Once upon a time, Bal Thackeray began his career as a cartoonist. Decades later, today, his comic capers have made him a caricature of sorts. One does not remember if his drawings drew laughter from anyone at that time, but the nation is certainly not humoured by his antics currently. The only ray of hope is that despite consistently hogging national headlines, T’ray has so far remained strictly a Maharashtra Manoos!
A little family history may be of interest here and so we will cut to some years before ‘once upon a time …’. Bal was born the eldest son of Kesav Thackeray. K.T’ray was an accomplished personality, being a man of many parts: Journalist, writer, historian, artist etc. He was a committed social reformer and championed causes ranging from women’s emancipation to fighting the ills of caste system and orthodoxy. KT had another son, Shrikant who too was an artist and writer but remained apolitical. But it was Big Brother Bal who occupied the hall of fame(?), despite treading the path opposite to his illustrious father’s. Still, Shrikant T’ray is important for the cast because he gave the nation Raj Thackeray, whom we shall come to later. Bal himself yielded three sons. One died in a car crash in 1995, leaving behind daughter-in-law Smita Thackeray. One son is estranged from Bal and has thankfully excused himself from politics. The third, Udhav T’ray, is the heir apparent. That’s about the array of Thackerays on display!
We shall now jump to post-Once-upon-a-time. Bal probably thought his cartoons were not getting the expected laughs and wanted a bigger joke. So he launched the Shiv Sena sometime in the mid sixties. This was no laughing matter, however, for the ‘outsiders’ who were the targets of the Sena. Actually, more than Muslims, it was the Madrasis who were the prime object of the Sena’s ire. As now, then too, the theme of their schemes was the loss of domestic jobs to immigrants from other States. Such sons-of-the-soil-sentiments have always worked with aggrieved locals in all States, nay, nations themselves, and Shiv Sena’s politics too zoomed from this launching pad.
But political rise is only one part of the Thackeray story. Behind the veneer of democratic party politics lies a sordid saga of crime. In a city where dons dominate politics, business and filmdom, the Shiv Sena is the desi answer to the Dawoods of the day. Extortion, blackmail, vandalism and ‘protection money’ rackets are as much part of Sena’s arsenal as they are of any of the sundry gangs that operate in the business capital. And the communally polarised milieu has only proven to be a fertile playground for the Sena to entrench and expand its evil influence. Bal often reels out copious rhetoric about nationalism, ideology and such other lofty stuff, but under that camouflage is a plain dada at work. If from politicians of all hues to popular personalities to petty businessmen line up in front of his fortress Matoshree to pay their pranams besides whatever else, it is not owing to the pull of his principles but the power of his nuisance potential.
So is big bully Bal actually a big bluff? When fear reigns, one can ignore such ghosts only at one’s own risk. Of course, the Thackeray stereotype can be found almost in all States as well as on either sides of the secular divide. West Bengal’s Communist goons for instance are a criminal cult in their own right and domain. The point is the likes of Thackeray cannot be ignored, neither by the public nor by the personalities at the receiving end. And since they can become law-makers themselves anytime, the long arms of the law perforce have to remain folded, for it pays to play ball with Bal. The number of criminal cases against the Thackerays would equal the number of stars up in the sky, but even Congress regimes dread to tread the tiger’s den! Indeed, bluff and bluster can double up as unofficial but effective anticipatory bails!
For those tired of Nehruvian secularism, socialism and dynastic politics and yearning for an alternative political/ideological resting place, the Thackeray ilk have come as great spoilers. The Thackeray self goals are hard to overlook: Even legitimate causes lose their sheen and support once sponsored by Sena. Bal is as much a classic case of power without responsibility as Sonia is. Rahul’s puerile pranks seem eminently palatable in the face of Sena’s stupid, sour road shows! In Bollywood there is nothing called bad publicity and the Shiv Sena with its familiar pre-release tantrums have singularly made screen-sultans of many whose names were just Khans. And how does it matter to the Mumbai small trader whether he pays his daily mamool to a man with a beard or one sporting a tilak? If V-Days today are increasingly popular amidst an assertive youth, Thackeray is much to thank for. Nothing sharpens Cupid’s darts and strengthens a lover’s hold on his beau’s arm as opposition and the Sainiks have actually consummated more street affairs than any average marriage broker. But worse, by taking moral policing to ridiculous levels, these vigilantes of virtues have actually driven away those genuinely concerned at rising promiscuity. By the way, if Mumbai is only for Marathis, why does the Marathi Sena have retail outlets in other States?
Bal Thackeray has been a prolific agent provocateur. His Hitleric boasts are just rabble rousing gimmicks but do attract undeserved attention to him. For the hungry media, he is always hot copy. From Sachin to Shah Rukh, he chooses his targets well and is quite unabashed about being the villain of the piece. This is a medical condition that only shrinks can give better articulation to but one must concede the affliction is contagious as Bal has spawned many dangerous demagogues. Presently, the Thackeray clan is in total disarray and therefore desperate for diversions. The bahu Thackeray and many Sainiks have migrated to other parties. A series of poll debacles raises questions over Bal’s clout. And as if one lead T’ray and a sole Sena weren’t enough, we now have nephew Raj Thackeray and his own Sena, all engaged in a no-holds-barred race towards the loony edges.
These insiders pose a greater threat to the Nation, Maharashtra and Mumbai than so called outsiders. Now, Shiv Sena translates to Lord Shiva’s army. Is it not time the god of destruction turns his third eye on this self-styled parivar of His? Incidentally, that would make for a good cartoon too!
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