Thackeray Brothers Re-unite on Hindi, Say will Capture Power in Mumbai, Maharashtra
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, July 5: After a political separation that spanned over two decades, the two cousin brothers Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray were re-united on Saturday jointly addressing a rally from one platform in Mumbai.
The event, titled ‘Awaj Marathicha’ (Voice of the Marathi), has been jointly organised by Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), marking the first time since 2005 that the two estranged leaders shared a stage.
Thousands of MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) workers marched enthusiastically to the venue of the joint rally. Amid a heavy rush, hundreds of workers forced their way inside the NSCI Dome campus in Worli to listen to the Thackeray brothers. An equally electrifying atmosphere prevailed inside the packed NSCI Dome.
“Supporters of both parties forcefully entered the venue by breaking down the main gate. Police later shut the gate again to avoid the repeat of the incident. A posse of police personnel has been deployed at the spot,” an official said, adding that police have installed additional barricades at the spot. Both parties have pulled out all the stops to put up a strong show of strength.
LED screens were installed in various areas of Mumbai and Maharashtra to enable people to listen to the Thackeray brothers protesting against the Maharashtra government’s earlier attempt to “impose” Hindi as the third language, a decision rescinded by the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on the eve of the Sena-MNS joint rally.
The ruling Mahayuti coalition’s recent rollback of a controversial policy mandating Hindi as a third language in Maharashtra’s primary schools has served as the trigger for this show of unity by the Thackeray cousins. Both Uddhav, 64, and Raj, 57, had strongly opposed the proposal, and the rally is being positioned as a “victory” for Marathi linguistic identity. “You may have power in the Vidhan Bhawan, we have power on the roads.”
“Where did you get this three-language formula from? This came only from the central government. Today, in the High Court and the Supreme Court, everything is in English. It is not there in any other state. Why only in Maharashtra? When Maharashtra awakens, you see what happens,” he said.
The BJP-led Mahayuti government amended its April 16 order that directed making Hindi a compulsory third language for students in Classes 1 to 5 studying in English and Marathi medium schools. Amid a backlash, the government on June 17 made Hindi an optional language.
“The Maharashtra government rolled back the decision on the three-language formula due to the strong unity shown by Marathi people. This decision was a precursor to the plan of separating Mumbai from Maharashtra,” Raj said. “We won’t let the government impose Hindi on us,” he added.
Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray said he and his cousin Raj Thackeray have “come together to stay together” while sharing the political stage with the MNS chief for the first time in almost 20 years. Mr Uddhav also said he and Raj would capture power in the Mumbai civic body and Maharashtra together. “We have come together to stay together,” he asserted. The rally originally convened to protest against alleged imposition of Hindi was converted into victory rally after the state government rolled back its two earlier GRs to this effect.
The MNS chief Raj Thackeray targeted the Centre over its alleged imposition of Hindi across the country, including Maharashtra, and sought to know if the BJP stalwart LK Advani’s education at a missionary school raised any doubts on his Hindutva. Even Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray studied in an English school and worked for an English newspaper but “never compromised on the status of Marathi”, Raj told a massive joint rally.
“We studied in Marathi medium. Our children studied in English. They say we love English, how can we like Marathi? My father and uncle studied in the English medium. Can you doubt them?” he told the crowd. “LK Advani studied at St. Patricks High School, a missionary school. Should we doubt his Hindutva?” he added.
In a lighter vein, Raj Thackeray thanked the chief minister for re-uniting the two brothers. He said Mr Devendra Fadnavis has managed to bring him and Uddhav together, a feat he said even Balasaheb Thackeray could not accomplish. “The Maharashtra Government rolled back the decision on the three-language formula due to the strong unity shown by Marathi people. This decision was a precursor to the plan of separating Mumbai from Maharashtra,” the MNS chief said with Uddhav seated on the stage.
He said “Many politicians and film stars in South India studied in English schools but are proud of Tamil and Telugu languages.” Many politicians and film stars in South India have studied in English schools but are proud of Tamil and Telugu languages, the MNS chief said. “Jayalalithaa, MK Stalin, Kanimozhi, Udhayanidhi, Pawan Kalyan, Nara Lokesh, Kamal Haasan, AR Rahman, they all studied in English,” he told the crowd. “Your bitterness doesn’t depend on where you studied, it has to be in you. They say one language binds you, what was the problem till now?” he added.
Even the security forces are not bound by one language, Raj said. “Madras, Rajput, Dogra, Sikh, Parachute, Maratha, Assam, Bihar, Mahar, Jammu Kashmir, Naga, Gorkha, all these regiments are there in defence. When they see an enemy, they go kill together. Where is the question of language here?” he said.
In Worli, the constituency of Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray, several hoardings featuring Raj and Uddhav dotted the skyline. Leaders of Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS have put up banners at several places, appealing to the two brothers to remain united forever for the cause of the “Marathi manoos.”
The Congress, an ally of the Sena (UBT), will not be a part of the victory celebration, state Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal said, but maintained his party supports the protest against making Hindi “mandatory” for students of Classes 1-5.
NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar, who is allied with the Congress and the Sena (UBT) under the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) banner, told reporters in Pune on Thursday that he would not attend the event due to prior commitments. The party state president Jayant Patil said his party’s working president Supriya Sule, party MLA Jitendra Awhad or either of them would attend the celebration. He said MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar had called him to invite the NCP (SP) for the event.
With the BMC elections approaching, this move is being seen as more than just the estranged cousins coming together for a cultural protest, but also a politically crucial move ahead of the polls. “Hindi is just a 200-year-old language. Try putting your hands on Mumbai or Maharashtra, you will see what happens,” Raj Thackeray warned. “People should be able to speak Marathi, no debate on this. If somebody does drama, then they must be slapped. But there is no need to hit people randomly.”
“There will be no compromise on Marathi language,” Raj Thackeray resolved. The last time Raj and Uddhav appeared together in public was during the Malvan Assembly by-election campaign in 2005. At that time, the Shiv Sena was still a united entity under the towering presence of Bal Thackeray. The by-poll was necessitated by the resignation of Narayan Rane, a senior Shiv Sena leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister, who had quit the party following internal disagreements.
Shortly after that campaign, Raj Thackeray left Shiv Sena. In November 2005, in an emotionally charged press conference at Shivaji Park, Raj announced his resignation from the party his uncle had founded. “All I had asked for was respect. All I got was insult and humiliation,” he said, stopping short of directly naming his cousin Uddhav.
After Raj Thackeray’s explosive speech, his cousin Uddhav took a softer stance and began his speech with a quip. “After so many years, Raj and I met on a stage. The problem is, he called me ‘respected Uddhav Thackeray’. So I will also say, ‘respected Raj Thackeray,” said Uddhav.
It was in January 2003 that Bal Thackeray named his son Uddhav as the working president of the party. The announcement was formally made by Raj Thackeray himself. Raj Thackeray had long been viewed by party workers and outside observers as Bal Thackeray’s political heir. Within party ranks, resentment had been simmering. Raj’s supporters complained of being sidelined. They alleged bias in ticket distribution and the gradual marginalisation of those aligned with him.
But 20 years later, things seem to have calmed down between the cousins. “Everyone who is here has forgotten the party division for Marathi. One thing is clear: we have removed the distance between us. We have come together, we will stay together,” Uddhav Thackeray declared.
“Mumbai was our right, we fought and got it. We have to expose the BJP’s ‘one nation, one election’ idea. Slowly, they want to make everything one. Hindu and Hindustan, we agree but we won’t allow Hindi. We made Marathi compulsory; we had to do it,” he added.
