Shiv Sena at the Cross Roads in Mumbai

Way back in 1967 an unknown cartoonist named Bala Saheb Thackrey formed a political party called the Shiv Sena.This party basically catered to the aspirations of the middle class Mahrastrians.To gain their sympathy the Sena then targetted people of South Indian origin working and running businesses in Mumbai. They attacked them and came into prominence. Here was a fascist party in an basically pacifist country and it was thought that Bala Saheb would capture the heart and imagination of the Marathi people and sweep to power.

But 4 decades later Bala Saheb is now at the end of his tether.His magic is gone and power has eluded him.In addition his monolithe party is split and a large chunk of his supporters have gone with his nephew Raj Thackrey.His son and heir apparant Udhav is unable to galvanise the party and the result is that during the last assembly election the Shiv Sena slipped to 4th position in terms of number of seats in the state assembly.

I have been visiting Mumbai for almost four decades and and am witness to the changing scenerio.Over the years I observed Balasaheb try all types of political trickes and shifted colors like a chamelion.Some times he became a champion of Hinduism, sometimes a champion of the Marathi manoos( Middle class), sometimes a Marathi language chauvinist and sometimes a Paki hater. Perhaps I felt he could not prioritise his activities and that perhaps has led to the Sena being at the cross roads.It is like the Shakespears hero asking what next ?

During my present visit I observed that the Sena had now started attacking north Indians particularly migrants from Bihar and UP.It made me laugh but it is no laughing matter as the Sena can create a awful lot of trouble for all and what they preach strikes at the roots of a free and secular India.Not to be left behind the Younger Raj Thackrey with his splinter MNS( Mahrashtra Navnirman Sena) went one better by attacking offices of mobile compaies like Airtel for not launching interactive instructions in Marathi.The younger Thackrey has nearly 75 cases registered against him on various counts of the Indian Penal code (IPC) from fomenting comunual disharmony and inciting roiters to baiting migrants from UP and Bihar.

The political spectrum in Mahrashtra has always been dominated by the Congress.In addition Mahrashtra always produced nationists like Raj Guru,Veer Savarkar and a host of others.Hence the politics of the Thackrey family are an aberration.Many well meaning Mahrastrians have expressed their abhorrence and disgust at the activities of the Shiv sena.

The Shiv Sena has also lost its moorings in the Hindu Muslim conflict.It claims it stands for Hindus and yet targets the Hindu migrants from North India.This is a dichotomy that cannot be explained. But yesterday when I travelled by the Mumbai subarban I noticed a sense of weariness among the people.They were getting tired of the rhetoric of Bala saheb and his nephew.For Bala Saheb in particular it must be sad moment. He appears like emperor who saw his empire crumble as Raj drove his sword into the Sena. People who ride the tiger are eaten by the tiger.