A lot is being said about cafe leopold lately, due to its involvement as a victim in the 26th nov 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai. The attack had killed 10 people including two staff of the cafe. But keeping up with the spirit of Mumbai, it reopened for business very soon, preserving the telltale signs of tragedy that was 26th Nov. Its a very good example of the phoenix rising out of ashes.
But now for the darker side. Does the cafe belong to Indians. It has been frequented by foreigners since its establishment, the most noted of all being the criminal turned writer, Gregory David Roberts, a.k.a. Shantaram. Its is visited my many a celebraties from India and abroad along with shantaram himself.
But you try to visit it. If you are not know to someone of “someone”, you are sure to wait out for a long time. An incident with a friend of mine. He along with his mates had gone to this cafe for the first time. There were many a tables empty which could be seen from door, but they were kept waiting out side. On being confronted with a question about this, the staff informed that those tables were for foreigners and if they didn’t have enough patience to wait, they might as well leave.
This incident can be compares to Mahatma Gandhi being pushed from the train, of Cassius Clay not allowed entry in an all white cafe. I do not have any word for this act, other than racism.
My friends didn’t have large followers to take a march against this, nor did he win any gold medal to throw in the sea as a protest.
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