17 November 2021 marks the ninth death anniversary of one of Maharashtra’s most towering politicians and influential figures, Bal Thackeray or as he was popularly known, Balasaheb Thackeray. It was on this day in 2012 that Balasaheb Thackeray, one of the tallest leaders of Maharashtra, breathed his last after living a long, eventful and influential life for over eight decades.
Balasaheb Thackeray was born on January 23, 1926, in Maharashtra, to Keshav Sitaram Thackeray, a journalist and a cartoonist, the same profession that played a key role in propelling Balasaheb towards his future prominence.
Keshav Thackeray was also a social activist who was deeply invested in championing the cause of Samyukta Maharashtra Movement, a campaign demanding the creating of a unified, distinct and separate state for Marathi speakers. This dedication and pride for Marathi-hood eventually rubbed off on Balasaheb Thackeray and proved to be critical in shaping his then embryonic political ideology.
After completing his education, Balasaheb Thackeray started working as a cartoonist at the Free Press Journal. Later, he quit the job to start his own newspaper. However, it did not survive for too long. Then, he began Marmik, a weekly political cartoon series focused on raising concerns about problems faced by the Marathi youth.
His mordant cartoons depicting the difficulties endured by people of Marathi origins caught the fancy of the restive regional population who saw him as an iconoclast who was willing to challenge established beliefs and was unapologetic about conveying his stance in public. His popularity soared and he instantly became a toast of the Marathi-speaking masses.
However, his most seminal contribution to India’s polity was with the creation of Shiv Sena. In 1966, Balasaheb Thackeray formed Shiv Sena as a part of his efforts towards emancipating Marathi youth. His political inclination was far-right, and he roundly castigated everything towards left-lean.
In its initial years, Shiv Sena’s focus was solely on raising awareness about problems bedevilling the Marathi youth. However, in the early 1970s, it tried to broaden its scope of acceptance by aligning with the larger Hindutva movement that was steadily gaining momentum around the idea of reclaiming the then disputed land in Ayodhya and building a Ram Mandir over it.
Through the tumultuous years of 1980s, Balasaheb Thackeray was amongst few political leaders who made no bones about their support to a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Shiv Sainiks, as the supporters of Shiv Sena are called, participated in widespread protests across the country for demanding the reclamation of land where a controversial and an abandoned structure attributed to Mughal ruler Babur was standing.
As per various accounts, Shiv Sena supporters and workers were also among those involved in felling the controversial structure on December 6, 1992. The demolition of Babri structure by an uncontrollable mob sparked violence in some parts of the country, including in Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra and the stronghold of Shiv Sena. A few months after the demolition, a series of 12 bombs rocked the city of Mumbai, carried out at the behest of the D-company.
Balasaheb Thackeray, an unapologetic proponent of Hindutva and a rare ability to influence friends and adversaries alike
It was said that the bomb blasts were in response to the events that transpired in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. The blasts touched off a wave of Hindu-Muslim riots, similar to those erupted after the demolition of the controversial structure. It is widely believed that Shiv Sainiks took up the cudgel to defend Hindus against the riotous mobs. Later, Balasaheb Thackeray claimed credit for the Babri demolition. In his ‘Aap ki Adalat’ interview with Rajat Sharma in 1993, Balasaheb Thackeray unabashedly admitted to Shiv Sena’s role in demolishing the controversial structure and partaking in the riots that ensued the demolition.
Three years later, in 1995, Shiv Sena in coalition with the BJP, came to power in Maharashtra. Their common adherence to the Hindutva ideology became the binding glue that brought the two parties together for an alliance to rule over Maharashtra for the next five years. This was the time when Balasaheb Thackeray was at the zenith of his political journey. Even though he was not a part of the government, he wielded enormous clout to control and effect its functioning.
He was an excellent public orator, often resorting to demagoguery and cracking wisecracks to keep his audience enthralled and engaged. His immense popularity, coupled with his unrepentant support to Hindutva ideology earned him the appellation of Hindu Hriday Samrat or Emperor of Hindu hearts. He had this rare ability of inspiring awe and fear both at the same time.
Through his charismatic personality, he was able to enchant his friends as well as influence his opponents. His chief legacy was to consolidate power without ever holding any public office. However, above everything else, he will be most remembered for his unwavering and steadfast support in upholding the ideals of Hindutva.
With Balasaheb Thackeray’s demise, Shiv Sena turns its back on its founder’s legacy
Unfortunately, with his demise ended Shiv Sena’s commitment to their founder’s ideals. The priorities of the party changed dramatically following the death of Balasaheb Thackeray. Principles and beliefs that were once uncompromising and immutable suddenly became flexible and malleable. The culmination of this perversion was witnessed in the aftermath of the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections when Sena snapped its decades-old association with the BJP and formed an unholy nexus with its ideological opponents NCP and Congress.
The party, which had for decades resisted the urge of coming to power at the expense of compromising its ideology, felt no compunction in allying with political parties whose beliefs ran counter to those cherished by Balasaheb Thackeray. While in politics there are no perpetual enemies or eternal friends, Shiv Sena’s conspicuous perfidy of bartering Hindutva in exchange for the chief ministerial post underscored party’s readiness in shunning the legacy of its founder for the sake of making short-term political gains.
Back in 1999, Bal Thackeray had used the term “scoundrel” when asked about the possibility of an alliance with the NCP during his interview with the NDTV. He rejected the possibility of any alliance with Sharad Pawar. He said, “It is for a man to decide whether he wants to remain a gentleman or a scoundrel. How can I stop? If anybody is trying to become a scoundrel… Okay. But I will not go along with a scoundrel, whoever he may be. I will never, never, an enemy is an enemy,” Balasaheb further said.
In January 2012, Balasaheb raked up the issue of Sonia Gandhi’s “foreign origin” during an interview to Saamna, the Shiv Sena mouthpiece. “What love will she have for this country and what is her contribution here,” he asked. “You see what is going on in the country. There is controversy over the Army chief’s age and the matter is in court. Whose reputation is in jeopardy? There is no question of Sonia’s reputation as she is a foreigner,” he said.
Balasaheb did not spare Rahul Gandhi either. He said, “He was born yesterday and wants to be prime minister today. Is the PM’s post up for auction?” He had heavily criticized the series of corruption cases during the Congress regime as well. He asserted, “The Yuvraj of Congress (Rahul Gandhi) is very vocal on the corruption by Mayawati. However, he is not saying anything about the corruption by his government.” He also wrote, “His mummy (Sonia Gandhi) is also quiet on the issue. The Prime Minister is also not opening his mouth. The truth is hidden in the silence”.
For Shiv Sena, power and greed has taken precedence over loyalty to one’s ideological beliefs
Balasaheb was unsparing in his attack against the NCP and the Congress party. He balked at the idea of joining hands with the Sharad Pawar’s party and becoming a coalition partner with Sonia Gandhi’s Congress. Yet, when the opportunity presented itself in Maharashtra, the current crop of Shiv Sena’s leadership paid no heed to Balasaheb’s staunch disapproval in the past and fell over itself to align with the Congress and the NCP. The hankering for power and political dominance took the precedence over conformity to the founding principles laid down by its founder Balasaheb Thackeray.
From being one of the most fervid proponents of Hindutva and cutting itself the figure of a Hindu revivalist force, Shiv Sena has devolved into an opportunist turncoat that had no qualms in striking a Faustian bargain with its political adversaries in order to satiate its political greed. Its willingness to compromise its beliefs suggests the party has no ideological moorings, and its primary focus is to somehow cling to power, even if that means betraying the confidence of its votaries and renouncing the path shown by Balasaheb Thackeray.
