top of page

By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Seventy-six mayors ruled BMC since 1931

After four years, Mumbai to salute its first citizen Kishori Pednekar Vishwanath Mahadeshwar Snehal Ambekar Sunil Prabhu Mumbai: As the date for appointing Mumbai’s First Citizen looms closer, various political parties have adopted tough posturing to foist their own person for the coveted post of Mayor – the ‘face’ of the country’s commercial capital. Ruling Mahayuti allies Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena have vowed that the city...

Seventy-six mayors ruled BMC since 1931

After four years, Mumbai to salute its first citizen Kishori Pednekar Vishwanath Mahadeshwar Snehal Ambekar Sunil Prabhu Mumbai: As the date for appointing Mumbai’s First Citizen looms closer, various political parties have adopted tough posturing to foist their own person for the coveted post of Mayor – the ‘face’ of the country’s commercial capital. Ruling Mahayuti allies Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena have vowed that the city will get a ‘Hindu Marathi’ person to head India’s richest civic body, while the Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT)-Maharashtra Navnirman Sena also harbour fond hopes of a miracle that could ensure their own person for the post. The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) optimism stems from expectations of possible political permutations-combinations that could develop with a realignment of forces as the Supreme Court is hearing the cases involving the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party this week. Catapulted as the largest single party, the BJP hopes to install a first ever party-man as Mayor, but that may not create history. Way back in 1982-1983, a BJP leader Dr. Prabhakar Pai had served in the top post in Mumbai (then Bombay). Incidentally, Dr. Pai hailed from Udupi district of Karnataka, and his appointment came barely a couple of years after the BJP was formed (1980), capping a distinguished career as a city father, said experts. Originally a Congressman, Dr. Pai later shifted to the Bharatiya Janata Party, then back to Congress briefly, founded the Janata Seva Sangh before immersing himself in social activities. Second Administrator The 2026 Mayoral elections have evoked huge interest not only among Mumbaikars but across the country as it comes after nearly four years since the BMC was governed by an Administrator. This was only the second time in the BMC history that an Administrator was named after April 1984-May 1985. On both occasions, there were election-related issues, the first time the elections got delayed for certain reasons and the second time the polling was put off owing to Ward delimitations and OBC quotas as the matter was pending in the courts. From 1931 till 2022, Mumbai has been lorded over by 76 Mayors, men and women, hailing from various regions, backgrounds, castes and communities. They included Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Parsis, Sikhs, even a Jew, etc., truly reflecting the cosmopolitan personality of the coastal city and India’s financial powerhouse. In 1931-1932, the Mayor was a Parsi, J. B. Boman Behram, and others from his community followed like Khurshed Framji Nariman (after whom Nariman Point is named), E. A. Bandukwala, Minoo Masani, B. N. Karanjia and other bigwigs. There were Muslims like Hoosenally Rahimtoola, Sultan M. Chinoy, the legendary Yusuf Meherally, Dr. A. U. Memon and others. The Christian community got a fair share of Mayors with Joseph A. D’Souza – who was Member of Constituent Assembly representing Bombay Province for writing-approving the Constitution of India, M. U. Mascarenhas, P. A. Dias, Simon C. Fernandes, J. Leon D’Souza, et al. A Jew Elijah Moses (1937-1938) and a Sikh M. H. Bedi (1983-1984), served as Mayors, but post-1985, for the past 40 years, nobody from any minority community occupied the august post. During the silver jubilee year of the post, Sulochana M. Modi became the first woman Mayor of Mumbai (1956), and later with tweaks in the rules, many women ruled in this post – Nirmala Samant-Prabhavalkar (1994-1995), Vishakha Raut (997-1998), Dr. Shubha Raul (March 2007-Nov. 2009), Shraddha Jadhav (Dec. 2009-March 2012), Snehal Ambedkar (Sep. 2014-March 2017). The last incumbent (before the Administrator) was a government nurse, Kishori Pednekar (Nov. 2019-March 2022) - who earned the sobriquet of ‘Florence Nightingale’ of Mumbai - as she flitted around in her full white uniform at the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic, earning the admiration of the citizens. Mumbai Mayor – high-profile post The Mumbai Mayor’s post is considered a crucial step in the political ladder and many went on to become MLAs, MPs, state-central ministers, a Lok Sabha Speaker, Chief Ministers and union ministers. The formidable S. K. Patil was Mayor (1949-1952) and later served in the union cabinets of PMs Jawaharlal Nehru, Lah Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi; Dahyabhai V. Patel (1954-1955) was the son of India’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel; Manohar Joshi (1976-1977) became the CM of Maharashtra, later union minister and Speaker of Lok Sabha; Chhagan Bhujbal (1985-1986 – 1990-1991) became a Deputy CM.

The Great Indian Reconnection

India’s vision for 2047 can only be fulfilled by inviting its finest minds to stay, lead and shape the nation’s destiny.

As geopolitical winds shift and immigration policies tighten in the West, particularly in the United States, a silent tremor is passing through the hearts of countless Indian professionals, students, and even green card holders. The American Dream, once a beacon for the best and brightest from India, now comes with caveats, restrictions and a growing sense of exclusion. A recently proposed rule in the United States requiring all foreign nationals to register with the government if they intend to stay for more than 30 days has sparked concern not merely for its bureaucratic inconvenience, but for the deeper questions it raises about belonging, dignity and the future.


This rule, still under review, may seem minor in practical terms, but symbolically it could be a tipping point. It signals a shift from a merit-based welcome to a posture of surveillance and differentiation. For many Indian professionals who have lived for decades in the U.S., contributed to its innovation economy, and raised families there, such policies create a sense of being perpetually ‘othered.’ They must repeatedly prove their worth, renew permissions and now potentially report their whereabouts, not because of misconduct but because they are not citizens. Even green card holders once considered secure in their residency are no longer immune to the sense of provisional belonging. This creeping erosion of dignity cannot be ignored especially when weighed against the rising promise of their homeland.


For highly skilled Indians abroad, the question is shifting from what they left behind to what they risk missing. India is no longer the country they emigrated from: it is young, connected, aspirational, and economically vibrant. Its technology sector alone generated $282.6 billion in revenue in FY2025, employing 5.8 million people and creating 126,000 new jobs. Exports reached $224.4 billion, and the domestic market crossed $58.2 billion. India now hosts over 1,750 Global Capability Centres, set to surpass 2,000 by 2030. Its digital public infrastructure - from Aadhaar to UPI - is fast becoming a model for the Global South.


But numbers alone do not tell the full story. What’s changing is the mood. India no longer looks at its diaspora with distant admiration. The Government of India must seize this moment with a focused suite of policies designed to make return not just feasible, but attractive, dignified and fulfilling.


A flagship National Reconnect & Return Program could offer single-window facilitation for returning Indians, covering employment placement, relocation, schooling, housing and legal support. Indian embassies and consulates could host dedicated liaison officers to support return aspirants, while a verified National Registry of Global Indian Experts could match skilled returnees to national missions, research institutes, industry needs and policy think tanks.


India’s academic and research institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs), and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) labs should reserve positions and fast-track lateral-entry appointments for global Indians. Competitive salaries, startup research grants and lab-building funds must be matched with autonomy and clarity. A ‘Global Professors of Practice’ platform can enable returnees to contribute as adjunct faculty or visiting mentors, while a Diaspora Sabbatical Scheme could invite mid-career scientists, technologists and administrators.


In entrepreneurship, too, India’s doors must open wider. Fast-track approvals, repatriation support, and access to public R&D infrastructure should accompany this. India already ranks as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem with 112 unicorns (as of 2024) and a diaspora-led innovation wave could take this further.


To facilitate global mobility and inclusiveness, India should also introduce a Global Talent Visa Scheme similar to those in the UK, Canada or Australia offering work permits with long-term residency, spousal work rights and easy renewals. A specialized Reverse Brain Drain Visa could apply to Indian citizens returning from abroad with demonstrable experience. Enhanced Overseas Citizen of India (OCI+) status should offer eligibility for grants, government consultancies and leadership roles in public-sector projects. Metros like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad could be declared "Technology Magnet Cities," offering world-class infrastructure, SEZ-style incentives and clean transport.


The public sector should tap returning talent through a Technology Reboot Scheme, allowing lateral entry into PSUs, defence tech teams and digital missions. India must also celebrate its returnees through awards like the Deshvaapi Samman and a ‘Come, Build Bharat’ campaign, making them architects of India’s journey to developed-country status by 2047.


These must be accompanied by practical reforms like tax breaks on repatriated earnings, portable pensions and insurance, clarity on double taxation and faster IP protection. These are not concessions, but strategic investments in national capacity.


The emotional calculus of returning is not trivial. It involves uprooting families, navigating uncertainties and letting go of established comforts. But for many, the trade-off is becoming clearer: a life of deferred inclusion abroad versus one of meaningful agency at home. And as India stands poised on the threshold of global leadership, what better time to return than when your country is ready to rise?


A nation’s development is not defined only by GDP or infrastructure, but by its ability to reclaim and re-integrate the dreams of its people. India’s vision for 2047 - a century since Independence - is not just a date but a promise to itself and its citizens worldwide. That promise can only be fulfilled if India invites its finest minds not just to visit, but to stay, lead and shape its destiny.


(The writer is a retired scientist and former Director of the Agharkar Research Institute, Pune and a Visiting Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. Views personal)

Comments

bottom of page