Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Migrant Bashing and sons of Soil

Times of India

Raj gets on Bihari bandwagon
Ambarish Mishra

[ 11 Mar, 2007 0156hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray's latest Biharis-versus-Marathis take is a clever ploy to wean a section of Shiv Sainiks from Shiv Sena, say political observers.

Addressing MNS activists on Friday at a function to mark the party's first anniversary, Raj said Biharis who have settled in Mumbai should learn to treat Marathis with "respect".

"A Bihari who tries to humiliate a Marathi will get a tight slap—for breakfast, lunch and dinner," he said amid applause.

Raj Thackeray exhorted his supporters to coordinate their efforts for the promotion and preservation of Marathi culture. The Marathis in the state administration and the BMC should stop issuing licenses to unauthorised settlers in Mumbai, especially the Biharis, he pointed out.

Raj's anti-Bihari tirade triggered protests in Bihar and New Delhi, much to the delight of the MNS chief. Railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, among others, have lambasted Raj for threatening Biharis who have made Mumbai their home.

Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday ridiculed Raj for taking up the Marathi cause. "By leaving the Sena and launching his own party Raj has wrecked Marathi unity. He should stop talking of consolidating the Marathis," said Uddhav.

Maharashtra Congressmen Kripa Shankar Singh and Sanjay Nirupam too have riled the MNS president. "But, criticism will only help the party strengthen its roots in the state," said a senior MNS functionary. "Rajsaheb has said what he has been saying all these years," he added.

Raj has for long been hemming and hawing on the Bihari issue. As Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena (BVS) chief—BVS is Shiv Sena's campus wing—he started a violent stir against Biharis in November 2003 with an assault on job-seekers from Bihar who were on their way to Mumbai to write their Railway Board exams. They were beaten up by BVS activists at Kalyan railway station.

The BVS accused Biharis of leaving their home state and marching to Mumbai to grab jobs meant for Marathis.

The Sena-BJP's rout in the 2004 state assembly election was attributed, to a great extent, to Raj's anti-Bihari crusade.

Uddhav Thackeray's 'Mee Mumbaikar' campaign, aimed at bridging the Marathi-non Marathi divide in the city, too met a disastrous end because of the Kalyan episode.

However, when he launched the MNS in 2006, Raj Thackeray spoke of his party's commitment to a cosmopolitan, inclusive and secular Mumbai. And now comes his latest anti-Bihari rant.

Clearly, there is design in madness. Raj Thackeray needs the Bihari issue to project himself, vis-a-vis his cousin, Uddhav Thackeray, as Balasaheb Thackeray's political heir. Second, the MNS has to create a space for itself as an alternative to Shiv Sena.

Thackeray senior has for all practical purposes anointed Uddhav as his rightful 'chela' and the latter is virtually in charge of the Sena.

But, Raj is eager to wrest the initiative from Uddhav in an attempt to consolidate the MNS. This has to be done in the Sena's aggressive style by taking Mumbai's political mercury a few notches high from time to time. Hence, his periodic outburst against Biharis, reminiscent of vintage Bal Thackeray.

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ndtv.com

Mumbai: Raj [Thakeray's] comments anger north Indians


Dipti Agarwal, Prasad Kathe


Monday, March 12, 2007 (Mumbai):

Raj Thackeray's tirade against Bihari migrants in Mumbai has kicked off a storm, pitting north Indians in the city against his party.

One of those protesting is Akhilesh Dube, a north Indian from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena who had contested municipal polls on the party ticket just last month.

However, Dube decided to protest when Raj Thackeray issued a warning to Bihari migrants last week, saying that those who don't respect sons of the soil will be thrashed.

"They kept hitting me and saying that if north Indians want to live here, they will have to give in to our demands," said Akhilesh Dube, MNS Activist.

In fact, across the city, the north Indian community hasn't taken Raj's tirade lying down and have taken their protests to the streets.

Case registered

Leading the offensive against Raj is former Sena MP turned Congressman Sanjay Nirupam, who hails from Bihar.

Nirupam has lodged a police complaint against Raj after an attack outside his home on Sunday night, in which his wife's car was smashed allegedly by MNS workers.

Subsequently, Andheri Police has registered a case of inciting public sentiment against the MNS supremo.

The MNS denies having anything to do with the assault. But the party is not backing down from its anti-migrants line.

In fact, it is now demanding that railway tenders in the state be given to sons of the soil.

"Whatever tenders open, they should be should be distributed in a fair manner, and sons of the soil should get their share," said Sunil Basakhetre, Organizer, MNS.

It's been a year since Raj Thackeray formed his own party and so far he had tried to play down his militant past in the Sena.

But now after a good showing in the BMC polls, it is clear that he's out to fight the Shiv Sena for the Marathi vote, and migrant bashing seems to be the most convenient route.

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Gulf News
13/03/2007 12:00 AM (UAE)

Biharis in Mumbai furious with Raj Thackeray over remarks

By Pamela Raghunath, Correspondent


Mumbai: North Indians, particularly Biharis, living in Mumbai are furious with Raj Thackeray, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's rebellious nephew, for threatening migrants if they did not respect the sons of the soil.

After burning effigies of Raj yesterday, Biharis have vowed to demonstrate their strength by holding a massive rally in Shivaji Park if the state government does not take action against Raj for trying to create a wedge on communal grounds.

Addressing activists of his one-year-old party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), on Friday, Raj had stated that Biharis who have settled in Mumbai should learn to treat Marathis with respect. "A Bihari who tries to humiliate a Marathi will get a tight slap for breakfast, lunch and dinner," he told his partymen, much to their glee.

Blown out of proportion

"Raj's statement has been picked out of his speech by the media and blown out of proportion to create misunderstanding between the residents of this city and state," Atul Sarpotdar, a close aide of Raj, who also broke away from the Sena, told Gulf News. "Those criticising Raj should have listened to his full speech. It is his style of speaking that has been misquoted. All that he wanted to emphasise was that people from any state could come into Maharashtra but no one should snatch away the livelihood of the Marathi residents." Sarpotdar also blamed a North Indian leader who had threatened Raj and said they would not allow him to come out of his house.

"Despite their behaviour, none of us have retaliated," he added.