Nah…how can this happen in Mumbai, that too with a Bollywood star?” I heard many people say when Emraan Hashmi reported that he was having difficulty in finding an apartment due to his faith. Then it was Shabana Azmi. “I wanted to buy a flat in Bombay and it wasn’t given to me because I was a Muslim and I read the same about Saif (Ali Khan). Now, I mean, if Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi cannot get a flat in Bombay because they are Muslims, then what are we talking about?”
Many societies in Mumbai, of which the majority flats are owned by business classes, have the unwritten rule of not allowing Muslims in. In the apartment complex where my in-laws live, one of the best in the Western Suburbs of Mumbai, there is not a single Muslim family. Even though initially the builders may sell flats to Muslims, once the society is formed, no more are allowed. This is not a general rule in all societies, of course, but a prevalent one. Yes, there are Muslims, as well as other minority communities, who prefer to stay in ghettos. But I realise, with a heavy heart, that there are not many places for a liberal Muslim to go to. And aren’t the majority communities making ghettoes for themselves by not letting the others in?
constitution doesn't say anything about who can be sold property to. a lot of official government forms still have a "religion" column.
this sort of discrimination has been most prevalent in mumbai. or maybe because apartments are the most scarce there, this is where it always comes to light. earlier, the parsees used to have their own enclaves, but at least they built schools and public institutions which were later opened up to all. hindus and muslims are pretty petty people in comparison.
I think this phenomenon is also prevalent in one or other form in Pakistan. I can tell many vicinities in Karachi, where there are apartments which are sold/ rented to Agha Khanis only… There is a Parsi colony in Mehmood-abad area, where non-Parsee can’t get accommodation.
Yesterday, one of my colleague (who is a leftist and is a fan of NFP) told me that on this Eid, when he saw blood all around his house (due to qurbani of animals), he asked his brother that this is the reason why Hindus in India avoid living near Muslims
how about Muslim areas in Indian Cities?...they do the same thing. they don't sell/rent the properties to Hindus or Sikhs or Christians. i've seen that first hand in my own cities...Lucknow and Allahabad and AligaRh.
as Muqwee said, it's a matter of preference. it happens everywhere and all the times in subcontinent.
Till very recently, many suburbs of Detroit would jump through hoops to avoid selling or renting their houses to a black family. The reason was not racism (at least not directly) but pure economics, as the price of neighborhood houses used to go down if a black family is living in the neighborhood.
i;ve heard stories of desis, even muslim ones, being unable to purchase or even enter certain exclusive areas on middle-eastern cities. how true is that?
excuse? i've written about this topic in the past too, this kind of discrimination is pathetic and leads to a fragmented and riot-prone society as most of the cow-belt and what is now pakistan is.
luckily i am from kerala, we don't have such issues - we drink the same water, eat the same food, live in economic ghettos rather than religious ones.
however, half my village works in the middle-east. and have to put up with ghettoization there. now, care to answer my question? don't you live somewhere there too?
This phenomena is very common on Mumbai and a few other Indian cities, I don't think any of our city comes close to this. In areas of Gujarat every one had their own areas, where no one else can live.
My indian friend that discrimination is not just to Muslims, but building societies are divided by caste, regional origin and even vegetarians vs. meat eaters.
^ I know this is exactly what an Indian Gujarati Muslim told me, that Muslims and lower castes cannot even think of buying/renting a home in brahman's areas. We would have many other issues in Pakistan, but thankfully nothing like this.
You could say that because your country is not Pakistan and you are not a non resident Pakistani. Because if your were, and bad mouthing Pakistanis living in Pakistan, to aap ka qeema bun chuka hotaa GS pe ab tuk
My indian friend that discrimination is not just to Muslims, but building societies are divided by caste, regional origin and even vegetarians vs. meat eaters.
this is exactly right. it's very misleading to characterize this as a communal issue. building societies wanting to rent only to "people like us" is the real issue - it's just more provocative to pretend this is a hindu-muslim thing. you are just as likely to be rejected for not being a marwadi or a vegetarian. for one reason or another, someone like me would be rejected from most buildings that a muslim would be rejected from. btw, this problem is applicable only to older buildings with housing societies. the real estate market is now dominated by modern high rises that are open to anyone.
either way, it is absolutely insane to think emraan hashmi or shabana azmi are unable to get flats in mumbai because they are muslims. do people think wealthy muslims are forced to live in some second-rate muslims-only areas of the city? no, they live in the most exclusive neighborhoods in the most exclusive buildings in mumbai. and you can be sure they chose from dozens of options.
