Bal Thackeray

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Balasaheb Thackeray
बाळासाहेब ठाकरे
Bal Thackeray at 70th Master Dinanath Mangeshkar Award
Thackeray in 2012
Shiv Sena Pramukh
In office
19 June 1966 – 17 November 2012
Preceded byPosition Created
Succeeded byUddhav Thackeray
Founder, editor-in-chief of Saamana
In office
23 January 1988 – 17 November 2012
Preceded byoffice established
Succeeded byUddhav Thackeray
Personal details
Born
Bal Keshav Thackeray

(1926-01-23)23 January 1926
Poona, Bombay Presidency, British India (present-day Maharashtra, India)
Died17 November 2012(2012-11-17) (aged 86)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
NationalityBritish Indian (1926-1947)
Indian (1947-2012)
Political partyShiv Sena
Other political
affiliations
National Democratic Alliance (1999-2012)
Spouse
Sarla Vaidya[a]
(m. 1948; died 1995)
Thackeray Family
NicknameHindu Hriday Samrat

Bal Keshav Thackeray (Marathi pronunciation:

Hindu nationalist party active mainly in the state of Maharashtra.[2]

Thackeray began his professional career as a

Keshav Sitaram Thackeray, a leading figure in the Samyukta Maharashtra (United Maharashtra) movement, which advocated the creation of a separate linguistic state for Marathi speakers. Through Marmik, Bal Thackeray campaigned against the growing influence of non-Marathis in Mumbai.[3]

He had a large political influence in the state, especially in

Chief Minister of Maharashtra Manohar Joshi incited members of the Shiv Sena to commit violence against Muslims during the 1992–1993 Bombay riots.[5][6]

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Thackeray built the Shiv Sena with help of Madhav Mehere, Chief Attorney for Trade Union of India, Babasaheb Purandare, historian for Govt of Maharashtra and Madhav Deshpande, Head Accountant for Shiv Sena. These three individuals to a large extent were responsible for the success of Shiv Sena and stability of politics in Mumbai till 2000 to ensure it grows into an economic power center.[7] Thackeray was also the founder of the Marathi-language newspaper Saamana.[8] After the riots of 1992–93, he and his party took a Hindutva stance. In 1999, Thackeray was banned from voting and contesting in any election for six years on the recommendations of the Election Commission for indulging in seeking votes in the name of religion. Thackeray was arrested multiple times and spent a brief stint in prison, but he never faced any major legal repercussions.[9] Upon his death, he was accorded a state funeral, at which many mourners were present.[10][11] Thackeray did not hold any official positions, and he was never formally elected as the leader of his party.[4]

Early life

Thackeray was born on 23 January 1926 in

Hindu Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu community.[12][13] His father Keshav was an admirer of India-born British writer William Makepeace Thackeray, and changed his own surname from Panvelkar to "Thackeray" an Anglicised version of their ancestral surname "Thakre".[14]

Bal's father was a journalist and cartoonist by profession; he was also a social activist and a writer who was involved in a Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti, which advocated the creation of a separate linguistic state for Marathi speakers.[15] He also started a magazine named Prabodhan, where he promoted Hindu philosophies and nationalistic ideals to revive Hindutva in society. This proved to be highly influential in shaping Bal Thackeray's political views.[16]

Bal was the eldest of eight siblings, with brothers Shrikant Thackeray (father of Raj Thackeray) and Ramesh Thackeray, and five sisters (Sanjeevani Karandikar,[17] Prabhavati (Pama) Tipnis, Malati (Sudha) Sule, Sarla Gadkari and Susheela Gupte).

Raj broke away from Shiv Sena to form his own political party called the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.[18] Despite Raj's breakaway from the main party, he continues to maintain that Thackeray was his ideologue and relations between them improved during Thackeray's final years.[4][19]

Career

Thackeray began his career as a

Free Press Journal in Mumbai. His cartoons were also published in the Sunday edition of The Times of India. After Thackeray's differences with the Free Press Journal, he and four or five people, including politician George Fernandes, left the paper and started their own daily, News Day. The paper survived for one or two months.[20] In 1960, he launched the cartoon weekly Marmik with his brother Srikant.[21] It focused on issues of common "Marathi Manoos" (Marathi, or Marathi-speaking, people) including unemployment, immigration and the retrenchment of Marathi workers. Its office in Ranade Road became the rallying point for Marathi youth.[22] Bal Thackeray later stated that it was "not just a cartoon weekly but also the prime reason for the birth and growth of the Sena". It was the issue of Marmik on 5 June 1966 which first announced the launch of membership for the Shiv Sena.[23][24]

Thackeray drew cartoons for the

Times of India and Marmik besides contributing to Saamna till 2012. He cited the New Zealander cartoonist David Low as his inspiration.[4]

Politics

1966–1998

The success of Marmik prompted Thackeray to form the

Gujaratis.[21] In its 1966 party manifesto, Thackeray primarily blamed south Indians.[26] In Marmik, Thackeray published a list of corporate officials from a local directory, many being south Indians, citing it as proof that Maharashtrians were being discriminated against.[25]

His party grew in the next ten years. Senior leaders such as

Belgaum and Nipani regions in Maharashtra.[27] During the 1970s, it did not succeed in the local elections and it was active mainly in Mumbai, compared to the rest of the state. The party set up local branch offices and settled disputes, complaints against the government.[11] It later started violent tactics with attacks against rival parties, migrants and the media; the party agitated by destroying public and private property.[4][28] Thackeray publicly supported Indira Gandhi during the 1975 Emergency to avoid getting arrested; Thackeray supported the Congress party numerous times.[21]

Dr. Hemchandra Gupte,

Mayor of Mumbai and the former family physician and confidant of Thackeray, left Shiv Sena in 1976 citing the emphasis given to money, violence committed by the Shiv Sena members, and Thackeray's support for Indira Gandhi and the 1975 emergency.[29]

Politically, the Shiv Sena was

Maharashtra State Assembly elections and were in power from 1995 to 1999. Thackeray declared himself to be the "remote control" chief minister.[4][31]

Thackeray and the Chief Minister Manohar Joshi were explicitly named for inciting the Shivsainiks for violence against Muslims during the 1992–1993 riots in an inquiry ordered by the government of India, the Srikrishna Commission Report.[6][5]

Thackeray had influence in the film industry. His party workers agitated against films he found controversial and would disrupt film screenings, causing losses. Bombay, a 1995 film on the riots, was opposed by them.[21]

1999–2012

On 28 July 1999, Thackeray was banned from voting and contesting in any election for six years from 11 December 1999 till 10 December 2005 on the recommendations of the Election Commission for indulging in corrupt practice by seeking votes in the name of religion.

suicide bomber squads to take on the menace of terrorism.[34] In response, the Maharashtra government registered a case against him for inciting enmity between different groups.[35] At least two organisations founded and managed by retired Indian Army officers, Lt Col Jayant Rao Chitale and Lt Gen. P.N. Hoon (former commander-in-chief of the Western Command), responded to the call with such statements as not allowing Pakistanis to work in India due to accusations against Pakistan for supporting attacks in India by militants.[36][37] After the six-year voting ban on Thackeray was lifted in 2005, he voted for the first time in the 2007 BMC elections.[38] Eight or nine cases against Thackeray and Saamna for inflammatory writings were not investigated by the government.[21]

Thackeray said that the Shiv Sena had helped the Marathi people in Mumbai, especially in the public sector.[39] Thackeray believed that Hindus must be organised to struggle against those who oppose their identity and religion.[40] Opposition leftist parties alleged 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.'[41]

In 2006, Thackeray's nephew Raj Thackeray broke away from Shiv Sena to form the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) during Thackeray's retirement and appointment of his son, Uddhav rather than Raj as the leader of Shiv Sena. Narayan Rane also quit around that time.[19]

The Sena acted as a "moral police" and opposed Valentine's Day celebrations.[21] On 14 February 2006, Thackeray condemned and apologised for the violent attacks by its Shiv Sainiks on a private 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. I have always instructed Shiv Sainiks that in any situation women should not be humiliated and harassed."[42] Thackeray and the Shiv Sena remained opposed to it, although they indicated support for an Indian alternative.[43][44]

In 2007, he was briefly arrested and let out on bail after referring to Muslims as 'Green Poison' during a Shiv Sena rally.[9]

On 27 March 2008, in protest to Thackeray's editorial, leaders of Shiv Sena in

Khalistan and Jammu and Kashmir militant groups which are trying to create a rift between people along regional lines. The main aim of these forces is to split our country. Like the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, the Shiv Sena too has demeaned North Indians and treated them inhumanely.[45][46]

Political views

Thackeray was criticised for his praise

Indian Express published an interview on 29 January 2007: "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."[51][52] Thackeray also praised Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of India's independence movement.[53]

Thackeray also declared that he was 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 [to be] traitors.

visa system to enter Mumbai, the Indian National Congress state government had earlier during the Indira Gandhi declared national emergency considered a similar measure.[57][58]

He told

Abu Asim Azmi and that Thackeray salute[s] those Muslims who participated in the two minutes' silence on 18 July to mourn the blast victims.[61] Again in 2008 he 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."[62] He also reiterated a desire for Hindus to unite across linguistic barriers to see a Hindustan for Hindus and to bring Islam in this country down to its knees.[63]

In 2008, following agitation against

Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said: "If anybody has made any comment on our members' functioning in the conduct of business in the House, not only do we treat that with the contempt that it deserves, but also any action that may be necessary will be taken according to procedure and well established norms. Nobody will be spared.'"[64]

In 2009, he criticised Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, a "Marathi icon", for saying he was an Indian before he was a Maharashtrian.[9]

Opposition to Caste Based Reservations

Thackeray firmly opposed caste based reservation and said, "There are only two castes in the world, the rich are rich and the poor is poor, make the poor rich but don't make the rich poor. Besides these two castes I don't believe in any other casteism."

The

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) supported caste-based reservations based on the Mandal commission. Thackarey, despite being warned that opposition to the reservations would be politically suicidal for the Shiv Sena party, opposed the BJP over this issue and said he would initiate proceedings against the BJP if the BJP supported caste-based reservations. This also led to his conflict with Chhagan Bhujbal, an OBC, who later left the Shiv Sena.[65][66]

Views on Veer Savarkar

Thackeray defended

the partition, Thackeray rejected the statement of Singh.[67][68]

Support for Kashmiri Pandits

In 1990, Bal Thackeray got seats reserved in engineering colleges for the children of

Personal life

Thackeray was married to Meena Thackeray (née Sarla Vaidya) on 13 June 1948[1] and had three sons, oldest son Bindumadhav, middle son Jaidev, and youngest son Uddhav.[73] Meena died in 1995 and Bindumadhav died the following year in a car accident.[74][75]

Death

Thackeray with actress Madhuri Dixit in 2012 shortly before his death

Thackeray died on 17 November 2012, of

Mumbai police officers, 15 units of the State Reserve Police Force and three contingents of the Rapid Action Force were deployed.[78] It was reported that Shiv Sena workers forced shops to close down in some areas.[9] Then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for calm in the city and praised Thackeray's "strong leadership", while there were also statements of praise and condolences from other senior politicians such as the then-Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP leader and MP (Former Deputy Prime Minister of India), L. K. Advani.[79]

He was accorded a state funeral[80] at Shivaji Park, which generated some controversy[81] and resulted from demands made by Shiv Sena.[82] It was the first public funeral in the city since that of Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1920.[83] Thackeray's body was moved to the park on 18 November.[84] Many mourners attended his funeral, although there were no official figures. The range reported in media sources varied from around 1 million,[85] to 1.5 million[86] and as many as nearly 2 million.[87] His cremation took place the next day, where his son Uddhav lit the pyre.[88] Among those present at his cremation were senior representatives of the Maharashtra government and the event was broadcast live on national television channels.[89] The Parliament of India opened for its winter session on 21 November 2012. Thackeray was the only non-member to be noted in its traditional list of obituaries. He is one of few people to have been recorded thus without being a member of either the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha.[90] Despite having not held any official position, he was given the 21-gun salute, which was again a rare honour.[91] Both houses of Bihar Assembly also paid tribute.[92][93][94] The funeral expenses created further controversies when media reports claimed that the BMC had used taxpayers' money. In response to these reports, the party later sent a cheque of Rs. 500,000 to the corporation.[91]

The Hindu, in an editorial, said regarding the shutdown that "Thackeray’s legion of followers raised him to the status of a demigod who could force an entire State to shut down with the mere threat of violence".[95] Following his death, police arrested a 21-year-old woman who posted a Facebook comment against him, as well as her friend who "liked" the comment. Shiv Sena members also vandalised the clinic owned by the woman's relative.[96]

Legacy

Thackeray was called Hindu Hriday Samrat ("Emperor of Hindu Hearts") by his supporters.[97] His yearly address at Shivaji Park was popular among his followers. In 2012, he instead gave a video-taped speech and urged his followers "to give the same love and affection to his son and political heir Uddhav as they had given him".[4] Thackeray was known to convert popular sentiment into votes, getting into controversies and making no apologies for it though his son has tried to tone down the party's stance after his death.[4] He was known for his inflammatory writings,[28] was seen as a good orator who used cruel humour to engage his audience.[4][21] He had a large political influence throughout the state, especially in Mumbai.[21] His party never had any formal internal elections nor was he ever formally elected as its chief at any point.[4] Gyan Prakash said, "Of course, the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement had mobilized Marathi speakers as a political entity, but it was Thackeray who successfully deployed it as an anti-immigrant, populist force."[25] He inspired Baliram Kashyap the leader of Bastar who often regarded as the Thackeray of Bastar.

A memorial for him was proposed at Shivaji Park but legal issues and opposition from local residents continue to delay it.[98]

Thackeray is satirised in

Ram Gopal Verma's film Sarkar, which is loosely based on him, released in 2005.[21] The 2011 documentary Jai Bhim Comrade depicted a speech by Thackeray at a public rally, in which he articulated "genocidal sentiments" about Muslims, stating that they were the "species to be exterminated." The documentary followed this by showing several Dalit leaders criticising Thackeray for his beliefs.[100]

In popular culture

A Bollywood biopic titled

Thackeray, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and written by Shiv Sena politician Sanjay Raut, was released on 25 January 2019.[101][102]

Makarand Padhye played Balasaheb Thakeray in the 2022 Marathi film Dharmaveer, based on the life of Shiv Sena politician Anand Dighe.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ aka Meena Thackeray

References

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Further reading

External links