The New Indian Express 23 November 2009
Editorial
There must be a sense of satisfaction in the Shiv Sena that its activists, to use a less offensive term for rowdies, have once again made the organisation’s presence felt in Mumbai. This whiff of oxygen for an outfit which had been losing ground to the MNS in the competitive world of hooliganism could not but have brought a smile to the faces of its leaders. Ever since the nephew (and cousin) of the Shiv Sena’s father-son duo stole the limelight by violently championing the cause of Marathi manoos, the latter were at something of a loose end. Once the bread-and-butter issue of parochialism is misappropriated by a rival, it requires much hard thinking to recover lost ground. The Shiv Sena probably now believes that it has succeeded in its mission to stand tall again. Although its criticism of Sachin Tendulkar for saying Mumbai belonged to all attracted much adverse publicity, it nevertheless propelled the Shiv Sena ahead of the MNS in terms of television viewership if only because the other Sena maintained a deafening silence on the sensitive subject. Now, the attack on the office of a TV channel cannot but tell Mumbaikars that there is life yet in the 40-year-old outfit.No one can predict which of the two Senas will take the next step in this enterprise of organising street violence. Since the older organisation now seemingly has its nose ahead in this respect, it is the turn of the MNS to find an issue to go on the rampage. One must be thankful that the Ashok Chavan government has at least ensured that a few of the culprits will be arrested. There is little doubt, however, that they will soon be out on bail even as the government mulls over making an attack on media personnel a non-bailable offence.But the real instigators are unlikely to be touched even as they boast of their ‘achievement’. Mumbai will remain, therefore, a hostage to the Thackeray family as it has been since the mid-1960s, helplessly prone to sudden outbursts of violence. What is worse, the internal battles of the family have made the city and the state even more vulnerable to rowdyism. Yet, political opportunism ensures that only lip-service will be paid to the need for maintaining law and order as the Congress and the NCP on one side, and the BJP on the other, remain beholden to the family for various unworthy reasons.
|
