SHRI BALA SAHEB THACKERAY & HINDUTVA

SHRI BALA SAHEB THACKERAY & HINDUTVA
The Profile of Shri Balasaheb Thackeray
Shiv Sena Chief Shri Balasaheb Thackeray is the living legend of Indian politics. Amidst other political pigmies his towering personality stands out like Himalayan peaks .His enigmatic persona has won the hearts of millions of Maharashtrians as well as fellow countrymen. Balasaheb is a mass leader in true sense of the word and his contribution to the promotion of Hindutva has been remarkable. His political ideology is a curious mix of nationalist agenda , pro Hindu stance and sons of the soil policy. He launched Shiv Sena on 30th October, 1966 with a great vision for Maharashtra and it's people .It was formed to give the due right to Maharashtrians who were ousted in their own homeland. After accomplishing this task successfully he advocated the cause of firebrand Hinduism which gave him immense popularity on national and international front. He heads the political organisation Shiv Sena whose journey to stardom has been a long, bumpy ride. From 'sons of the soil' slogans in the back-alleys of Mumbai to hardcore Hindutva. From Municipal Corporation to Mantralaya, The Shiv Sena has come a long way. Few will deny the role of Shiv Sena Chief in altering the state's social and political agenda .It is perhaps the only party which without mounting platitudes, allows backwards and Brahmins to co-exist under one roof. This explains why Shri Thackeray stands heads and shoulders above his peers, a fact his critics find difficult to stomach. Though routinely railed for his views and ideology, public criticism has hardly dampened Shri Thackeray's invincible spirit ."I will fight till the end ," is his mission statement. Shiv Sena Chief Shri Balasaheb Thackeray is very open by nature. He is not the person who would think one thing and say something else. Sometimes he had to pay political price for this frank outspoken behaviour but he is least bothered. He began his career as a cartoonist and journalist and joined politics under specific circumstances. It was the joint Maharashtra movement which fueled the surcharged emotions. His exemplary skills as a cartoonist and visionary media strategist has contributed firebrand daily " Samana", Hindi Eveninger "Dopahar Ka Samana" And " Marmik". The ever rising graph of Balasaheb's political career has amazed several political observers. His impeccable oratory skills still mesmerizes the audiences with extraordinary wit and fluid style. Many of his no-holds-barred statements have triggered-off controversies but his enigma continues to enthrall media and mass. In Shiv Sena, Balasaheb does not have to issue a dictat. Whatever he says, automatically becomes an order for the partymen and followers. Shiv Sena Chief commands a special status in the party and whole heartedly accepted as a benevolent leader. Unlike leaders in other parties Balasaheb's style of functioning is entirely different. He has a Lion's share in breaking a thirty year old monopoly of Congress rule in the State. It is amazing to see that Balasaheb alone commands such unflinching loyalty of the Sena workers and boundless popularity among the masses for nearly thirty years, other political leaders can not match him even fractionally. Balasaheb is the first and only example of its kind not only in Maharashtra but also in India. Shri. Thackeray's greatest contribution to Maharashtra and Maharashtrians is the sense of pride which he inculcated over the decades among people. It was he who stressed that Maharashtrians should be treated on par with outsiders. His towering personality has inspired youths of Maharashtra to grow against all odds. It was his social commitment and sincerity of purpose which paved way for pioneering schemes like free housing scheme for slum dwellers and jobs for unemployed youths. After all, it is he who is feeding fodder to their cannon. Even his staunchest detractors will admit that Bal Keshav Thackeray is the most popular public figure of contemporary Maharashtra. For over three decades Shri Thackeray has been straddling the state's political centre stage, evoking extreme response from faithfuls and foes alike his Charm continues to rule hearts of millions of Maharashtrians.

Sonia Gandhi and the art of mystery branding

Sonia Gandhi and the art of mystery branding


Who is Sonia Gandhi? Do we the citizens of this country really know her? What are her views on various things? What does she think about the current state of the Indian economy? What does she think of the government which she runs on “remote control”, like Balasaheb Thackeray once did? When she went abroad recently for medical treatment, what is it that she was suffering from? Does it bother her that her only son Rahul is in his forties now and is still unmarried? Does she find time to be with her two grandsons? Are her Hindi speeches written in Roman script?

Pardon me for being rhetorical, but I am just trying to make a broader point. The citizens of India don’t have answers for any of the questions asked above. They need not have answers for every question. But they definitely need to know her views on the Indian economy, the government she runs on remote control and the medical illness that plagues her.

The other questions are personal and answering them would just satisfy some curiosity and nothing else.

Political mystery. Image courtesy PIB
The fundamental question that arises here is why is there so much mystery surrounding Sonia Gandhi? Nobody currently influences the economics and politics of India more than she does. But when was the last time you read an interview with her and heard her interacting with the media?

The answer behind all her mystery might very well lie in the art of branding a product. As brand guru Martin Lindstrom writes in Buyology – Truth and Lies About Why We Buy, “Mystery is a fascinating component as many brands leverage this in order to make us pay more for a brand.”

And so many big brands make mystery their selling point.

Ye PSPO nahi jaanta, went the catch line of an advertisement of Orient Fans. Towards the end of the advertisement it was revealed that PSPO stands for “Peak Speed Performance Output.” Now what does that mean?

Or take the case of ZPTO yukt naya clinic All Clear. What does ZPTO stand for?

Or take the case of Tata Xenon XT, the new car from Tata Motors. What does XT stand for?

Or Johnson’s natural baby oil with aloe vera? What is aloe vera?

Or products like Ariel Oxyblue and Opti-ThickTM Harpic?

All these abbreviations and terms stand for something. PSPO is a technology that uses lesser electricity to deliver more air, over a larger area. ZPTO is a microbiocide, which is supposed to kill microbes which cause dandruff. But dandruff can happen for a lot of other reasons as well.

The XT in Xenon XT stands for Cross Terrain. Aloe Vera is a plant with supposed medicinal qualities and has been often cited as being used in herbal medicines. It is even mentioned in the New Testament (John 19:39–40)

Do most consumers understand what do these terms mean? The answer in most cases would be no. But do these terms matter to consumers when they make a buying decision? Yes, they do. The mystery associated with such terms, makes the product more appealing to consumers.

“Take the Sony Trintron TV for example. What is Trintron? No idea. It’s some technical mystery, which claims that the TV is better – it sounds technical and fancy and seduces us to believe this is something very special. This is mystery in action,” says Lindstrom.

The case with Sonia Gandhi is very similar. The “mystery” associated with her along with her foreign origin makes her very appealing to the Indian voter.

And she goes out of her way to maintain the mystery. The recent “circus” in the run up to the presidential election is a good case in point. Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, went to meet her to discuss who would be the presidential candidate of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). Banerjee came out and told the waiting press that Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, and Vice-President Hamid Ansari, were the two candidates on Sonia’s mind. No one officially knew till then what was Sonia Gandhi’s take on the issue. The cat was suddenly out of the bag.

Banerjee then went to meet Mulayam Singh Yadav and put out three candidates of her own, former president APJ Abdul Kalam, the current Prime Minister, and suspended CPI(M) member and former speaker of the Lok Sabha, Somnath Chatterjee.

But pretty soon Yadav had backed out of the so-called deal he had struck with Mamata. It is said that Sonia Gandhi had secret meetings with Mulayam Singh Yadav, and soon he was ready to support the UPA’s candidate for president.

There are a couple of interesting points that come out here. One is, of course, that you don’t play games with the president of the Congress party, who comes from the Nehru-Gandhi family. But more importantly it was a lesson to everyone about what happens when you talk to the press about what Sonia Gandhi is thinking on a particularly important issue. The “mystery” is important to her being and it must be maintained.

Maintaining the mystery behind a good brand goes a long way in maintain the selling point. Lindstrom provides a very good example of a shampoo launch to explain what happens when the mystery associated with a brand goes.

“When Unilever was getting to launch a shampoo in Asia, a mischievous employee with time on his hands wrote on the label, just for the hell of it, Contains the X9 Factor. This last-minute addition went undetected by Unilever, and soon millions and millions of bottles of the shampoo were shipped to stores with those four words inscribed on the label. It would have cost too much to recall all the shampoo, so Unilever simply let it be.”

“Six months later, when the shampoo had sold out, the company reprinted the label, this time leaving out the reference to the non-existent X9 Factor. The company was in for a surprise. ‘None of the customers had any idea of what the X9 Factor was, but were indignant that Unilever had dared to get rid of it. In fact, many people claimed that their shampoo wasn’t working anymore, and that their hair had lost its luster, all because the company had dropped the elusive X9 Factor’,” writes Lindstrom.

With the mystery gone, consumers thought that the brand wasn’t simply good enough as its earlier version. Sonia Gandhi seems to be working on the same principle in keeping her mystery going and keeping her publicity to the minimum.

She is rarely seen speaking unless it’s an election meeting, where her speeches are largely prepared in advance, unlike Atal Bihari Vajpayee who spoke impromptu on a lot of occasions. I don’t remember ever reading an interview of hers. Even the few biographies written on her are largely about the days when she first came to India and was put up at the house of Teji and Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Her initial struggle to adjust to Indians ways. Her strong relationship with her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi. Her reluctance to allow Rajiv Gandhi to enter politics, after the death of his brother Sanjay. And so on. None of them get into the political side of Sonia Gandhi.

Biography of Balasaheb Thackeray

Biography of Balasaheb Thackeray

At the right side, there is one great man who stands for the common Marathi People. This is one of my Ideal person who deserved to be great man & also he got on his own steps & own ways.
I know that no one will tell me that I don't know this man. This is my favourite Mr. Balasaheb Thackeray.
*बाळ केशव ठाकरे*
बाळ केशव ठाकरे popularly known as Balasaheb Thackeray, is the founder and chief of the Shiv Sena, a Hindu nationalist, Marathi ethnocentric and populist party active in the state of Maharashtra.
A Story of Great Hindu nationalist
Bal Thackeray was born to Keshav Sitaram Thackeray who is also known as Prabodhankar Thackeray, because of his articles in his fortnightly magazine named Prabodhan or "Enlightenment" in a lower-middle class family. Keshav Thackeray was a progressive social activist and writer who was against caste biases and played a key role in the Samyukta Maharashtra Chalwal that is United Maharashtra Movement in the 1950 to form the Marathi-speaking state of Maharashtra along with Mumbai as its capital.
Bal Thackeray started his career as a cartoonist in the Free Press Journal in Mumbai in the 1950s. His cartoons were also published in the Sunday edition of The Times of India. In 1960, he launched a cartoon weekly Marmik with his brother. He used it to campaign against the growing influence of non-Marathi people in Mumbai targeting Gujaratis and South Indian labor workers.
He formed the Shiv Sena on June 19th, 1966 with the intent of fighting for the rights of the Maharashtrians. The early objective of the Shiv Sena was to ensure job security for Maharashtrians against immigrants from southern India, Gujaratis and Marwaris.
Politically, the Shiv Sena was anti-Communist, and wrested control of major trade unions in Mumbai from the Communist Party of India and demanded protection money from mainly gujarati and marwari business leaders. It later allied itself with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP-Shiv Sena combine won the 1995 Maharashtra State Assembly elections and came to power. During the tenure of the government from 1995 to 1999, Bal Thackeray was nicknamed "remote control" since he played a major role in government policies and decisions from behind-the-scenes.
Thackeray has claimed that the Shiv Sena has helped the Marathi commoner in Mumbai, especially in the public sector. Opposition leftist parties allege that the Shiv Sena has done little to solve the problem of unemployment facing a large proportion of Maharashtrian youth during its tenure, in contradiction to its ideological foundation of 'sons of the soil.
Controversies
Thackeray is very vocal in his opposition to people who migrate to Mumbai, to non-Hindus and to illegal Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh. In the late 1970s, as part of his "Maharashtra is for Maharashtrians" campaign, Thackeray threatened migrants from South India with harm unless they left Mumbai.
In 2002, Thackeray issued a call to form Hindu suicide squads to counter alleged Muslim violence:
If such suicide squads are formed only then can we take on perpetrators of mindless violence.
In reaction to Thackeray’s call, Maharashtra government registered a case against him for inciting enmity between different groups.
Asia Times further reported on Thackeray’s rhetoric:
"to take the Muslims head on". "Trouble-making Muslims should be wiped out from the country ... kick out the four crore Bangladeshi Muslims and then the country will be secure," the Shiv Sena leader said. Urging Hindus to start calling India "Hindu rashtra", he maintained that only "our religion is to be honored here" and then "we will look after other religions".
At least two organizations founded and managed by the retired Indian Army officers namely Lt Col (retired) Jayant Rao Chitale and Lt Ge. P.N. Hoon (former commander-in-chief of the Western Command), answered Bal Thackeray’s call to set up the suicide squads in India. Lt Gen. Hoon claimed, Thackeray instructed him to set up the training camps.
Thackeray continues to publish inflammatory editorials in his party's newsletter, Saamana.
Views on Muslims
Thackeray's views have typically been highly anti-Muslim, usually attacking them and occasionally sympathizing with them. He has declared that he is not against every Muslim, but only those who reside in this country but do not obey the laws of the land. "I consider such people traitors". His party is viewed as being anti-Muslim, though Shiv Sainiks officially reject this accusation. When explaining his views on Hindutva, he has conflated Islam with violence and has called for Hindus to "fight terrorism and fight Islam". In an interview in Suketu Mehta's book 'Maximum City', he advocates the hanging of Indian Muslims and mass expulsion of Muslim migrants from neighboring Bangladesh.
In the 1980s he had stated that:
"Muslims were spreading like a cancer and should be operated on like a cancer. The country should be saved from the Muslims and the police should support Hindu Maha Sangh in their struggle just like the police in Punjab were sympathetic to the Khalistanis."
Bal Thackeray criticized and challenged Indian Muslims through his party newspaper, Sāmna, around the time the 16th century Babri Masjid was demolished by members of the Shiv Sena and the BJP in the northern town of Ayodhya, on December 6, 1992. Orthodox Hindus believe that the Babri Mosque was built on the demolished ruins of a Hindu temple in the 16th century, and consider it to be the Ram Janmabhoomi.
The Justice Srikrishna Commission of Enquiry, which investigated the ensuing communal riots in Mumbai, indicted Thackeray for sparking anti-Muslim violence, which led to more than 1,000 deaths in several ensuing riots, many by having kerosene poured on their bodies while alive and then being burned to death. The death toll during the actual act of the demolition of the Mosque was zero. The Srikrishna Commission found that Thackeray was personally responsible, not only for inciting the mobs through his incendiary speeches, but also directly coordinating the movement of the rioters. At the time, Thackeray made allegations that the Commission was "biased" and "anti-Hindu".
In a deposition before the Srikrishna Commission a witness alleged Thackeray coordinated much of the January 1993 Mumbai carnage. Yuvraj Mohite claimed, "Balasaheb was sitting and he was getting calls from various places. He would ask what was happening at that particular place from where he got the call and then he would say, 'Kill them. Send them to Allah.'" Mohite additionally told the commission that "Thackeray –Ordered that not one Muslim be left alive to stand in the witness box Asked his men to send the additional police commissioner, A A Khan, to his Allah.
Ordered his men to retaliate to the Hindu killings in Jogeshwari."
Later, in February 1993 Thackeray said, "I am proud of what my boys have done. We had to retaliate and we did. If it was not for us, no one would have controlled the Muslims."
However, in an interview in 1998, he claims to have tempered his stance on many issues that the Shiv Sena had with Muslims, particularly regarding the Babri Mosque or Ram Janmabhoomi issue, saying:
"We must look after the Muslims and treat them as part of us."
He has since made more inflammatory statements regarding Muslims, and reiterated his desire for Hindus to unite across linguistic barriers and to see "a Hindustan for Hindus" and to "bring Islam to this country down to its knees".
However, he has also expressed admiration for Muslims in Mumbai in the wake of the 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings. In response to threats made by the leader of the Samajwadi Party that accusations of terrorism directed at Indian Muslims would bring about communal strife, Thackeray said that the unity of Mumbaikars in the wake of the terrorist attacks was "a slap to fanatics of Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi" and that Thackeray "salute those Muslims who participated in the two minutes' silence on July 18 to mourn the blast victims".

In 2008, Thackeray wrote "Islamic terrorism is growing and Hindu terrorism is the only way to counter it. We need suicide bomb squads to protect India and Hindus,". "If they kill one Hindu, we'll kill hundreds of them," he once said. Is he threatening the muslims? by his statement,which reads, "If Muslims behave this way, they won't be able to celebrate their festivals," he said. "Islamic terrorism is growing and Hindu terrorism is the only way to counter it. We need suicide bomb squads to protect India and Hindus," Thackeray wrote in 2008.
Views on People from North Indian
On March 6, 2008, Bal Thackeray issued an editorial titled Ek Bihari, Sau Bimari in Saamna, saying Biharis were "an unwanted lot" in the Maharashtra. In what was termed as an apparent bid to recapture his party's Marathi sons of soil plank, which was being hijacked by the MNS leader Raj Thackeray, Bal Thackeray wrote about Biharis,
"They are not wanted in southern India, Assam and also Punjab and Chandigarh. The Biharis have antagonised local population wherever they had settled. The UP-Bihari MPs have shown their ingratitude towards Mumbai and Maharashtra with an anti-Marathi tirade in Parliament."
He also denounced Bihari MPs, saying they were "spitting in the same plate from which they ate" by criticising Mumbaikars and Maharashtrians. He also wrote, "They are trying to add fuel to the fire that has been extinguished, by saying that Mumbaikars have rotten brains." Additionally, he criticized a major holiday celebrated by people from Bihar, UP, and MP which happens sometimes after the Hindu New Year known as Chath Pooja. He said that it wasn't a real holiday. The outburst was apparently in response to MPs from Bihar who had disrupted the proceedings of the Lok Sabha in protest against the attacks on North Indians.
Views against Abdul Kalam, President of India
Thackeray has been a vocal critic of the former President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam. Thackeray said Kalam was a leading scientist of the country but had "lost the dignity of the post" after he became President. He has criticized Kalam's indecisiveness regarding the conviction of Mohammad Afzal, who has been sentenced to death following his conviction for the 2001 Indian Parliament attack. Thackeray criticizes the fact that a convicted terrorist's appeal for clemency is even being considered by Kalam.
"Afzal was sentenced to death by the highest court in this country in October and yet the file has been sitting on the President's table for the past few years. I have not said anything wrong about Kalam. We all have supported him to become President. Afzal's clemency letter is still lying with the President. Give me another example where the President has not taken decision on a clemency petition for four months."
Admiration of Hitler
Thackeray has attracted controversy for his praise of Adolf Hitler.
"I am a great admirer of Hitler, and I am not ashamed to say so! I do not say that I agree with all the methods he employed, but he was a wonderful organizer and orator, and I feel that he and I have several things in common. What India really needs is a dictator who will rule benevolently, but with an iron hand."
In an interview with the Indian Express that was printed on January 29, 2007, Thackeray remarked,
"Hitler did very cruel and ugly things. But he was an artist, I love him for that. He had the power to carry the whole nation, the mob with him. You have to think what magic he had. He was a miracle ... The killing of Jews was wrong. But the good part about Hitler was that he was an artist. He was a daredevil. He had good qualities and bad. I may also have good qualities and bad ones."
In an article appearing in Newindpress.com on August 20, 2007, Thackeray is quoted as wanting to be a dictator and the Hitler of the whole of India:
He is on record as having told the Navakal: "Yes, I am a dictator. It is a Hitler that is needed in India today." He was once asked in a television programme whether he wanted to be the Hitler of Mumbai. "Do not underestimate me," he is reported to have retorted. "I am (the Hitler) of the whole of Maharashtra and want to be of whole of India." The Hitler question was put to him in September 1996 by Outlook magazine as well during an interview. "Once you’d expressed admiration for certain facets of Hitler." "Comparison was inevitable," the interviewer prompted. Thackaray said: "I have not sent anybody to the gas chamber. If I’d been like that, you wouldn't have dared to come and interview me."
Pro-Tamil Tiger Views
Thackeray has admitted that he is pro-Tamil Tiger. He says, "I am proud of the Tigers for the gallant manner in which they are fighting."
He also wanted a ban on the LTTE lifted by the center-wing government.
Latest Shivsena Party Situations
Bal Thackeray's son Uddhav Thackeray, and nephew Raj Thackeray led to divisions within the Shiv Sena. In addition to this, several old hands such as hard-line leader Narayan Rane were left the Sena.
On December 18, 2005, Raj Thackeray announced his resignation as a primary member of the Shiv Sena. On March 19, 2006, Raj announced the formation of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
Valentine's Day protests
Boycotting shops and restaurants that allow young people to celebrate the "western" holiday of Valentine's Day, interpreted as bestial, indecent andun-Indian by Thackeray, is one of his recent actions. On February 14, 2006, Bal Thackeray condemned and apologized for the violent attacks of Shiv Sena members upon a private Valentine's Day celebration in Mumbai. "It is said that women were beaten up in the Nallasopara incident. If that really happened, then it is a symbol of cowardice," Thackeray said, "I have always instructed Shiv Sainiks that in any situation women should not be humiliated and harassed." Thackeray and the Shiv Sena remain opposed to Valentine's Day celebrations, although they may support an "Indian alternative".
Conclusion of my article
I just want to show the positive approach of Bal Thackeray. Controversies was happened, are happening & will happen again but approach of this man, Indian politics cannot be ignored....

Biography of Bal Thackeray

Biography of Bal Thackeray

Balasaheb Keshav Thackeray was born on 23 January 1926 in Pune, Maharashtra, India, popularly known as Balasaheb Thackeray, is an Indian politician, founder and chief of the Shiv Sena.

Balasaheb Thackeray was born to Keshav Sitaram Thackeray in a lower-middle class, marathi family. Keshav Thackeray was a progressive social activist and writer who was against caste biases and played a key role in the Samyukta Maharashtra Chalwal in the 1950s to form the Marathi-speaking state of Maharashtra with Mumbai as its capital.

Balasaheb Thackeray started his career as a cartoonist in the Free Press Journal in Mumbai in the 1950s. His cartoons were also published in the Sunday edition of The Times of India. In 1960, he launched a cartoon weekly Marmik with his brother. He used it to campaign against the growing influence of non-Marathi people in Mumbai targeting Gujaratis and South Indian labor workers.

He formed the Shiv Sena on 19 June 1966 with the intent of fighting for the rights of the natives of the state of Maharashtra. The early objective of the Shiv Sena was to ensure job security for Maharashtrians against immigrants from southern India, Gujaratis and Marwaris.

Politically, the Sena was anti-communist, and wrested control of major trade unions in Mumbai from the Communist Party of India and demanded protection money(extortion) from mainly Gujarati and marwari business leaders. It later allied itself with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the common issue of Hindu Nationalism which both parties believed in. The BJP-Shiv Sena combine won the 1995 Maharashtra State Assembly elections and came to power. During the tenure of the government from 1995 to 1999, Thackeray was nicknamed ‘remote control’ since he played a major role in government policies and decisions from behind the scenes.

On July 28, 1999 Bal Thackeray was banned from voting and contesting in any election for six years from December 11, 1995 on the recommendations of the Election Commission. After the six-year voting ban on Bal Thackeray was lifted in 2005, he voted for the first time in the 2006 BMC elections.

Thackeray has claimed that the Shiv Sena has helped the Marathi manoos (the Marathi commoner) in Mumbai and also fought for the rights of Hindu people,Thackeray is a staunch Hindu and believes that Hindus must be organised to struggle against those who oppose our identity and religion. especially in the public sector. Opposition leftist parties allege that the Shiv Sena has done little to solve the problem of unemployment facing a large proportion of Maharashtrian youth during its tenure, in contradiction to its ideological foundation of ‘sons of the soil.’

Thackeray is very vocal in his controversial opposition to people who migrate to Mumbai, to non-Hindus (especially Muslims), and to illegal Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh. In the late 1960s to mid-1970s, as part of his ‘Maharashtra is for Maharashtrians’ campaign, Thackeray threatened migrants from South India with harm unless they left Mumbai.

BALA SAHEB THACKERAY'S SOCIAL VISIT

HINDU NATION & BALASAHEB THACKERAY'S VISION

The Nation of Our Dreams Balasaheb Thackeray's vision(Mr. Bal Thackeray, writing in a sponsored feature in the Indian Express, Mumbai onOctober 11, 1998)This is a Hindu nation. Here it is. Just as it was. And just as itwill be. Always, and forever....After 300 long years, the saffron flies again over Maharashtra. Thesaffron. The symbol of sacrifice. Prepare to welcome the saffron.The march has begun, never to stop. Shiv Sainiks will carry the flagto the East, to the West, to the North and to the South. Everywhere.We will cross the Sahyadris. And we will breach the Himalayas. We willpaint the ramparts of the Red Fort in saffron. We must fulfilChhatrapati Maharaj's dram. We must build the Hindustan of our dreams.It is a historic task we have set out to accomplish. So help us God.Everywhere in the country people are turning to the Shiv Sena.Anywhere you find a sense of insecurity among the Hindus, you will alsofind the Shiv Sena. For the endangered and the insecure, for thedeprived and the depraved (sic), the Shiv Sena is the only hope. TheShiv Sena can never betray the trust reposed by the hopeless millions.The Shiv Sena is not just a political party. It is a tree growinghuge,striking its roots into the soil of this land, spreading its vastbranches to protect and preserve Hindustan....It is our Hindustan we have to build. We have to create a Hindustanfor Hindus. We have to create a country where Hindus are respected.The country where Hindutva will shine in all its glory. A country wherethe anti-Hindu shall bow before the will of the Hindu. That is thecountry we have to build.....Look at our country. Our laws. Our rules. A whole long list ofdon'ts meant only for Hindus. And who are the ones who are empowered?The Mussalmans.How long are we to tolerate this? How long are we to stand by andwatch these antics in the name of religion? How long will those inpower fool us? How long can we pretend not to see what goes on in thename of concession to the so-called minorities?...Let us have a little laugh over our peculiar brand of secularism. Themicrophones blare at us spreading the word of Allah a good five times aday. But no Hindu can dare to play cymbals or beat the prayer drumswhile he passes the house of Allah.Secularism in our context is but an opportunistic impartiality, whichwas never intended to be, and therefore never will. It's just anothercoinage and convenience, a piece of useful jargon. But the intent isdeadly.Look under the cover of this impartiality, and you will find an unholyincest between purpose and intent.Opportunism is the prophylactic (sic), but the demon will surely beborn.Someday, someday very soon, when the purpose and the intent stand atcross-purposes, the membrane will be torn. And the bastard will beconceived. The monster will be born. And our land will be cursed.Look at the population. The growth in Hindu population is graduallyslowing down. But the Mussalman is on a rampage. From 30 million to130 million! As if he was born only to breed. Somehow, oh, somehow,can we somehow convince them that they are citizens of this country;tell them that their identity is not in danger; their existence is notin danger.I do not call the Mussalman a traitor. But unfortunately for them,their leadership is treacherous. The undoing of the Mussalmans in thissubcontinent is the lack of proper leadership. They have not had asingle good leader. Neither before, nor after the partition. Leadersof the stature of Maulana Azad and Hamid Dalwai failed to pass on theirdoctrines.And what we are left with are the likes of Shahbuddin, Bukhari andBanatwala. Tragicomic?.....As I see it, there are only two sects of peoples in our country. Onehas sworn allegiance to the country. The other is clearly against thecountry.And as far as I can see it, there has never been any other sect.....Forbeing an Indian, it is not only important to abide by our laws, but itis also important to live as we do, to accept our culture and to respectour traditions. And not only that, one must accept that Hinduism has byfar the largest following in this country. This must be remembered.Always.Those who refuse to accept this have no right to live in this country.Those who have all their lives spoken ill of Hindutva are not going tobe spared. Embrace this country in its entirety, as Hindustan. Elseleave.

IBN Lokmat - Balasaheb Thackeray wish - Raj Thackeray Uddhav Thackeray should come together

IBN Lokmat - Balasaheb Thackeray wish - Raj Thackeray Uddhav Thackeray should come together

 

Balasaheb Thackeray is 85 years old now.

7 Years back Raj left Shivsena and formed MNS , and today MNS is raising in Maharashtra.
MNS has given one new option to people of Maharashtra.


Balasaheb Thackeray in an interview given to Nikhil Wagle on 12the February 2012
told to Nikhil Wagle that both should that is Raj Thackeray and Uddhave Thackeray should come together for the benefit of Maharashtra.
Loss to Shivsena is less and more to Maharashtra.
Balasaheb also said that King Shivaji also fought with Mavala, that is Marathi people, People of Maharashtra.

Nikhil Wagle ask
Balasaheb why he do not invite both of them but Balasaheb said
How can he invite both horses and tell them join.


Balasaheb also said he may think or wish they should come together but what is the use of such thinking , they should come together and both should not have separated , should have stayed together.

If Raj comes and says sorry will you forgive him?
Balasaheb said he do not think he will come and say sorry.

Few days back Raj told in an interview that he is with the Shivsena of Balasaheb and not others.

Now question is Can they come together?

I do not think Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray will come together.
I do not think MNS and Shivsena will merge and there will be only one Shivsena.

For Political gains they both may come together.
If in BMC elections or Pune elections Raj becomes the king maker and without help of Raj no one can rule in such situations Shivsena and MNS will join hands that is the compulsion of
Politics.

Example is Congress and NCP that is Sharad Pawar and Sonia Gandhi

Politics is the game where anything is possible but merging of Shivsena and MNS is impossible as there can be only one King, there can be only one Chief Minister and there can be only one Supremo or Chief of the any political party.

Uddhav and Raj Thackeray both are powerful , both are great and Maharashtra may get the 2 powerful parties MNS and Shivsena.

Thus No Merging of MNS and Shivsena.

For me I think 2 parties are good for Maharashtra, competition is good in Politics and
I hope more and more people will join the politics and start their own political parties.

Balasaheb Thakre's Son

Uddhav Thackeray Photography - Thakre Balasaheb Thakre's Son
For those who feel that Maharashtrian culture is waning, here is a story to lift your spirits.  Maharashtra’
s very own Uddhav Thackeray will be traveling to Philadelphia, USA for the Brihan Maharashtra Mandal’s (BMM) cultural convention to be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Centre, Philadelphia, between 2nd July and 5th July, 2009. The convention will be attended by over 4,000 Maharashtrians from the US as well as India.

BMM has invited Shiv Sena Uddhav Thackeray for the convention for an exhibition of his aerial photography of Maharashtra, India. A BMM spokesperson made it clear that Uddhav Thackeray was invited for his camera skills and not as a politician.

“The visual vocabulary of Maharashtra is mystical. From the centuries-old Ajanta and Ellora Caves to Shivaji Maharaj’s forts to the towering skyscrapers of Mumbai, Maharashtra’s rich history and heritage, natural beauty, architectural wonders, vibrant people and a colorful and diverse culture are poetic. I have made a humble attempt to capture the magic of Maharashtra through the lens of my camera. This exhibition of my photos  are a small token of my gratitude to Maharashtra, the land that I’m blessed to be born in and whose denizens have given me unconditional love,” says Uddhav Thackeray.

Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Ashok Chavan will inaugurate the convention on July 3. Socialist activist Anna Hazare will be the chief guest.  Industrialist Baba Kalyani, chairman, Kalyani Group, will be the key note speaker. Spiritual speakers like Shankar Abhyankar and Swami Madhavanand will also be present.

BMM’s 14th convention of the Marathi speaking community in the US will be a bonanza for participants given the cultural, literary, theatrical-cinematic and social treats on the card.
Legendary singer Asha Bhosale will be honored with Vishwa Gaurav Puraskar on July 4. Over 100 Marathi artists and theatre personalities like Nana Patekar, Vikram Gokhale, Pradeep Patwardhan and Vandana Gupte will attend and performing the event which will host 30 cultural programs will attend and perform at the three-day convention.

Achanak, Gabhricha Paus, Tandala, Wavtal and Made in China are the five Marathi films that have been shortlisted for the festival. Live performances by renowned artists in music, dance and drama will be staged.

“I am here as a photographer and not as the leader of the Shiv Sena. For me, this convention is an opportunity to showcase Maharashtra’s rich cultural heritage to future generations,” Thackeray explains.

Uddhav Thackeray is looking forward to the opportunity of making his contribution to the promotion of Marathi culture, and hopes that the younger generation will embrace their heritage with pride.

# # #

The Brihan Maharashtra Mandal’s (BMM) cultural convention to be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Centre, Philadelphia, between 2nd July and 5th July, 2009.

Uddhav Thackeray is Executive President of the Shiva Sena, Maharashtra, India. Mr Thackeray is also a renowned photographer.
udhav thakre's photography