Update (February 11, 2008):Raj booked for inciting violence, arrest likely
This is what Raj Thackeray wrote in a special article written by him in the Marathi daily Maharashtra Times,
Even if the whole world opposes my stand, I and my party will continue the struggle to protect Marathi culture, Maharashtrian people and will trample the goondaism of UP and Bihar.
Err…do correct me if I am wrong here. As far as I know Raj Thackeray has never won an election. So who tasked him with protecting Marathi culture? Who is he representing?
Meanwhile, PTI reports,
In a sign that Shiv Sena is worried over its former leader Raj Thackeray ‘hijacking’ its ‘Marathi pride’ plank, Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray has warned that his party will not tolerate workers ‘brought from outside’ for modernisation of Mumbai airport.
“There are going to be one lakh jobs for airport works. If you bring outside workers, then they will be packed off in a parcel and sent back in a cargo plane,” Uddhav said.
Isn’t everything that is happening in clear violation of the Indian Constitution, which grants every Indian citizen the right to go and settle down anywhere in India? Honestly, the debate ends here. The Thackerays and every other rascal who spreads regional and religious intolerance can be put behind bars on the basis of this argument alone.
Your Opinion? You can just drop in a comment on this issue or write in to me by clicking here
32 responses so far ↓
aniche // February 10, 2008 at 1:04 pm
put behind bars? let’s not live in utopia dear friend!we saw video of gujrati politicians narrating how they murdered people during 2001 riots. they still can’t be touched.
Krishna Aradhi // February 10, 2008 at 1:13 pm
@aniche
I was talking about the ideal situation. Practically speaking, I don’t think Thackeray, or for that matter, any politician like him can be put behind bars.
Gaurav // February 10, 2008 at 2:48 pm
I think what we are seeing in Mumbai is something you can see aywhere in world where migration happens. What makes it dangerous is that Mumbai is not another Country which should seal its borders and depoly army on its border to stop influx of so called outsiders.
http://gasharma.blogspot.com/2008/02/raj-thackeray-mns-clashes-with-north.html
Liju Philip // February 10, 2008 at 5:13 pm
No point putting these people behind bars. they will anyway get out. The election commission should liquidate the party and debar the individual from standing for any election. Ever.
That should cut down the crap. Btw, i agree fully with Aniche. Where is the justice for all the gujarat, punjab and other victims? The justice system in India sucks big time.
Krishna Aradhi // February 10, 2008 at 5:32 pm
@Liju Philip
Talking about our justice system, yes, it sucks. We have some good laws, but their implementation sucks.
I have lost whatever little trust I had in our politicians. The situation is hopeless, with every politician thinking about his own state or constituency. Any national leaders left?
ravi // February 10, 2008 at 11:46 pm
i wish i could kill this bastard called raj thakarey..!! though i am born and brought up in maharashtra, today i feel ashamed to call myself an indian or maharashtrian because of this persosn.
i wish to see a india where everyone is treated fairly and people like raj thakare does not exist.
they just use others for their political motives.
Vineet // February 11, 2008 at 1:40 pm
I support Raj Thackerey’s arguments ,but not his actions which amount to hooliganism ,the states were created for a reason ,otherwise we can divide india into rectangular grids instead of all these cumbersome borders ,and hence we must respect that reason.
Being Indian does not mean that people of one state can invade another and subvert the local culture there ,migrants must learn to mix with the local culture and stay invisible while enriching the local culture at the same time.
Many communities go and settle outside but there is no major hue and cry against them ,then why is it that only UPiites and Biharis face this problem ,whether in Assam ,Bengal , Maharashtra or Punjab………
we should learn from the Parsis and the marwaris, the nuances of integrating into another society ,these two communities have been so successful in integrating while at the same time staying invisible…..
Even Bengalis celebrate Durga Puja everwhere but no one beats them up for this …….
Even the European countries are facing the same situation now ,where in they have allowed migrants all kinds of freedom so that they have now formed ghettos and are trying to break away from the liberal culture of the European countries ,the English who gave the world the ideas of free speech ,parliamentary democracy ,the French who gave the world people like Rosseau have lost their values and traditions to the Asians , and now we are seeing the repurcussions in the form of race riots….
NILESH // February 11, 2008 at 5:29 pm
@VINIT
you are absolutely right.even i support the arguments of raj Thackeray.but not the way he is trying do it.
raj’s statements—-
1)every person living in any state of india should know the language of that state and should respect the local culture.
this also applies to the maharashtrians living in other states and they should respect the local culture.
2)every person living in maharashtra should know marathi language.
3)example he gave was of maharashtrians and other indians living in america.they celebrate maharashtra din on the american independence day.
4)he is not against the north indians but their goondaism in mumbai.the way they try to dominate the local residents.their involvement in the crimes in mumbai.
5)they try to show their strength while organizing chhat poojas.
why nobody raise their voice when bengalis,gujratis,marwaris organize dandiya and durga pooja festivals.cause they have beautifully blended their culture with the local culture.
his statements regarding amitabh bachan were that the mumbai people gave him so much love,maharashtra gave him everything.but all development works he is doing is in allahabad.cant he do something for maharashtra which he gave him so much.
this was the only thing he objected and said that he is still a fan of amithabh bachan and we all are.
[rahul bajajs statement---
jai maharashtra bolenge par jai hind nahi bhoolenge] only solidifies the ties between people of different states.
raj’s questions–
1)why do so many north indians come to state
—– cause they have no job opportunities in their own state.
he suggested that solution to this problem lies in the development of UP and BIHAR.and politicians from these states have no right to comment on this particular issue as they themselves have immensely contributed in making their state financially poor.this states lacks even basic necessities and infrastructure.crime rate has gone high,rape cases and murder cases involving local leaders are not registered.politicians and local leaders in UP and BIHAR are involved in many sex scandals and various rape and murder cases.
if they could have tried to do something good for their state,these people would have never left their state.
its due to the lack of vision of politicians in this state that these poor migrants are facing these situations.they are forced to migrate to other states for livelihood.
solutions lies in development of these states.
they are coming in mumbai cause it is here they are earning their livelihood and they experience what freedom,much better conditions than their own states
finally the means through which they are trying to reach their goals are improper.violence is not the solution.infact it will make conditions worse.
nobody in Thackeray family have ever contested elections.the workers in their parties are assigned different posts.so there is no question about Thackeray winning or losing an election
and finally the act of pelting stones and bottles at BIG b’s house is condemned by everyone.
solution—maharashtrians have a tradition of welcoming guests with open hands.so respect maharashtrian culture and blend your culture with them
NILESH // February 11, 2008 at 5:33 pm
RAJ THACKERAY WE SUPPORT YOUR ARGUMENTS BUT VIOLENCE IS NOT THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION.INFACT REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL PARTIES SHOULD SIT TOGETHER AND PROPER SOLUTIONS SHOULD BE FOUND OUT WHICH WILL BENEFIT EVERY COMMUNITY IN INDIA
Krishna Aradhi // February 11, 2008 at 7:35 pm
@Vineet & Nilesh
I agree with what you have to say. I have always been against violence as a means of getting your point across. A constructive debate is very much welcome!
I live in Pune and have personally experienced that people from north India do treat the locals (including me!) with contempt. But lets not generalise. Not every north Indian is a culprit, just like every Maharashtrian is not a victim.
The real problem behind this issue is that Mumbai is getting choked due to lack of adequate infrastructure (less space, more conflicts). Also, I don’t see the influx of migrants into Mumbai decreasing, at least in the immediate future, as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh still live in the Stone Age. And then again, the UPA government at the Centre has not given the people in our villages a good reason not to migrate to the cities (the NREGS and such rural development schemes have been a pathetic failure).
So who is to blame for all this fracas? It’s us, the people. The only time we ever protest against government apathy is when things have already gone out of hand. And more often than not, those protests are violent. If only, as already suggested, we sit down and think with a cool head, can we solve these problems.
Honestly, if Mahatma Gandhi were to be alive today, he would have squirmed at the way we are fighting against each other. Shame on us!
vegp // February 12, 2008 at 12:22 am
“every person living in any state of india should know the language of that state and should respect the local culture.”
Why? As long as the person doesn’t do anything illegal, why can’t she live the way she wants to. Let me give a dramatic example to illustrate the issue. If Mother Teresa couldn’t speak Bangla or didn’t participate in Durga Puja, but did all the other good work she did, would you have advocated that she leave Kolkata?
sree // February 13, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Initially the thread was like a Anti Thakarey campaign, of late the true mindset is exposed, he is right in demanding for local culture and native prominence, but violence is unacceptable at any cost.
Same thing is happening in Karnataka too, 1000s of north Indians (Biharis’ basically) are brought into karnataka to fill the Class D vacancies in railway department.
Are they “People of Extra-ordinary Ability” to be brought into a different state to perform Class D work? Why ignore localites, this is something which everyone should voice against, but keep it fair enough, when you cannot feed them, you have no right to beat them up,
Also, my request to immigrants living in various states, please try to be one amongst them rather than trying to dominate them.
Its very clear here that Mr. Thakarey, has used this situation for political gains, but unknowingly he has thrown light on a issue which is quite serious but has been constantly ignored by one and all in the society.
Mrinal // February 18, 2008 at 5:22 pm
What was the whole conflict about? Was it an assault on national integration, was it a genuine burden on Mumbai that caused the outburst or a struggle for survival of native people before they became extinct.
Biased Analysis cannot help anyone to answer what is right? One needs to consider both sides of the coin..
http://immunesoul.blogspot.com/2008/02/raj-thackeray-my-point-my-struggle-mazi.html
Indian Homemaker // February 18, 2008 at 10:29 pm
A very serious question. How does one respect the local culture of a place? Isn’t our culture Indian culture? Don’t we all have the same values? Don’t we worship the same Gods?
And about language, how do you expect retired service officers or adults who have grown up somewhere else to pick a language at their age? Not everyone is good at languages. Imagine a Taxi Driver, plumber or mason trying to learn a new language, when he can barely support himself. How does it benefit Maharashtra to have all migrants speaking Marathi?
What about people who get posted all over India? I can never forget how when we were in Kerala, once a woman came to me and told me I should employ her because she was a Malayali and a Brahmin, while the other one was Muslim. I employed them both for different jobs but soon found the Muslim maid to be a much better worker. She had experience of working in Dubai, she was hard working, cleaner and I didn’t care which God she worshiped, that was her personal life. I eventually fired the Brahmin maid, and allowed the better worker to do all the job.
Unless it is a welfare organization, nobody will like to pay more than they have to. Industries in Nasik are waiting for North Indian workers, reservation of any kind, even regional makes no sense for the employer. Government jobs can have reservations (welfare) but private employers will only employ those who do their work best with least trouble. So, saying that ‘outsiders’ should not be employed might result in the industries shifting elsewhere or not doing as well. I think we should all read Ayn rand’s ‘Atlas Shrugged’.
Krishna Aradhi // February 19, 2008 at 7:10 am
@ Indian Homemaker
How does one respect the local culture of a place? Well, difficult question. The north Indians, by nature, are a bit aggressive which probably offends the local people in Maharashtra and in some other states. So, if the migrants stop trying to dominate the locals, things would be a bit better.
As for migrants compulsorily learning the local language, I am completely against it. It just doesn’t make sense.
And yes, all that the private sector wants is talent, which obviously makes great economic sense. No regional bias. Just what the Constitution promises. If only our government and political parties learn a few lessons from the private sector, India would be a far better place to live in.
pra3618 // February 19, 2008 at 11:30 am
Dear All,
I am from UP. But I seriously don’t feel I am aggressive. I regularly travel in the Suburban locals and talk as little as possible. But I have seen people, whom you call locals, whistling at every sight of girl, calling names to the people queued up to board the trains, who are assummed to be Bhaiya’s even if they would be boarding Punjab Mail or Guwahati express. If this is not enough, they will try to corner everybody if they have a group. If it is not aggression, what else is? And if we do something in retaliation, that is overt aggression. In addition to this, I have never seen anybody celebrating UP Diwas or something of that sort. I don’t even know if there is any such day, but good enough that Raj Thakerey knows. Initially, I thought, we must ignore him and that would be the best reaction to his actions. But the impact has been so huge that it is difficult to ignore. Everybody is supporting him as if everybody was waiting for just chance. Thanks for giving me a platform to vent my anger.
Krishna Aradhi // February 19, 2008 at 11:50 am
@ pra3618
My view that people from the north are a bit aggressive is derived from a post on India Retold. And I think there is some sense in the reasons given for that. Do read it.
And yes, I agree with you that the locals are not exactly innocent victims. We have goondas everywhere.
I too wish that we could have ignored Thackeray. He’s just a fool trying to save his flagging political career. But such is Indian politics that we can’t do that. Sigh.
As for providing a platform to vent your anger, that’s what the blogosphere is all about. You’re welcome express your views. Keep visiting!
indianhomemaker // February 22, 2008 at 10:21 am
Aren’t we forgetting something?? Maharsahtra is not a country, it is a STATE in India. How can we comapre Maharashtra to UK or France. Reminds me of KHALISTAN…Can we Indians never stand united? We have paid a heavy price in the past. We have been an occupied nation for so long and yet we forget all lessons learnt !!We will never learn: (
If this is not controlled soon, we will have people from Colaba objecting to residents from Andheri coming and working there…you see Colaba culture gets corrupted. LOL (a sad laughter)
vishwanath // February 23, 2008 at 9:40 am
first of all let me make it clear one thing the every states have its basic ppls who need basic jobs
if states like UP and bihar have illetaracy rates aroung 40% and then dump these ppls
to maharashtra and strach the jobs of maharashtrain residents
i mean basic jobs like auto drivers, workers etc
these UP bihar politicians instead of telling to fight back first try to improve ur states literaccy rates……….
thats the only solution…..
these UP bihar ppls
have a perception that mumbaii hai maharashtra haii
job mil jayega..
so these shld be stopped somewhere…..
Sicilian // February 23, 2008 at 12:19 pm
You must read what Raj has replied to Indian Express
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/276169.html
Sicilian // February 24, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Raj Saheb,
I support you , before the UP/Biharis start making Ranvir’s sena’s and massacre people (and the government keeping quite), before the same kinds start aborting girl fetus (and the government keeping quite) , before the likes start scams of “chara” and making others “la-char” cheer up for sati (and the government keeping quite) , let there be revolution against what is wrong , in favor of right, let there be revolution against hyporites who oppose bangladeshis for the same reason for which they support low wages migrants from their regions, let there be revolution against the wrong in favor the right…
Indian Homemaker // February 25, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Aggression against other Indians and Mumbaikars, against other Indian citizens, who have as much right to be in Maharashtra as any Marathi speaking citizen of India, is a new culture….quoting from one of the responses for NDTV ’s question, ‘IS MUMBAI’S COMPOSITE CULTURE UNDER ATTACK?’
This is an addition of new kind of culture in the diverse cultures present in Mumbai.
Dhairya // June 24, 2008 at 9:56 pm
This is ridiculous. There was a time when I respected Thackeray family. I believe they have now lost their minds and are not actually a threat to national security. What about consitutional rights? First they said they are protecting hindus and would be voilent against muslims and then they said they are protecting ‘Maharastra’ and beat up their ‘Hindu’ brothers’. Tomorrow they might say they will kill anyone who is not a Thackeray. Who knows. I believe as long as such people are there, we will not have communal harmony. One has to go after criminals and not communities and its police’s job and definitely Raj Thackeray is a criminal
asianwindow // September 8, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Raj is only regurgitating his estranged uncle’s old political strategy (Marathi asmita etc), except this time the bad guys are ‘bhaiyas and banias’ from UP and Bihar. BTW, for arguement’s sake do not forget that Dhirubhai Ambani and JRD Tata were also immigrants to Mumbai from Gujarat and Iran respectively.
If every immigrant packed up and left, Mumbai’s economy would collapse.
The xenophobia displayed by Raj T displays a bankruptcy of ideas. But it’s getting him headlines, so I guess it’s a strategy that is working for him.
Namita
Ax // September 11, 2008 at 11:31 am
Hey guys,
I think the message is pretty clear. A few points I made out from reading this page.
1. We are all Indians, so each one of us has the right to live anywhere we want in this great country.
2. We are all human, and each one is different in his own way. Do not go by cultural stereotypes and label certain “people”.
3. Raj Thackeray is a little bitch.
4. Everyone deserves to earn a living. Let this be said that ONLY merit deserves employment, not religion or caste or region. If you feel a person doesn’t deserve a particular job, find someone who’ll do it better for the same pay.
5. Everyone has the right to practice their own culture. If you ask someone to change their cultural demeanour simply because others deem it as offensive, you are insulting that culture. As long as it doesn’t physically impose itself on others, every culture is fine as it is.
6. Raj Thackeray is a little bitch.
7. Despite that, freedom of speech must always be maintained. Mr. Bachchan, (in my opinion), shouldn’t have had to apologise. Mrs. Bachchan had merely requested to speak in a language through which she could express herself clearly. It was not a political function, it was a film event. But if Raj want’s to rant and rave about it like a whiny little kid, let him. If you hear something you don’t like, ignore it. The choice is yours. If someone merely says something, no harm can come to you, unless you let it. However if someone does something, feel free to defend yourself and approach the authorities.
8. What has happened in the past, has happened. NOTHING you do or say will change it. The only sensible thing is to learn from those mistakes and move on. Religion should NEVER be mixed with politics. If you don’t like the politicians, don’t vote for them, get rid of them. We, the people hold all the power. All we need is to stop complaining and start doing. Its the ONLY way to fix the system. It is when we stopped complaining Babri Masjid, 1984 riots, Bombay Blasts, Kashmir terrorism etc. all have one common cause. The people behind them forget the fact that they are whoever they are hurting, are people too. We all bleed blood of the same colour, we all feel pain when we are hurt, we all feel sorrow for the loss of our loved ones. Learn what such hatred can cause, move on. We, as Indians, must stand united against all such hatred. Let not one man’s ignorant hatred divide a thousand brothers.
9. Did I mention Raj Thackeray is a little bitch?
sushant // October 22, 2008 at 5:12 pm
THIS IS JUST NOT DONE,RESPECTING YOUR CULTURE IS ONE THING BUT BEATING UP AND INJURING PEOPLE WHO CAN’T SPEAK THE STATE LANGUAGE IS INSANE,RAJ THACKERAY IS A COMPLETE MORON,HE DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF MAHARASHTRA,HE IS GIVING THEM A BAD NAME THE LITTLE BITCH HAS MADE SOO MUCH MONEY WHY NOT SPEND THAT ON CREATING JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR MAHARASHTRIANS? RAJ THACKERAY SEEMS TO HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT SOMETHING CALLED THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION EXISTS.
vj // October 22, 2008 at 8:37 pm
i want to kill this bloody begger bastard raj…i just want to crush his head and then ask him “mumbai konacha bapachi aahe”…fuck…this bloody bastard what he is trying to do???he is just a mentally unbalanced animal…and so is his wife….that bloody bitch…..fuck these ppl….i want to kill them NOWWWWWW…plz lets think what we can do ??cant we do anything?we r lakhs of ppl who want this ghati begger behind the bars….lets think how we can do that??any suggestions….
Anonymous // October 22, 2008 at 9:37 pm
raj tackhery is a BASTARD, terrorist, sooner we get rid of him the better
Raj Thackshit // October 22, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Raj,
You bastard,Hindi is the national language of my county.
So please go and fuck yourself,your theory of learning the state language and your imbecile followers….as a matter of fact,they should be fluent in their national language.
with that said,please do something useful for the county…or for Maharashtra,like blowing yourself up?
Fuck You.
Ballsac Thackeray.
Raj Thackshit // October 22, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Oh and did I mention that Raj Thackeray has serious physical condition…His boner shrinks whenever he sees a “bhosari”…that’s where the vice president of MNS,some bitch whose name I can’t quite remember,comes in to play.
P.S-Raj had an “awesome” time in jail..although he’s having trouble walking
rameshV // November 15, 2008 at 10:14 am
Mumbai is India’s commercial capital. It is Marathis’ city.We are all Indians. Dr. Ambedkar’s constitution allows every one to lead their life wherever they like.Some body overreproducing and encroaching Mumbai and idulging in anti-Marathi activities is crime. Including God will not allow. If you respect Marathi language and culture, you will be respected like God.After respecting Marathi language and culture, one can follow their language and culture. Some body opposing Marathi language and Marathi culture is crime.That is crime against God.
Marathis created industrialist of Mumbai. If they respect Marathi language and culture, we will respect them. If their are against, they can go some were and there they can do what ever they like.
Maharashtra governments or Marathis’ cash and other resources are given to run their industries and business in Mumbai.
Marathis’ enemies will be punished by the God.
Thanking you
V.Ramesh
RameshV // November 15, 2008 at 10:38 am
Mumbai is Indias commercial capital. Mumbai is Marathis city. Dr. Ambedkar’s constitution allows every one of us and people from around the World(through proper migration) to lead our life wherever we like in India.No Marathi says no to this. Somebody overreproducing and encroaching Mumbai and Maharashtra and indulging in anti-Marathi activities are criminals. Anti-Marathi people will be punished by the God and law. Those people who respect Marathi language in Mumbai and Maharshtra will be treated like Gods and goddesses. If they are against they can go somewhere, where they tell that region is peacefull. Why they are interested in Marathis Job and business oppurtunities.
Mumbai’s and Maharashtra’s industrialists are made by the Marathi people and Maharashtra government. It is Marathis wealth which makes them as industrialist. Global investment is Godly. These people are always Marathi respecting and loving.
Within India and within South Asia culprits are. These people who are against Marathi language and Maharashtra are also criminals against India and the World and God.
Become good human beings by respecting Marathi language and Maharashtra.
Long live Gods and good faith
V.Ramesh