Bombay after Ayodhya : A City in Flux

by Jitendra Dixit

The demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on 6 December 1992 was followed by riots across India. Mumbai had always been susceptible to communal violence, but the violence in December 1992 and then again in January 1993 was unprecedented. Two months later, in March, serial blasts rocked the city, killing over 250 and injuring 700. Communal strife was followed by gang wars and natural calamities, all of which changed the city forever. Bombay after Ayodhya chronicles how the past three decades have been a period of unprecedented flux in Mumbai. In the aftermath of the riots, a split in the Mumbai underworld led to new equations in politics, which changed the demography of the city and led to the rise of new townships. After a brief lull, blasts and terrorist attacks rocked it once more in 2002, a cycle of violence that culminated in the horrific 26/11 attacks in 2008. Jitendra Dixit grew up in Mumbai and has reported from the city for much of the three decades he writes about in this book. This is a deeply felt biography of a city, which has transformed from a city of mills to one of malls, where the number of skyscrapers has multiplied along with their height, where local trains have become longer and yet remained overcrowded. It is the city of Bollywood, yet constraints of producing films in the city have led filmmakers to move out. Its iconic festivals, such as Ganesh Utsav and Govinda, once primarily celebrated by the poor and the middle class, have become commercialized. Along with key events and people that have shaped the evolution of present-day Mumbai, Bombay after Ayodhya also documents the change in the city's character, from its physical appearance and civic issues, to real estate and politics.

Genres: India, Nonfiction, History

356 pages, Paperback

Published December 25, 2022

Reviews

[Swapna Peri ( Book Reviews Cafe ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mumbai resonates with India's financial capital, bling, glamour, underworld, Bollywood, Dharavi, floods, Vada Pav, cutting chai, Marine Drive, Ambani empire and life! The years 1992-1995 are significant in understanding the city's metamorphosis.

In 1992, the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was demolished, leading to the ongoing construction of the Ram Mandir at the site. These events sparked significant political and social upheaval in India over the following three decades, with Mumbai, often seen as a microcosm of the country, experiencing its transformations. Journalist Jitendra Dixit's book, "Bombay After Ayodhya," meticulously documents these changes within the city. The fall of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992, in Ayodhya—a city approximately 1,500 kilometres away from Mumbai—brought about profound alterations within India. As a journalist, Dixit witnessed and comprehended this change's significance. He observed the rise of the Shiv Sena party in Mumbai during the 1970s and shared a personal anecdote about his grandfather's encounter with a local Shiv Sena leader. Through this story, Dixit highlights the foundation of the Shiv Sena, which played a significant role in the post-Ayodhya events.

This book by Editor Jitendra Dixit explains in detail the genesis of Shiv Sena, communal riots before and after the Babri Masjid issue, what this led to, and its butterfly effect encountered during the serial blasts and till the 26/11 attack. One notable aspect of "Bombay After Ayodhya" is its non-linear approach. Instead of strictly adhering to chronological order, Dixit arranges events thematically. This is a recommended book.

[Sanjay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting chronicle.

Well written. Touches on various aspects of Bombay's transition to Mumbai.
Surprisingly there is no mention of the most amazing workforce of Mumbai "dabbawallas".

[Divyansh Tripathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is less about Changes in Mumbai after Ayodhya and more about Mumbai itself.
Good to read, if you are living here and wanted to get accustomed with the Mumbai , it's history and present changes

[Feroz Mulla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A matter-of-fact account of Mumbai's most volatile decades while still managing to weave in the sentimental and emotional impact

[Shri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!!!