Stop stirring the communal pot July 16, 2021, 8:00 PM IST One of India's most popular writers, Shobhaa De has seen it all: life as a model, a copywriter, a journalist, a socialite, a scriptwriter, a bestselling novelist and a busy mother of six children. "Straight Talk", which has been appearing as a column in The Times of India, carries her sharp observations on politics, society, economy and relationships LESS... MORE This is the sad thing about our horribly polarised society: Scratch the surface, and bigots crawl out of the woodwork like slimy maggots. Mumbai fancies itself as a cosmopolitan megapolis with a ‘live and let live’ philosophy. This is our fantasy! Wishful thinking, at best. Frankly, it has always been nothing more, nothing less in this tricky area than all the other cities of India. The ones Mumbai claimed superiority to — it has always been equally riven by prejudice… as narrow-minded and as closed. Especially when it comes to interfaith marriages. For all its pretence of being open, liberal and chilled out, Mumbai remains a city that is deeply suspicious and uncomfortable dealing with the ‘other’. The ‘other’ being Muslims. Muslims in Mumbai have always been at the receiving end of blatant discrimination, often obvious, rarely subtle. This has become far more exaggerated in recent times, with building societies in certain areas refusing to sell flats to Muslims. Shocking as it is, even in so-called ‘educated’ and ‘sophisticated’ circles, this abhorrent practice is alive and well, couched in nonsensical and annoying euphemisms. I often hear nauseating comments like, “Oh, but we have a lot of Muslim friends… no problem!” which are uttered sans the slightest embarrassment. Cringe-worthy? You bet.