“The Shiv Sena
does not have a theory, and it is impossible for an organization to survive
sans a theory,” said the veteran communist leader S A Dange while addressing a
Sena meeting in 1984 at the invitation of none other than the founder of the
organisation Bal Thackeray. Shiv Sena “survived,
flourished, because of a lack of theory,” wrote Suketu Mehta two decades later
in his brilliant
book on Thackeray’s city. The Sena “always
hitched a ride aboard the theory of the day: anti-communism, fascism,
socialism, anti-immigrant and, now, anti-Muslim, pro-Hindu,” wrote Mehta.
Raj Thackeray
inherited his uncle’s bizarrely opportunistic genes. His latest antic is to get Karan Johar to
donate Rs 5 crore to the Army welfare fund for having produced a movie with a
Pakistani actor in it. Indian army was
quick to distance itself from such political drama. Mercifully, the army is still led by sensible
people especially after General V K Singh left it and took upon the BJP mantle.
In 1996,
Michael Jackson performed in Mumbai which was Bombay until a few months back. Bal Thackeray rechristened the city after the
Bharatiya goddess Mumbaidevi. But he had
no qualms about letting Michael Jackson entertain the city with his American culture
and art. Thackeray got Jackson to donate
a million dollars to his party.
Thackeray got Jackson to visit him at his residence. Forget that the first thing Jackson did after
entering Thackeray’s residence was to pee.
Forget that the toilet in which Jackson peed was preserved as a sacred
place by Thackeray and was shown off to his VIP visitors later with unabashed
pride.
That shamelessness
is the real Thackeray legacy which Raj has inherited. He knows how to use everything including an
innocuous movie for puerile political purposes.
The simple
truth is that there are far better ways of solving the problem between India
and Pakistan than what our mean-minded politicians make us believe. For example, in the last 12 years the trade
between the two countries has grown from $345 million to $2.6 billion. And India exports five times of what it
imports from Pakistan. Can’t our
politicians think of improving such relationships which will mean much for the
people of both countries? Perhaps, Raj
Thackeray should go to his uncle’s house and sit on the Jackson commode and contemplate
a while.
The less said about these politicians the better. Hope, one day India wakes up and sidelines such leaders.
ReplyDeleteLet me share your hope.
DeleteWow! Powerful piece...
ReplyDelete:) :) :)
DeleteExtortion in the name of patriotism it is. Disgusting ! Is it a democracy which is meant only for the bullies ?
ReplyDeleteBullies are ruling us. What else should we expect?
Delete