MU to have book on mapping Mumbai’s culture and diversity

Mumbai: So far, many books have been published about Mumbai. However, is there one book that catches the spirit of the city in its entirety? Enthusiasts can now enjoy reading about the fishermen’s old Mumbai as well as the modern version of the city with skyscrapers, all in one book.

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Research Center for Social Justice of University of Mumbai has said it will come up with a book named ‘Mapping of Mumbai-Re-Visiting the City’ — which will cover the diverse factors that go into making this metropolis, a Maximum City.

Professor Manisha Karne, the centre’s director, said, “Mumbai is the hub of opportunities and the quintessential city of dreams, where dreams breathe from the corporate sector to the glamour of Bollywood. When young talent arrives, it can be cruel to stifle their independent life. Mumbai means ‘home’ to all those who decide to call it one.

“So, we decided to capture and explore various narratives by mapping our aspirations, beliefs, conflicts, happiness, sadness, failures, and successes. The centre has begun to publish research-based books in the last three years. Many books were published by the centre, including ‘Women Empowerment Through Poetry’, ‘Peace Through Poetry’, and others,” said Karne.

“The people residing in it manage to blur the margins of imparity, subjection, and power to continue the journey while exploring humanities, architecture, art, and culture in the city. This book will be documentation of Mumbai in various forms of literature, like short stories, articles, poems, etc.,” she said.

Satishchandra Kumar, professor and head, department of applied psychology and counselling center, said, “Mumbai accommodates diverse cultures and their influx of ideas every minute. Here, everyone has a story to tell, which is not their story alone and speaks volumes about others in the city. These stories belong to collective narratives, which define diverse experiences and history through different lenses.

“The colourful communities teach you how to appreciate and welcome art and culture. Mumbai is a migrant city where everyone has woven their beautiful accounts of life with the question — How I reached Mumbai?”

Professor Rajesh Kharat, former dean of the humanities, MU, said, “In this book, we will get to read the story from the labour movement in Mumbai to the development of Mumbai in different forms, so this book will be very unique. Many eminent writers from Mumbai as well as alumni of MU are ready to contribute. Also, many authors are approaching us to contribute in this book. Our effort is to make this book a guide for those who want to study Mumbai as a whole city.”