Why this North Indian exodus?
I am a Malayali staying in Maharashtra since last 35 years. Kerala, my native state, gave birth to me and Maharashtra is another mother who looked after me in these 35 years. I love Marathi language, which is sweet and noble. I cherish the ethos of Maharashtra and its rich traditions. Marathi literature, literary figures like V.S. Khandekar, Tamasha, Lavni, Mahatma Gandhi’s personal secretary Kaka Kalkekar, Baba Amte are dear and near and sublime to me. Incidentally, I compiled a Marathi-English-Malayalam Dictionary in four parts with pronunciation guide, pronunciation of important and difficult words, Marathi Grammar through Malayalam and an appendix. Chatrapati Shivaji invented guerilla warfare and superbly practiced it against Mughals. Two centuries later, in Kerala King Pazhassi, known as Pazhassi Raja, used guerilla warfare against British. Maharashtrians are gentle, warm and friendly people. However, what Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Shiv Sena are wooing now in the name of Marathi and the culture of Maharashtra is quite embarrassing, saddening and unacceptable to those who really love and respect Marathi, culture of Maharashtra and Maharashtrians.
The clamor raised by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena founder-leader Raj Thackeray against north Indians is a cleverly scripted pure power politics drama. Before finding out the answers as to why this north Indian exodus, we have to look at the fundamental factors influenced the exodus.
Mumbai, the financial capital of India, presently has a population of 12 million people. Every fourth person we see in Mumbai is a north Indian. In another words, the estimated north Indian population in Mumbai is 4 million. Every day more and more north Indian migrants are coming in to Mumbai and based on the present migration statistics the annual north Indian influx would be 2 million. According to a United Nations report, by 2015 Mumbai will have 30 million people, higher than the entire Australian continental population that is currently only 21 million, making it the world’s second most crowed city after Tokyo. As against a designated commuter capacity of 2500, during peak hours Mumbai local trains carry 7500 passengers. Here every day 500 new cars are adding to the fleet of vehicles and making the already congested roads more congested.
Raj Thackeray quit Shiv Sena in 2005 protesting Bal Thackeray, the founder-leader of Shiv Sena, ignored him and made his son Uddhav the executive president of the party. Uddhav is now 47 and Raj is 39. However, Uddhav had entered politics a decade later Raj began working for Shiv Sena in 1983. Raj used to accompany his uncle Bal Thackeray to political rallies and meetings from the tender age of six and sit in the stage often fiddling with his uncle’s garland. Raj is an artiste like his uncle Bal and cousin Uddhav.
Raj joined J.J. School of Arts and became a students’ union leader there. Though Bal Thackeray politically groomed his nephew Raj, indeed Raj extensively credited with the rise of Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Sena, the Shiv Sena’s students outfit that Bal Thackeray gave him to run and nurture in the 1980s and which has long provided its share of the Shiv Sena’s dreaded muscle power. For much of that period and subsequently, Raj was among Bal Thackeray’s closest coterie, and became a key leader of Shiv Sena cadre.
“Raj has had a strong and loyal following even within the Shiv Sena and it is entirely possible that once the Bal Thackeray era ends, many may defect Uddhav and join to Raj Thackeray,” says political commentator Ketkar. “This vote bank may be scattered and chaotic, but there are enough lumpen elements to keep up the rabblerousing and they could prefer Raj over Uddhav”.
As widely expected to make a position, even after two years, Raj Thackeray’s MNS could not make a creditable presence and impact in the political arena. On the other hand, learning lessons from the repeated defeats, Shiv Sena changed their strategy from “Me, Marathi” to “Me, Mumbaikar” eying and hunting north Indian vote bank, which is significant that influencing the victory and defeat in the electorate, and reaped the fruits in Mumbai Municipal election.. Raj Thackeray’s MNS lost heavily and almost wiped out. From the total contested 221 seats, MNS could win only a meager 6 seats. MNS defeat lead Shiv Sena to claim that they proved that they are the ‘real party’ stands for the rights of Maharasthrians.
The strategy paid off as the Shiv Sena retained power from substantial support from the north Indian vote in last year’s high-profile elections to the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, which is India’s richest municipality with a staggering annual turnover of Rs. 12,000 crore. Indeed, the Shiva Sena runs six municipalities in Maharashtra namely Mumbai, Thane, Nasik, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Pune. In Pune municipality, the Shiv Sena actually junked it ally BJP and teamed up rival NCP to seize power.
After last year’s Mumbai municipal elections Raj was very much depressed and struggling hard to stay politically afloat. He was desperately trying for an occasion to strike in search of a political space. Raj was well aware of that before the elections to state assembly and parliament in 2009 a substantial political clout is necessary for survival. He decided to follow the tested and proved example of his uncle Bal Thackeray and started from what his uncle did in 1966. Instead of south Indians, Raj targeted north Indians. He cleverly selected the iconic Amitabh Bachan and verbally attacked him at a right time.
Then the verbal exchanges started between Abu Azmi, Amar Singh, and Jaya Bachan etc. Next scenes with MNS attacks and vandalism against north Indians saying “outsiders” spoiling ‘Maharashtrian culture’ and they are not ‘respecting’ and learning Marathi etc., followed by Raj Thackeray’s great arrest and release on bail circus, the death of a Marathi Manus and innocent statement with “folded hand apology”, after two days another death of north Indian Manus, both incidents were due to wreckage and stone throwing, but in later no folded hands apology and sorrow, daily episode of statements, comments and justifications from Raj Thackery in press when there was a gag order prevails from the court not to make public statement, giving or publishing interview or incite his workers and thus making the gag order a mockery etc. Now a fresh gag order issued effective till March 3, 2008. One example, during the prevailing of gag order Raj’s statement appeared in press “to give our R.S. Gavai and take back 25, 00,000 Biharis”. Ironically, R.S. Gavai, Governor of Bihar, clearly said that he does not agree with Raj Thackeray and not in need of his sympathy.
Many a private television channels comprising lollypop journalist babes with their verbal-diarrhea, the self-addressing ‘media people’ celebrated the incidents and competed each other with their gross ignorance, ignorance and mediocrity. Overnight Raj Thackeray has become a national figure and the coverage and free publicity he got in the print and visual media is worth above a 100 crore planned publicity campaign. Yes, Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena, BJP, Abu Azmi, Amar Singh and the futile attitude of law and order system in Maharashtra and above all the UPA government in centre are responsible for making him a national figure. The fundamental rights of the people violated and questioned, the Constitution, law and order, peace and tranquility of society and the country shattered were the repercussions.
Nikhil Wagh, the editor of Mahanagar and veteran activist-journalist pointed out that it was a different world 40 years ago and Bal Thackeray could succeed at polarizing opinion then. He added that now is the age of globalization and today Maharahtrians like him are dependent on the non-Maharashtrians at every turn in their daily lives. Therefore Raj Thackeray’s attempt at polarizing will not work.
Just look at these facts and you may read clearly the unwritten letters. The irony is quite enjoyable. The MNS vice-president is a migrant from Aligarh in U.P. who speaks only broken Marathi. Prem Shukla, the Shiv Sena leader and newspaper editor is a migrant from U.P. Bal Thackeray was a mere current affairs cartoonist in the Free Press Journal. Now Raj Thackery is doing partnership realtor business with Manohar Joshi’s son. Raj Thackeray’s father Shrikant Thackery, the younger brother of Bal Thackeray, was a music composer who sung Mohamed Rafi, a migrant and Muslim, first time in Marathi.
Jobs are plenty for Maharashtrians in Mumbai and elsewhere in Maharashtra. But, many of them are not willing to work and all want government jobs. They are not ready to become taxi drivers, rickshaw drivers, vegetable vendors, fish vendors, milk suppliers, newspaper boys etc. According to the Mumbai Taxi Drivers Union President, Maharashtrians own 60 per cent taxis and 90 per cent of them are driven by north Indians. North Indians ready to work 12 – 18 hours and doing such jobs Marathi Manus are reluctant to do and thus they are not taking away any opportunities of Marathi Manus.
I think Raj Thackery has to learn perfectly the doctrine live and let live. Mumbai is the most populated metropolitan city of India and its culture is pluralistic. In India, all cultures are pluralistic and unity in diversity is our strength. Constitution gives every Indian citizen the fundamental right to live, work and travel in any part of India freely. The Constitution also enjoins upon Central government to make sure that its provisions, together with the laws passed by the Parliament, are implemented by the states. The Centre also has both the responsibility and authority to discipline the states that refuses to do so. Neither UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi nor Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh or NCP leader Sharad Pawar condemned the attack to north Indians. After 13 days of wreckage and vandalism, Government of Maharashtra arrested Raj Thackery. As rightly pointed out by a newspaper, the passivity of Vilas Rao Desmukh government is most reprehensible. Was there any secret agenda or lining up of any new political equations?
I fail to understand how Marathi language and Maharashtrian culture are spoiled by north Indians. Is studying in English medium schools, sending their children in English medium schools and instructing children and grandchildren to read Marathi (family) newspaper regularly symbol of showing respect of Marathi language and Maharashtrian culture? I am amused to read Raj Thackeray’s response to Sudheendra Kulkarni’s open letter and equating him with Mahatma Gandhi and justifying the ‘spontaneous outrage in a people’s movement’ and ignoring lion share of the questions raised by him. Incidentally, Sudheendra Kulkarni is the most adored person by Raj as ‘a person who has handled the country’s politics and culture from the Prime Minister’s Office’. I am equally amused to see how Raj Thackeray cleverly evaded responding the valid questions asked by Prasarbharati ex-Chairman M.V. Kamath in his column in The Free Press Journal, Shobhaa De in the Times of India, Sujata Ananadan in the Hindustan Times and many more writers, political observers, editors, politicians and the public.
In sum, if the exodus continues the economy of Maharashtra in general and the financial capital of India Mumbai in particular will suffer severely which in turn will affect all Indians including the families of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers and Shiv Sena workers.
Mumbai, the financial capital of India, presently has a population of 12 million people. Every fourth person we see in Mumbai is a north Indian. In another words, the estimated north Indian population in Mumbai is 4 million. Every day more and more north Indian migrants are coming in to Mumbai and based on the present migration statistics the annual north Indian influx would be 2 million. According to a United Nations report, by 2015 Mumbai will have 30 million people, higher than the entire Australian continental population that is currently only 21 million, making it the world’s second most crowed city after Tokyo. As against a designated commuter capacity of 2500, during peak hours Mumbai local trains carry 7500 passengers. Here every day 500 new cars are adding to the fleet of vehicles and making the already congested roads more congested.
Raj Thackeray quit Shiv Sena in 2005 protesting Bal Thackeray, the founder-leader of Shiv Sena, ignored him and made his son Uddhav the executive president of the party. Uddhav is now 47 and Raj is 39. However, Uddhav had entered politics a decade later Raj began working for Shiv Sena in 1983. Raj used to accompany his uncle Bal Thackeray to political rallies and meetings from the tender age of six and sit in the stage often fiddling with his uncle’s garland. Raj is an artiste like his uncle Bal and cousin Uddhav.
Raj joined J.J. School of Arts and became a students’ union leader there. Though Bal Thackeray politically groomed his nephew Raj, indeed Raj extensively credited with the rise of Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Sena, the Shiv Sena’s students outfit that Bal Thackeray gave him to run and nurture in the 1980s and which has long provided its share of the Shiv Sena’s dreaded muscle power. For much of that period and subsequently, Raj was among Bal Thackeray’s closest coterie, and became a key leader of Shiv Sena cadre.
“Raj has had a strong and loyal following even within the Shiv Sena and it is entirely possible that once the Bal Thackeray era ends, many may defect Uddhav and join to Raj Thackeray,” says political commentator Ketkar. “This vote bank may be scattered and chaotic, but there are enough lumpen elements to keep up the rabblerousing and they could prefer Raj over Uddhav”.
As widely expected to make a position, even after two years, Raj Thackeray’s MNS could not make a creditable presence and impact in the political arena. On the other hand, learning lessons from the repeated defeats, Shiv Sena changed their strategy from “Me, Marathi” to “Me, Mumbaikar” eying and hunting north Indian vote bank, which is significant that influencing the victory and defeat in the electorate, and reaped the fruits in Mumbai Municipal election.. Raj Thackeray’s MNS lost heavily and almost wiped out. From the total contested 221 seats, MNS could win only a meager 6 seats. MNS defeat lead Shiv Sena to claim that they proved that they are the ‘real party’ stands for the rights of Maharasthrians.
The strategy paid off as the Shiv Sena retained power from substantial support from the north Indian vote in last year’s high-profile elections to the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, which is India’s richest municipality with a staggering annual turnover of Rs. 12,000 crore. Indeed, the Shiva Sena runs six municipalities in Maharashtra namely Mumbai, Thane, Nasik, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Pune. In Pune municipality, the Shiv Sena actually junked it ally BJP and teamed up rival NCP to seize power.
After last year’s Mumbai municipal elections Raj was very much depressed and struggling hard to stay politically afloat. He was desperately trying for an occasion to strike in search of a political space. Raj was well aware of that before the elections to state assembly and parliament in 2009 a substantial political clout is necessary for survival. He decided to follow the tested and proved example of his uncle Bal Thackeray and started from what his uncle did in 1966. Instead of south Indians, Raj targeted north Indians. He cleverly selected the iconic Amitabh Bachan and verbally attacked him at a right time.
Then the verbal exchanges started between Abu Azmi, Amar Singh, and Jaya Bachan etc. Next scenes with MNS attacks and vandalism against north Indians saying “outsiders” spoiling ‘Maharashtrian culture’ and they are not ‘respecting’ and learning Marathi etc., followed by Raj Thackeray’s great arrest and release on bail circus, the death of a Marathi Manus and innocent statement with “folded hand apology”, after two days another death of north Indian Manus, both incidents were due to wreckage and stone throwing, but in later no folded hands apology and sorrow, daily episode of statements, comments and justifications from Raj Thackery in press when there was a gag order prevails from the court not to make public statement, giving or publishing interview or incite his workers and thus making the gag order a mockery etc. Now a fresh gag order issued effective till March 3, 2008. One example, during the prevailing of gag order Raj’s statement appeared in press “to give our R.S. Gavai and take back 25, 00,000 Biharis”. Ironically, R.S. Gavai, Governor of Bihar, clearly said that he does not agree with Raj Thackeray and not in need of his sympathy.
Many a private television channels comprising lollypop journalist babes with their verbal-diarrhea, the self-addressing ‘media people’ celebrated the incidents and competed each other with their gross ignorance, ignorance and mediocrity. Overnight Raj Thackeray has become a national figure and the coverage and free publicity he got in the print and visual media is worth above a 100 crore planned publicity campaign. Yes, Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena, BJP, Abu Azmi, Amar Singh and the futile attitude of law and order system in Maharashtra and above all the UPA government in centre are responsible for making him a national figure. The fundamental rights of the people violated and questioned, the Constitution, law and order, peace and tranquility of society and the country shattered were the repercussions.
Nikhil Wagh, the editor of Mahanagar and veteran activist-journalist pointed out that it was a different world 40 years ago and Bal Thackeray could succeed at polarizing opinion then. He added that now is the age of globalization and today Maharahtrians like him are dependent on the non-Maharashtrians at every turn in their daily lives. Therefore Raj Thackeray’s attempt at polarizing will not work.
Just look at these facts and you may read clearly the unwritten letters. The irony is quite enjoyable. The MNS vice-president is a migrant from Aligarh in U.P. who speaks only broken Marathi. Prem Shukla, the Shiv Sena leader and newspaper editor is a migrant from U.P. Bal Thackeray was a mere current affairs cartoonist in the Free Press Journal. Now Raj Thackery is doing partnership realtor business with Manohar Joshi’s son. Raj Thackeray’s father Shrikant Thackery, the younger brother of Bal Thackeray, was a music composer who sung Mohamed Rafi, a migrant and Muslim, first time in Marathi.
Jobs are plenty for Maharashtrians in Mumbai and elsewhere in Maharashtra. But, many of them are not willing to work and all want government jobs. They are not ready to become taxi drivers, rickshaw drivers, vegetable vendors, fish vendors, milk suppliers, newspaper boys etc. According to the Mumbai Taxi Drivers Union President, Maharashtrians own 60 per cent taxis and 90 per cent of them are driven by north Indians. North Indians ready to work 12 – 18 hours and doing such jobs Marathi Manus are reluctant to do and thus they are not taking away any opportunities of Marathi Manus.
I think Raj Thackery has to learn perfectly the doctrine live and let live. Mumbai is the most populated metropolitan city of India and its culture is pluralistic. In India, all cultures are pluralistic and unity in diversity is our strength. Constitution gives every Indian citizen the fundamental right to live, work and travel in any part of India freely. The Constitution also enjoins upon Central government to make sure that its provisions, together with the laws passed by the Parliament, are implemented by the states. The Centre also has both the responsibility and authority to discipline the states that refuses to do so. Neither UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi nor Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh or NCP leader Sharad Pawar condemned the attack to north Indians. After 13 days of wreckage and vandalism, Government of Maharashtra arrested Raj Thackery. As rightly pointed out by a newspaper, the passivity of Vilas Rao Desmukh government is most reprehensible. Was there any secret agenda or lining up of any new political equations?
I fail to understand how Marathi language and Maharashtrian culture are spoiled by north Indians. Is studying in English medium schools, sending their children in English medium schools and instructing children and grandchildren to read Marathi (family) newspaper regularly symbol of showing respect of Marathi language and Maharashtrian culture? I am amused to read Raj Thackeray’s response to Sudheendra Kulkarni’s open letter and equating him with Mahatma Gandhi and justifying the ‘spontaneous outrage in a people’s movement’ and ignoring lion share of the questions raised by him. Incidentally, Sudheendra Kulkarni is the most adored person by Raj as ‘a person who has handled the country’s politics and culture from the Prime Minister’s Office’. I am equally amused to see how Raj Thackeray cleverly evaded responding the valid questions asked by Prasarbharati ex-Chairman M.V. Kamath in his column in The Free Press Journal, Shobhaa De in the Times of India, Sujata Ananadan in the Hindustan Times and many more writers, political observers, editors, politicians and the public.
In sum, if the exodus continues the economy of Maharashtra in general and the financial capital of India Mumbai in particular will suffer severely which in turn will affect all Indians including the families of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers and Shiv Sena workers.
* Published in the Sunny News, March 1-15, 2008
