It was the late Bal Thackeray's Marathi card that had once propelled Shiv Sena to the top in Mumbai, India's financial capital. Now, with a string of electoral defeats behind him, Raj Thackeray, the flamboyant nephew of the Shiv Sena founder, is seeking to take a leaf out of his uncle's book. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief is trying to re-establish relevance in Mumbai and other urban centres ahead of the upcoming municipal elections by reviving the 'Marathi manoos' plank through the Marathi card.
A few days ago, a combative Thackeray stirred controversy by warning that his party would not hesitate to "slap" those who refuse to speak Marathi in the state. His aim is clear: to encroach upon the 'son of the soil' space traditionally held by the Shiv Sena. The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction is still reeling from its assembly election setback, while the Eknath Shinde-led Sena is struggling to assert itself amid the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) growing dominance.
A Now-Or-Never Battle
Simultaneously, Raj Thackeray is signalling a willingness to align with the BJP, which has consolidated its position in Maharashtra a decade after emerging as the state's largest party. For Raj, the municipal polls represent a now-or-never opportunity to revive his political fortunes. His party failed to win a single assembly seat, and even his son Amit lost in their family stronghold. Though known for his oratory and style reminiscent of his uncle, Raj Thackeray has never contested an election himself. His current campaign seems aimed not just at voters, but at the BJP-to remind it that he still holds sway in Mumbai.
For the BJP, these elections are a chance to further marginalise Uddhav's party while preventing Shinde from gaining too much ground. Balancing these interests requires deft political management. Interestingly, Shinde's Sena has not championed the 'Marathi Manoos' cause, and is often seen as the BJP's 'B team'. Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), often dubbed the 'C team', prioritises power under the guise of development, largely ignoring regional identity issues.
The language issue has regained emotional traction in a Mumbai that is increasingly cosmopolitan but still home to a significant Marathi-speaking population. No political party in Maharashtra can afford to ignore the Marathi language debate - it can either stir passions or be used to discredit opponents. Shiv Sena once led vigorous campaigns, even tearing down non-Marathi signboards. Those were the days when Bal Thackeray ruled Mumbai with an iron grip. He famously claimed he could shut down the city with just two phone calls - to PTI and UNI. He openly espoused "thokshahi", that is, rule by force, with his followers even backing him with action - which included vandalising a cricket pitch ahead of a match with Pakistan.
Can The Uncle Save The Nephew?
While Raj Thackeray didn't split the Sena like Shinde did, he's now attempting to hijack Bal Thackeray's legacy through the Marathi plank. This comes as Uddhav's party faces defections in Mumbai and the Konkan region, its traditional strongholds.
Thackeray and the BJP may have a shared goal of limiting Shinde's influence, but that's easier said than done. Thackeray's biggest challenge has been his inconsistency. He has often been accused of abandoning causes midway, which has hurt his credibility.
Whether Thackeray has changed after his latest electoral setback remains to be seen. He remains a powerful Marathi orator, reminiscent of Bal Thackeray at his peak. His success in reviving his political magic will be determined by how far the Marathi card takes him. Just yesterday, Thackeray issued a stern warning to the Indian Banks Association, urging immediate compliance with the RBI directive to include Marathi in banking services. Failure to do so, he cautioned, would lead to intensified protests, with banks bearing responsibility for any resulting law-and-order disruptions.
Marathi Card Isn't Going Anywhere
One thing is certain: other parties will be forced to pay at least lip service to Marathi to neutralise Thackeray's appeal. Just last month, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had to contain a backlash after a stray comment by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader in Mumbai drew opposition criticism over Marathi's marginalisation. In response, Fadnavis reaffirmed in the Assembly that it was not wrong to demand the use of Marathi in Maharashtra, and that it's the state's official language and that all residents must learn and respect it. "However, if someone takes the law into their hands, then the law will take its course," he added. On the other hand, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari expressed strong disapproval of efforts to stir controversy over the Marathi language issue in Maharashtra, stating that such matters are usually short-lived and do not stay in public discourse for long.
Marathi, with over 83 million speakers as of 2011, is the third most spoken native language in India after Hindustani and Bengali. The lesson from the latest episode is that the Marathi card cannot and will not be ignored, even if the politics around it goes silent every once in a while.
(Sunil Gatade is a former associate editor with PTI. Venkatesh Kesari was an assistant editor with The Asian Age.)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
