I am a master in India

Chapter 70 Gang Fight
"So what's going on with this Silvan Army?" Luca asked.

“It’s the future of Mumbai, and perhaps their model and their politics will be the future of other places as well.”

"Political means?" Ron was a little sensitive to this word.

"Oh, regional, language-based, racial, divisive, that's about it," Dijon replied with a cynical sneer.

"I hate terror politics," Luca sighed. "It messes up everything, including business."

"You're right, we all hate politics." Di Rang raised his glass and clinked it with his.

"Why would they do that?" Ron asked.

"This brings us to the current situation of the Shiva Army, which has taken control of the police. This is because the Shiva Army is a local political party in Maharashtra, and most of the lower-level police officers are from Maharashtra.

They also control some slums, many trade unions, some newspapers. In fact, they have everything except money, which is the key.

Oh, they did have the support of the sugar magnates and some businessmen in Bombay, but the real money, the industrial money and the black money, was in the hands of the Parsis, the outsiders who came to Bombay, and the Muslims whom they hated the most.

So the battle began, yes, you can also call it an economic war, an Indian-style economic war. They shout about race, language, and region, but behind the scenes it's all about money.

"What about the other forces in Mumbai? This will disrupt the previous balance." Luca has rich street experience, and the entry of new forces will inevitably cause a counterattack from the old forces.

"Mumbai is huge, with a population of over 16 million and more than 2,000 slums. Just imagine how many gangs there are and how many hostile forces there are.

The Shivan Army is a relatively unremarkable group, and there are many more violent groups out there. They haven't been able to change the spheres of influence of the various factions yet, but I suspect they will one day succeed.

Because they do almost everything and can work with almost anyone. They don't want territory, they want money! This will make most gangs let down their guard.

Just recently, these people had struck a deal with Rafiq and the police: the police would close down the city's smoking dens until only a few remained, in exchange for money and special benefits.

Dozens of high-end smoking dens that have served enthusiasts for generations were closed down within a week, forever!
Normally I have no interest in dirty politics, but they shut down the smoking dens! Let me ask you, if there were no weed dens in Mumbai, would it still be Mumbai?

Ron glanced at the people in the corner, who were eating with great enthusiasm. Several large plates filled the table, each with several small plates of rice, chicken, and vegetables.

The five people sitting around the table were silent. Most of the time they lowered their heads to their plates, quickly scooping food into their mouths one after another, rarely looking at their companions at the table.

After just a few glances, Ron was sure that these people should be Hindus and had received some training.

Hinduism advocates vegetarianism, especially the upper castes, who are all true vegetarians.

But in some special cases, in order to maintain their physique, such as soldiers, they would choose chicken as a supplement.

Hindus who eat meat and are well-trained reminded Ron of the famous radical organization in Hinduism, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

The BJP is an organization that split from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Mok Dasin also once served as a propaganda officer in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, perhaps even now.

"Why do they want to close the smoking den? It's obviously a very profitable business. And it's Rafik's own business." Ron was a little confused.

"Oh, that was Rafiq's idea. He's not selling weed anymore, he's selling powder now. Rafiq controls the powder coming in from the Persian Gulf. Not all of it, but he controls some of it. It's more profitable than weed, a lot more profitable!"

“Why do politicians agree to this?”

"Hush, the things coming into India from Persia aren't just powder," Dirang said, lowering his voice. "There are also guns, heavy weapons, and explosives. In Punjab, the Sikhs need these weapons. In Kashmir, some Muslims need them too.

You know, with weapons comes power, the power to speak for the many poor Muslims who are the enemies of the Shiva Army. If you control the powder trade, you can control the gun trade.

The Shiva Army is desperate to control the flow of guns into their territory, and the Maharashtra is desperate to control money and power. It's all part of a larger struggle to control the Mumbai we love and hate."

"Damn, Mumbai's situation is too complicated. Brazil's got it simpler. Brazilian mafia can directly issue orders on behalf of the government. It's a little ridiculous, but all the forces are clearly visible, right?" Luca was troubled by Mumbai's intractable situation. What kind of a joke is this? Everyone looked at each other, then shrugged in unison.

"So the Shiva Army has also set their sights on the pharmaceutical business? This thing is too serious, and the profits are far less than their current business." Ron looked at Di Rang.

"Who knows? As long as it's a profitable business, maybe they will be interested." Di Rang snapped his fingers. He felt that this country was rotten to the core.

"Man, we'd better find other dealers quickly. Mumbai has become unsettling lately." Luca now just wanted to leave this damn place as soon as possible.

"Let's wait at Pant's place for a while, it's only three days." Ron didn't want to let all his previous efforts go to waste.

"Don't worry, Mumbai will remain in peace as long as Khad Khan is here. He is the most powerful man in Mumbai."

Di Rang's unintentional comfort made Ron's eyes light up. He seemed to have forgotten a key person.

"Johnny, it's me, Ron."

"Hey, man, I was just looking for you." Johnny's cheerful voice came from the other end of the phone.

"What's going on? You and Parvati are getting married?"

"Get married? Of course! But not now. It's Pant who's looking for you. He's not available right now, so he can only contact you through me."

"Thank God he's still alive. It was a very scary situation that day. I thought he was..."

"It's not that easy for him to die, and those people didn't kill him. I think this is probably a warning."

"Warning?" Ron was a little confused.

"You know, Pant used to do business mainly in the Persian Gulf. He not only brought medicines there, but sometimes also brought back some contraband, such as guns.

Unfortunately, the tribes he traded with across the Persian Gulf had a grudge against Rafiq. Even worse, many of the guns he brought in ended up in Kashmir.

So you see, he offended both Rafiq and the Shiva Army. If Khaderbhai hadn't intervened, Pant would have gone to see Lord Shiva. But he's too greedy, so it's good to teach him a lesson this time."

"I think I understand. So what message did Pant ask you to bring?"

"I'll ask you to meet me in the Sasong District in three days. Everything else will remain the same."

"I see. Thank you, Johnny."

"Ron, Khaderbhai asked me to tell you. The pharmaceutical business will not be affected, don't worry."

Ron was stunned. "Thank him for me. I'll visit him again later."

After hanging up the phone, he frowned and thought. Things seemed to be more complicated than he had imagined, and more and more people were involved.

Judging from the information Johnny revealed, the Shiva Army should have initially negotiated with Pant, but Pant refused because he was reluctant to give up the Persian Gulf business, which is why they later came to him.

This also explains why he was so eager to make a deal that day and asked to trade in US dollars. Perhaps he had a premonition.

"Ron, how is it? Do you have any reliable news?" Luca asked anxiously from the side.

"Everything remains the same. We will go to the dock in three days."

(End of this chapter)