Is Raj Thackeray a terrorist?

EXACTLY FIVE years ago, in November 2003, a Railway Board exam was disrupted in Kalyan, Maharashtra. Candidates from other states, mainly North Indians, were prevented from appearing in the exam. The demonstration was by supporters of Shiv Sena. Raj Thackeray, considered those days to be heir-apparent to his uncle Bal Thackeray, led the ‘sainiks’. Raj later broke away from Shiv Sena in a leadership tussle and founded Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

Five years down the line, it is obvious that nobody cared to prevent such occurrences in future, by addressing the issues sensibly. For, MNS did a repeat of 2003 last weekend, on a much wider scale.

Hundreds of its workers attacked 13 railway centres in suburban Mumbai, protesting against alleged inadequate representation of Maharashtrian youth among the examinees. They disrupted the program, tearing test papers. More than 30 MNS activists were arrested and charged with pelting stones on candidates. Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said his government "will not tolerate the goondagiri (hooliganism)” by the rather small political outfit.

Today, the who's who of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), which Deshmukh’s party heads in New Delhi, are having sleepless nights over Thackeray’s antiques. That should be an indication that Raj Thackeray has something that most others, including uncle Bal Thackeray, lack. Even the Communist Party of India (CPI) has claimed that Raj must be "immediately arrested and prosecuted" in the interest of "unity and integrity of the country."

There is widespread resentment that the railways is increasingly being packed with Biharis particularly in white-collar jobs. The Commies, whose trade union tactics have ruined the economy wherever they have reigned, are comfortable with the exercise. They have been calling the shots in railways' manpower policies and are obviously perturbed at the erosion of their fiefdom. The party discovered that the attack on exam centres was 'pre-planned' and part of the 'continued parochial and divisive' campaign launched by the MNS.

Is Raj a terrorist? No person in senses would concur with the irresponsible outburst of a Bombay High Court judge dubbing him as a terrorist. The HC itself has apparently realised its folly, obviously committed in a moment of irrational rage. It kept mum as he taunted, "We are forcing to make signboards in Marathi as per law, but the court raps the state over failure to curb my drive and described me as a terrorist!” It cannot be denied that the Shiv Sena, which groomed him and never opposes his crusades, has been in the frontline courageously against anti-social forces like the D Company. The so-called national leaders quivered like cowards or even connived in terrorist activities of the underworld.

RR Patil, the state home minister, who is from a 'courageous' outfit Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), could do nothing more than giving a ridiculously tall promise to north Indian candidates, who got prevented from appearing for the exams. Mrityunjay Pandey, chief of Uttar Bharatiya Cell (UBC) of BJP (Bhartiya Janta Party), who led a sit-in staged by about 200 persons in front of his residence, was satisfied with the assurance. That Maharashtra government would give jobs to these candidates, as if he would start a railway for that!

Most 'national' leaders hailing from the Hindi belt have not taken the latest MNS campaign lightly. Congress leader and Union minister for food processing Industries, Subodh Kant Sahay, demanded that the Congress-NCP coalition government of the state should treat those responsible for the attacks as criminals. Ram Vilas Paswan, the billionaire chief of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), did not want be left alone. Currently Union steel minister, after he silently joined the ruling junta to escape probe, Paswan said that he would raise the issue in the cabinet meeting.

Railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, whose Rashtriya Janta Party (RJD) is a partner of UPA that gives orders to the Congress CM of Maharashtra, 'admitted' that the coalition government in Maharashtra has been soft on the MNS so far. Lalu said, “I have spoken to Vilasrao Deshmukh and asked him on the goondaism that is going on in the state. . . The party should take action, as too much has already happened there.”

The Bihar politician is ‘reputed’ for swallowing more fodder than all the cattle of Bihar put together. He took the occasion to take potshots against the saffron brigade, saying, “They are not workers. They are looters. Organisations like MNS, Bajrgang Dal, VHP and RSS should be banned.” Noted for having made his state synonymous with goondaism , during his rule (directly or by proxy through Rabari Devi!), he demanded, “There should be strong action against that party...MNS should be banned. Thackeray family has become a chronic problem for Maharashtra and Raj Thackeray, in particular, has become a mental case!”

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, predecessor of Lalu in the Union railway ministry and successor to his wife Rabari in Bihar, reportedly had a a telephonic conversation with his Maharashtra counterpart. He represents Janata Dal United (JD-U), which has been no less ‘famous’ for leaders engaged in extortion, kidnap, murder and siphoning off huge public funds in UP (Uttar Pradesh), Bihar and Karnataka. Kumar demanded stern action against MNS and asked principal home secretary Afzal Amannulah and additional director general of police (DGP) to talk to their counterparts in Mumbai and ensure the safety of Bihari students. Nitish Kumar too termed the MNS activists as 'divisive forces'.

Interestingly enough, none of the worthies from the cow belt tried to address the real problem: Why do hordes of people from places like Patna, Allahabad, Varanasi etc, travel long distances to come to Maharashtra to take their exams? There indeed is some base in the retort of MNS spokesperson Shirish Parkar to the railway minister's vitriol. He quipped, "Lalu is an uncultured person. What more should we expect from someone who failed to improve the situation in Bihar? . . Had Lalu worked for developing Bihar, so many candidates from his state would have no need to come to Maharashtra for the exam.”

All these ‘Ek Bharatwalas’ (One India protagonists) have only been raising loud noises and have been busy siphoning off massive development budgets to amass wealth for themselves.

Even if they deploy their ill-gotten wealth in their own states for productive purposes, rather than dead investments, massive internal migration that creates conflicts could be avoided.

While Raj Thackarey has been 'democratically and judicially' restrained by authorities from reacting in public to all the mudslinging, an MNS spokesman Shishir Shinde wanted to know, “What is wrong if they are protesting against the inadequate representation to locals in the exam?” He added, “Railway bosses should understand the meaning of our protest and allow more Marathi candidates for the examination. . . MNS activists would meet railway officials soon.”

Deshmukh admittedly is the 'weakest chief minister ever' in Maharashtra, a matching counterpart of Manmohan Singh, fine-controlled by the elusive ‘dynasty’. He had shamelessly remarked sometime ago that Raj Thackeray is running a parallel government. The MNS chief retorted, “I am not interested in running such government, but will run government in future.” Given the rapid growth in the support base of his outfit, even after losing the patronage of the ‘Maratha lion’, it may become reality soon!