Bal Thackeray and his divisive politics
In 1993 I saw Bal Thackeray being interviewed on Zee TV (satellite TV channels had just been introduced in Pakistan). I wish every Pakistani and Indian Muslim had seen that interview. It confirmed what I’ve always known: that Indian Muslims would have been annihilated if India had not been partitioned. When the compere asked him why his party activists had violated the Supreme Court’s order about the Babri Masjid, he said (in Hindi), “The Supreme Court’s order was not to do any construction at the mosque, we didn’t do any construction, we simply did a lot of destruction!” His hatred for Muslims was evident.
Now, 16 years later, this demagogue is in the news again, this time for trying to divide India along ethnic and linguistic lines. A Muslim legislator who preferred to take oath in Hindi instead of Marathi was attacked by his activists, and when Sachin Tendulkar said he was an Indian and that Mumbai belonged to all Indians, he faced the wrath of Thackeray. Thackeray said that Sachin had not even been born when the struggle to make Mumbai part of Maharashtra took place. I remember what happened in those days (it must’ve been in the late nineteen fifties). Even in those days, my mother and aunts used to pronounce Bombay as Mumbee. There were riots almost daily in Bombay, and later we heard from one of my uncles that Gujarati college girls had been stripped naked and paraded in the streets. The slogan of the Maharashtrians was “Mumbai humchee!” (Bombay is ours!).
Ultimately of course Maharashtra got Bombay (after much bloodshed) and the Shiv Sena managed to get it renamed as Mumbai a few years back. It should be interesting to see what happens now. The Shiv Sena did poorly in the recent elections, which may have been one of the reasons why Thackeray suddenly decided to foment trouble along linguistic lines. He apparently knows that language is a divisive factor: one of the reasons for Pakistan’s disintegration in 1971 was the feeling among Bengalis that their language was not being given due importance.
Image: Topnews
Other posts by Shakir Lakhani
- Over 1700 Christians converted to Hinduism in India! - February 3rd, 2010
- Sacrificing black goats to save your skin! - January 31st, 2010
- Will Pakistan and India always be rivals? - January 26th, 2010
- Cheeta-Meharats: Indians that are Hindus as well as Muslims! - January 23rd, 2010
- "Brilliant" U.S. intelligence agencies! - January 20th, 2010
- Senate Chairman wants every Pakistani to learn Arabic! - January 19th, 2010
- Cricket and Religion don't mix - January 18th, 2010
- Incredible India or Unlivable India! - January 13th, 2010
- Bad news for Chinese men - January 12th, 2010
- A Saudi woman demands Polyandry - December 27th, 2009
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November 19th, 2009 10:18 GMT
Bal Thackery is a worst enemy of Muslims and Pakistan. His answers are ridiculous.
November 22nd, 2009 03:35 GMT
I really like your blog and i respect your work. I’ll be a frequent visitor.
November 22nd, 2009 10:29 GMT
@shakir
superb info………
November 22nd, 2009 13:27 GMT
@ John: thanks.
November 30th, 2009 13:37 GMT
you are right shakir saab, even native of switzerland taken him seriously and are voting against ninaret. and some sources (i will not name hamid) are telling us that brown is trying to take similar step!
December 8th, 2009 11:07 GMT
@ all Pakis, first look at ur self, donot raise issues of Muslims in India as Pak is an Islamic Military state.A secular country only has the right to question the secular credential of another secular country,Countries like Saudi arabia and Pak has no right to ask about secularism.
Saudi Arabia doesnot allow to build Churches or other religious Institution, so how can these countries can question about religious freedom?????.
And it is a joke that Muslims would have been anhhiliated in India, first look What u did to the people in east pakistan, were they not muslims? What about the Hindus and sikhs in pakistan compare the Population of Hindus and Muslims in India and Pakistan from 1947 till 2009, why Population of Hindus and Sikhs in Pak decreasing or non Existant were as these Mullahs r growing in India??????.
If Shri Bal Thackrey is against Muslims then its not bad becoz U pakis are also to be for this blamed.
And if some Pakis believe that India will breakdown because of language then u r dreaming, Shri Bal Thackrey and Raj Thackrey never said that They r not Indians as Ur BALOCH says, they use language to do their politics and this is the reason they lost, any politician who will use anti India stand will loose elections.
If Switzerland has banned the building of Minaret that is their Right, If the Muslims can torture Non-Muslims by Imposing taxes Like JAZIA and denying them religious freedom as done by saudi arabia then Muslims also Must also be Prepared to get the same treatment. No Muslim in the world treat Non Muslims Properly u call them Kafirs so how can the Muslims expect Good Treatment????????