Youth in hardcore crime in Mumbai: a developmental perspective

Abstract

The present study aims at sequencing the evolution of crime culture in City of Mumbai over decades. It highlights the fact that prior to the sixties, activities of criminals were confined to thefts of goods from the seaport or other conventional crimes, without much severity. It was during the mid-sixties that with the low profile of Indian economy and produced goods of low quality, smuggling of foreign goods attracted the organised crime. Low time criminals took to bootlegging (due to the ban on liquor that time) and smuggling of goods. Once commercial activities in the citygrew, they brought with them the property crimes. Since the seventies, Mumbai witnessed the creation of huge wealth by businessmen by fair and foul means. The period also coincided with the growth of real estate for profiteering and speculation. As another aspect of its growth, the city experienced a flood of migrants (from within the state and from states like U.P and Bihar) which led to proliferation of slums all around, and division of people in the city into two groups - a few privileged and a majority of the poor struggling for survival and living in degraded slums. The organised crime flourished in activities like smuggling of foreign goods, bootlegging, drug trafficking, quothawalaquot transactions, betting (quotmatkaquot playing), prostitution, property related crimes (eviction of tenants, etc). Meanwhile, Indian society in general, and Mumbai City in particular, passed through a phase of decline of moral and political values, widespread corruption in public sector, irresponsible business ethics, criminalisation of politics and criminals turning politicians. All these created a very favourable ground for organised crime to spread its clout in the city. With economic development, the city witnessed the emergence of several gangs of hardcore criminals who amassed wealth through variety of crimes. They became so powerful that they extended their influence to police and government departments and even (to some extent) to the judiciary.