Circa 1955
In many ways, the Gangs of Bandra were like the Gangs of New York.
How can we forget about the inner cobbled narrow pathways, the bonhomie, the quaint cottages, and the lilting music from the commercial service of the Radio Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation; with the tempting smell of non-vegetarian food wafting from the side streets?
Let’s relive the days of yore.
When the local mob ruled “khullam khulla”, right out in the open – you knew who your enemy was – and who was not, unlike today. In those days, everything was settled on the streets and the lingo was very colourful, with all the “f’s” and “b’s” bellowed loudly; so all could hear, sending shivers up innocent spines. Nobody went to the courts in those days, in fact few even went to the police with complaints. If you dared, you went to ‘the local gangs’ – or you just shut up.
A few of these “reformed gangsters” are alive today; old, sick, forgotten, lonely people. But when they speak of the old days, it’s with the same fire in their eyes – as in their youth.
Of course, many have died.
How Did The Gang Wars Begin?
Most people living in these parts (gaothans), say it all began in the villages of Bandra – in Ranwar Village, Chapel Road, Waroda Road, Bazaar Road, Boran Road, Chimbai, Kantwadi, Malla, Sherly, Rajan, Chuim, Pali and near the steps of Mount Mary’s Church. Every villager swears the gang wars all began in their village – citing dates and details of incidents, which are an integral part of Bandra’s unique folklore.
When Anjie (name changed), living in Somnath Lane, Bandra; wanted to marry an Anglo-Indian boy, her parents objected to the liaison. Promptly the boy got his brothers together to fight with her family. Out came the bicycle chains, the soda water bottles and the hockey sticks, for the unholy confrontation – and action followed.
The lane was strewn with soda water bottles, so that the opposite gang could not make any headway. All awaited action. Swords, choppers, crowbars, knives and knuckledusters were the weapons of these gang wars. The common man had to keep well away from the scene; otherwise he too would join the list of wounded, in the duels that were settled on the streets – like in the Wild Wild West – with bloody street scenes seen almost daily.
The Bandra Fair was held once a year from the footsteps of the Mount Mary’s, all along John Baptist Road and culminating near Mt Carmel’s way down – even extending up to Jeff Caterers. Now, a group of boys from Mahim, who used to visit the Fair almost always; would pick a fight with the Bandra boys – and the Bandra boys consisting mostly of school dropouts, used to do likewise, when they visited the fairs in Mahim. Jobs were hard to get, and if the factories knew you were from the villages of Bandra, you were never called for an interview.
So the last resource to earning money for these boys was distilling liquor (“Grog” as it was called in those days) at home. Also, since those were the days of ‘prohibition’, many of the people living in these parts, distilled their own liquor (illegal of course). If any gang would distill their stuff on a piece of land belonging to another gang; it was kind of “trespassing” – and this lead to most of the fights.
Inputs from Francis H. D’Sa
Next Issue: Complex Characters during the Gang Wars of Old Bandra
