Maharashtra
The history of the City Mumbai is rich with a great number of historical events, from trade to colonial eras that have shaped its identity and culture. Its present-day traditions have evolved over centuries, and it takes pride in its regional and geographic distinctions as well. These distinctions are not only shared outside the capital but within. As a result, many areas with different traditional customs survive on within the city itself, and each area has its own unique and distinctive name. One such area is red zone. This article will explain red zone history, red zone culture, current status and importance, and make recommendations for how this zone can be made more accessible and attractive to all and sundry. Although there are several similarities between these two terms, this term red zone is used primarily to mean the entire area of Greater Bombay or surrounding areas of Maharashtra (including Thane, Aurangabad, Raigaon, Nagpur, Pune, etc.). Red zone’s full name is Shiv Sena Mahalaya Sanghatya Vadhavan Yojana (SSVM) as originally defined by the government, an organization charged with promoting economic development and equity of people, especially in developing indigenous industries and social inclusion. The SSVM is headed by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray, who also heads Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology. The SSVM was a state-level project financed and administered through grants by the federal government until October 2013. Since 2015, this initiative has been overseen by the Ministry of Minority Development and Employment under PMI (Ministry of Minority Development). From 2014 onwards, the SSVM has been integrated with Indian Enterprise Agency (IEA), the Department of Human Resources (DHR), and other agencies and ministries which aim at helping improve employment opportunities
and empowerment of women. Amongst others, IEA provides financial support for
microenterprise projects, entrepreneurship, self-employment, training courses, community participation, etc. In addition, DHR offers vocational guidance, vocational placement services, rehabilitation education services, and job counselling. All these activities require funding and advisory support from non-governmental organizations, governments, private
sector business entities, etc., which often come up with their own initiatives to enhance socio-economic development and social inclusion
Red Zone Culture
Red Zone culture can be described as being multi-cultural as people from anywhere in the world may frequent red zones of India (from Nepal and South Africa to Australia), and they speak different languages. It is home to diverse groups of local communities, including those from the country’s aboriginal tribes, religious communities, indigenous societies,
minority groups, ethnic minorities, and some elements of immigrant communities. Some of this cultures overlap with other parts of India, for example, Sikhism. Also speaking of red zones, cultural heritage sites are common in places like Marathaswaram (Tamil Nadu), Ambattur (Maharashtra), Nandedar (Maharashtra), Koli district (Maharashtra), etc., where most locals reside. Other cultures include; Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikkism, Shinto,
Jainism, Ayurveda, and Zoroastrianism. However, the tradition of following any one
indigenous religion is quite rare. There are no distinct communal identities in the city of
Maharashtra and the rest of the country but many of the traditional practices do hold strong roots. Religious tourism is one of them. Tourism to red zones is growing rapidly owing to excellent infrastructure across the region, and the wide array of tourists visiting the region as well. For instance, Tola in Satara district can boast of 2 million tourists annually, while nearby Khadadi and Karakul is known for its historic temples; both attract
thousands of visitors. Thus, the red zone of the Maharashtra is increasingly becoming a
tourist destination for local as well as international tourists. At this juncture, it is important to know red zone cultures and learn more about them so that the red zone can continue being a wonderful place to visit, experience and explore.
Modernity versus Old Traditionalities
Historically speaking, red zones were less developed economically than major cities of
Europe, North America, and Asia. They were largely inhabited by nomadic tribes and
hunter gatherers whose survival depended on hunting wild animals, and trade as their
main source of livelihood. Traditionally, red zones had a weak military defense, and there were few formal institutions governing political life; although an army contingent became established soon after the British arrived in 1803 during his rule in Madras Presidency, it never existed anymore. Additionally, traditional red zone economies suffered from lack of industry, insufficient technology, and unfavorable climatic conditions. While early 19th century developments changed everything, the modern era came along in 1920s, 1940s,
1960s, and 1970s and started making massive contributions towards building the quality of the economy.
Red Location
Red means “black” in Hindi, while yellow means “white” in English, thus, when red zone boundaries are drawn, the color of the boundary can be anything from black to white depending on circumstances of the location. However, red zone boundaries have traditionally been colored white because many locals identify themselves as Indian/Indian, implying that they believe Indians have the right to live in the red zone freely. Such a sentiment is however not shared amongst the majority who have migrated to the region and settled there. Nevertheless, the general belief of Indians being considered immigrantsis widespread among red zone inhabitants, a circumstance that continues to affect the economy and culture, and thus, culture, of red zone area.
Red Zone Geography And People
Red zone is composed of 7 districts namely; Aurangabad, Raigaon, Karnataka, Deveer,
Satara in central Maharashtra, Thane District, Akola in north-east Maharashtra, Amravati in south-central Maharashtra and Gokarna in south-central Maharashtra. Of course, the seven districts are subdivided into sub districts: Kalgaon, Aurangabad District, Sonegiri District, Rachol in Ahmednagar District, Ashwobhan in Deveer districts, Bhosari in Saurashtra Metropolitan Region, etc. Also, there is a division of the seven districts into three districts (or a total of eight): Aurangabad–Karnataka–Sonegiri, Aurangabad district, Karnataka
district.
In Aurangabad district alone, approximately half of its population is engaged in agriculture, and thus, many red zone residents engage in farming activities. Similarly, most red zone households consist of husband and wife, children, dogs, and horses. In addition, there are numerous vendors and markets in Aurangabad including coffee shops, vegetable, fruit, fish
market, food market, ice cream parlors, souvenir stalls, etc. Moreover, red zone’s climate can be divided into high and low temperatures, and thus, different types of crops such as mustard, sweet corn, peanuts, soybeans, chillies, tomatoes, potatoes, bananas, and papaya, etc. are grown and consumed every day in this hot and dry climatic zone. More importantly, red zone’s flora and fauna are varied, and are mainly found in coastal and hilly areas, which
have abundant forests and vegetation. In general, red zone dwellers have long hair (in men and women), small stature and slim figure. Besides, red zone’s cuisine is mostly spicy and vegetarian, as well as alcoholic beverages are common to eat. With regards to clothing, red zone garments, dress code, and etiquette, red zone residents’s clothes are comparatively conservative. Unlike in most metros, red zone residents and their dressing codes are very loose and often casual,
Red Zone Identity And Culture Today
Red zone identity of individual differs widely depending on the geography and the people inhabiting the area. Nonetheless, since everyone speaks different languages in the red zone, people speak different tongues. For instance, Gujarati and Malayalam are widely spoken, and thus, most red zone inhabitants speak either one or the other language (if they even know it). Likewise, red zone inhabitants practice Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Yoga, etc. Generally speaking, people belong to different religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. Religion plays a very significant role
in daily life and communication. Even though most of the red zone people follow orthodox, there are also Parsis and Gypsies, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs,
Presbyterians, Anglicans, Franciscan Church, and Roman Catholics, as well as Buddhist
monks and nuns. Therefore, since most red zone people are Muslims, some of them also
practice Christian practices. Religious practices in the red zone are also varied, from pre-Islamic rituals to postcolonial Hindu practices (especially Buddhism) and Islam. Regardless of differences in religion, red zone people share beliefs and values such as honesty, forgiveness, compassion, love, courage, tolerance, peace, and justice, together with egalitarianism, justice, equality, accountability, freedom, personalization, responsibility,
tolerance, justice, and tolerance. When talking ofred zone identity, one should mention its emphasis on honoring tradition and preserving original traditions, particularly in maintaining and protecting ancestral rites, and upholding ancestral rights. Also, red zone inhabitants do not usually drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, and generally use mosquito repellents, and, unlike their counterparts in most parts of India (except for Kerala where smoking is strictly illegal), red zone natives do not drink liquor at home. Consequently, red zone lifestyles are relatively simple to understand, and are easier to maintain.
Red Zone Potential
Red zone potential and culture can be improved by facilitating its promotion and marketing efforts, encouraging tourists
