Cartoons to platoon!

The passing away of Hindu Hriday Samrat, Balasaheb Keshav Thackeray has left a big void in the Shiv Sena leadership. It is hard to imagine how his son and heir apparent to his political throne, Uddhav Thackeray, a different personality altogether from his father will be able to fill the void that has been created. The turnout at his last journey from Matoshree to Shivaji Park where Balasaheb was cremated was seen to be believed in recent times. Mumbai city came to a standstill as establishments remain closed.  Except for public transport, cabs & autos stayed off the roads. Estimates place the number of those who joined him in his  funeral procession to be about two million. Those who loved and adored him and also those who disapproved his brand of politics joined him in his  last journey. Mumbaikars particularly and even his followers from within and outside the state braved hardships and went without food and water for almost more than 10 hours, just to be with their leader in his last journey. Balasaheb Thakeray was accorded a state funeral at Shivaji Park, the same location where he had held many political rallies.

Born in 1926 in the city of Pune, Balasaheb Thackeray dedicated more than five decades espousing the cause of Marathi manoos, the son of the soil, and it was this very cause that led him to form the Shiv Sena party in 1966. Balasaheb began his professional career as a cartoonist with the English daily newspaper, The Free Press Journal in 1950 and he was on par with the other  famous cartoonist of his times , R K Laxman and  late Mario Miranda. Long before Balasaheb Thackeray founded the Shiv Sena, he was a 'social activist' of a different sort. He  expressed his views on social and national affairs through his political cartoons. He later resigned to launch his own political weekly Marmik meaning ‘subtle’ in 1960  to further his crusade in support of the maharashtrian community. He also had an eye for symbolism which was evident in his cartoons. His work will always be an inspiration for cartoonists in the years to come. His approach was always bold  and he was a straightforward and charismatic personality in his dealings with people. Being an   illustrator initially his drawings were always very good and his caricatures were very expressive, especially when it came to those of contemporary political figures such as Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Morarji Desai .

His political philosophy was largely shaped by his father Keshav Thackeray, a leading figure in the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement, which advocated the creation of a separate linguistic state of Maharashtra. Balasaheb campaigned strongly for the place of Maharashtrians in Mumbai’s political and professional landscape. He also founded the Marathi-language newspaper Saamna and the Hindi-language newspaper Dophar Ka Saamana.

He built his party through the 1970’s and 1980’s by forming temporary alliances with nearly all of Maharashtra's political parties. Later on the Shiv Sena formed alliance with the like-minded Hindu right wing Bhartiya Janta Party and won the State Assembly Elections in 1995.

Thackeray’s Shiv Sena has stood by the Marathi manoos in Mumbai and has fought for the rights of Hindu people. Being a staunch Hindu he believed that Hindus must be united in their struggle against those who oppose their identity and religion. The opposition parties though have always contested Thackeray and alleged that the Shiv Sena has done little to solve the problem of unemployment facing a large proportion of Maharashtrian youth during its tenure, in contradiction to its ideological foundation of  'sons of the soil.'

However it must be said that Balasaheb Thakeray provided a strong leadership to the party he founded for over four decades. He will be remembered as a consummate communicator whose stature in the politics of Maharashtra was unique. Rarely did Balasaheb Thackeray contradict his own words once he had given his views on any issue of relevance and epitomised courage and valour. It is tough to find a leader who has left a deep and abiding imprint on a state’s political landscape.

Will the party he founded emerge stronger after Balasaheb is a question in most minds? There is no doubt that Uddhav Thakeray will keep his legacy alive. But opinions on Shiv Sena’s existence as a strong party vary and discussions regarding this have been seen on the news channels of late. Time will only tell what’s in store. No one can predict the future with accuracy.

As a patriot Balasaheb was uncompromising, his remarkable leadership qualities reflected attributes of both- the head and the heart. He was indeed a great son of the soil and a true nationalist who minced no words to express his views. What endeared him to the masses was his clear thinking, inspiring oratory and commitment to cause. Without hesitation one can say, “Ek Tha Tiger” in reference to the legacy left behind by the late Balasaheb Tackeray. | By Kiran Pandya