Who are the Bhandaris of Mumbai?

The Mumbai Magic Chor Bazaar Walk ends at the Gol Deoul temple. I was hanging around, saying goodbye to my guest, when I spotted this road sign - Bhandari Street.

I knew that the Bhandaris were among the earliest settlers in Mumbai. Raja Bhimdev, who ruled this area in the 13th century, created a capital city at Mahim (Mahikawati). With him came the Bhandaris. The Bhandaris in Raja Bhimdev's employ were originally toddy tappers.

Have you seen them? The guys that shimmy up tall trees and collect palm wine? It's an interesting sight. I thought I'd read up a bit more about them - so I hunted around, and found out the community has a little legend about why they shimmy up trees!

The story goes thus - Once, Lord Shiva mounted an army and went to war against the demon called Tilakasur. He stopped on the way, it was a hot day, and he was thirsty. A drop of sweat fell from his brow, and from that drop, the first Bhandari man emerged. Shiva asked him to find some water for him to drink. The man roamed the forest, but couldn't find anything. Then Shiva created a palm tree. In a trice, the man went up the tree and fetched the Lord a refreshing drink. And since then, this community has been climbing palm trees. Neat story, huh?

The story doesn't end there. Pleased with the man's service, Shiva appointed him Treasurer of Alkavati - and so they became known as Bhandaris (Bhandar is the local word for treasury).

The Bhandaris have martial traditions, and include themselves among the Kshatriya caste. The Bhandaris formed a part of the armies of many kings (Shivaji's trusted naval general was a Bhandari). They have a reputation for bravery, hardiness and loyalty.

There are Bhandaris all over Western and South India - the Ezhavas of Kerala (who practice the famous martial art of Kalaripayattu, from which Kung Fu originated), the Billavas of Karnataka, the Nadars of Tamil Nadu (also Kalari fighters), the Gaud Bhandaris from Andhra, and the Gomantak Bhandaris from Goa.

They are united by the religious leader they follow - Shree Narayana Guru, a nineteenth century Ezava saint and social reformer, who preached that all men were equal, and that caste was a whole load of bunkum. In 1888, Narayana Guru built a temple in Kerala, where he inscribed these simple lines:

Devoid of dividing walls of Caste
Or hatred of rival faith,
We all live here
In Brotherhood.

Like many other 'lower' castes, the Bhandaris are jostling for more purchase in India's political landscape. The Bhandari Mahasangh, a community association, has this interesting piece of rhetoric on its website:

Dear Bhandari Brothers and Sisters,

From bottom of Kanyakumari to tip of Himalaya, in many province of India, we had rulers of Bhandari Community. Even the Maratha Samrat King, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had entrusted "Mynak Bhandari" as the admiral General of his Navy Fleet. Inspite of there noble braveries in the history of India for last hundreds of years ! Where are those Bhandaries now? For last hundreds of years trade of Tadi-Madi is the common identity, which makes us the United Bhandaries of India.

Where are those Bhandaries? The original settlers of Ancient Mumbai which consisted of seven islands, also to be known as Bhandari Milishia, the first Police Regiment in the period of British rules, who protected the Mumbai.

The pattern is familiar to most Indians. First, you harp on past glories. Next, you talk about the injustices of the modern day. Fire the audience's blood. And then - deliver the whammy!

The prime demand of our Mahasangh from this conventions is to fight for our legal rights of OBC facilities, which are insufficient for which our community has suffered in getting proper education and jobs opportunities.

Aha. So that's what this rhetoric was aimed at. Getting listed on the famous 'Other Backward Classes' list. There's more: a demand for a separate Chamber of Commerce for Bhandaris, a demand that the Bandra-Worli flyover be named after a Bhandari, an employment exchange for Bhandaris, and - a ten-acre plot of land in Navi Mumbai to build a Bhandari Bhavan for 'betterment of the entire Bhandari Community of India'.

This then, is what our communities are up to. And it's not just the Bhandaris, it is anyone who thinks they can now use the government's affirmative action program to gain more ground. I'm not surprised. Are you?