Navi Mumbai Holi Riots - Causes

Causes

The root cause of the discontent in the area is the influx of Maharashtrians predominantly from Western Maharashtra thus challenging the demographic dominance of the native Konkanis who are predominantly of the Agri and Koli tribes (Agris claim to be Ahirs descended from Krishna) and represented by the nativist Agri Sena, a competitor for political supremacy in the Mid-North Konkan with the Maharashtrians' Shiv Sena, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) of Ganesh Naik and the former Marxist and present Maharashtrawadi (Maharashtrianist) Peasant & Workers' Party. Konkani nativist discontent has been simmering for a long time over this influx, political domination and restrictions to accesses and resources. Government policy has resulted in segregated colonies of Mathadis and Agris with more facilities for the former, ostensibly as part of the urbanization and industrialization policies, adding to Agri discontent.

Another nativist organization involved is the Kunabi Sena representing the Konkani Kunbi tribe which organization however has an alliance with the Shiv Sena and the NCP.

A similar situation exists in the Greater Noida region of U.P. in the National Capital Region bordering Delhi with a similar series of riots between natives and immigrants over construction of new settlements for immigrants and prohibition of access to natives through them....

In both areas (New Bombay & Noida), Governmental ignorance and paternalistic attitude resulted in the creation of workers' colonies for immigrants when the natives refused to surrender their longheld and comfortable rustic lifestyles to work in an industrial milieu, resulting in exclusive, gated communities for the privileged immigrants at the cost of barring natives' right to access routes and to resources, and resulting in a mutual contempt and demonization between the natives and the immigrants, the government, business investors and immigrant workers portraying the natives as lazy and thieving and demanding privileges without earning them, and the natives portraying the immigrants as hustlers being unduly favored and privileged by the government over the natives in the natives' own historic homelands, denying them their ancient rights and privileges.