian housing societies mushrooming across Mumbai.The Sena latched on to the issue after two successive Mumbai Newsline stories detailed how militantly vegetarian housing societies are turning away non-vegetarians — usually native Maharashtrians — all over the city. There are over 100 such societies in South Mumbai alone.Armed with packets of strong-smelling dried bombil (Bombay Duck), a group of Sainiks led by South Mumbai vibhag pramukh Bala Kalshekar stormed into three such housing societies on Walkeshwar and Malabar Hill areas and demanded they modify their rules and allow non-vegetarians. The Sainiks took written undertakings from office-bearers of these societies that such segregation will not occur in future. ‘‘Already there is Hindu-Muslim segregation,’’ Kalshekar told he Indian Express. ‘‘Now we do not want Hindu-Jain isolation. We have identified such buildings and will open non-vegetarian stalls next to them. If they want to live in our city, these people will have to accept everyone.’’Kalshekar said a non-vegetarian ban would affect traditional Koli fishing communities that dot the city’s coast. ‘‘Mumbai is the land of Maharashtrians, and we have been large-hearted to accept everyone,’’ he declared.‘‘That does not mean they can displace us. If these vegetarian societies continue this segregation, the Shiv Sena will speak the language it is known for.’’ The Sena—whose constituency consists primarily of fish and meat-eating Maharashtrians—threatens to gherao builders who covertly construct housing societies for vegetarians and stop such projects. Sainiks are fanning out in South Mumbai to identify such societies. Many exist on super-costly Malabar Hill and new ones are springing up in depressed, defunct mill areas where towering housing complexes occupied by vegetarian Gujaratis, Jains and Rajasthanis are sprouting amidst Maharashtrian chawls.The builders of one new 32-storey tower in Parel are trying to move a half-century-old fish market out of the area, infuriating Maharashtrian folk in the area. The Sena’s latest move might cause fresh strains with alliance partner, BJP, whose vote bank is stuffed with Jains, Rajasthanis and Gujaratis.
