1 Bal Thackeray (Marathi pronunciation: 23 January 1926 – 17 November 2012), was an Indian politician who founded the Shiv Sena, a right-wing pro-Marathi[2] and Hindu national
Thackeray began his professional career as a cartoonist with the English-language daily, The Free Press Journal in Bombay (now Mumbai), but he left the paper in 1960 to form his own political weekly, Marmik[citation needed]. His political philosophy was largely shaped by his father Keshav Sitaram Thackeray, a leading figure in the Samyukta Maharashtra (United Maharashtra) movement, which advocated the creation of a separate linguistic state for Marathi speakers. Through Marmik, Bal Thackeray campaigned against the growing influence of non-Marathis in Mumbai.[citation needed] In 1966, Thackeray formed the Shiv Sena party to advocate for the interests of Maharashtra in Indian political and professional landscape, and against certain segments of Mumbai's Muslim population.
He had a large political influence in the state, especially in Mumbai.[6] A government inquiry found that Thackeray and Chief Minister of Maharashtra Manohar Joshi incited members of the Shiv Sena to commit violence against Muslims during the 1992–1993 Bombay riots.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Thackeray built the Shiv Sena with help of Madhav Mehere chief attorney for trade union of India, Babasaheb Purandare, historian for Govt of Maharastra and Madhav Deshpande Head Accountant for Shiv Sena, these three individuals to a large extent were responsible for the success of Shiv Sena and stability of politics in Mumbai till 2000 to ensure it grows into an economic power center.[4] Thackeray was also the founder of the Marathi-language newspaper Saamana.[9] After the riots of 1992–93, he and his party took a Hindutva stance. In 1999, Thackeray was banned from voting and contesting in any election for six years on the recommendations of the Election Commission for indulging in seeking votes in the name of religion. Thackeray was arrested multiple times and spent a brief stint in prison, but he never faced any major legal repercussions.[3] Upon his death, he was accorded a state funeral, at which many mourners were present. Thackeray did not hold any official positions, and he was never formally elected as the leader of his party.
Thackeray was born on 23 January 1926 in Pune, the son of Keshav Sitaram Thackeray (also known as 'Prabodhankar') and his wife Ramabai Thackeray.[4] The family belongs to the Marathi Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu community.[10][11] He got his surname Thackeray from his father Keshav who was an admirer of India-born British writer William Makepeace Thackeray, his father Keshav later changed his surname from Panvelkar to "Thackeray" [12][13] Bal was the eldest of eight siblings, three among them being brothers Shrikant Thackeray (father of Raj Thackeray) and Ramesh Thackeray, and five sisters (Sanjeevani Karandikar, Prabhavati (Pama) Tipnis, Malati (Sudha) Sule, Sarla Gadkari and Susheela Gupte).
Bal's father, Keshav Thackeray, was a journalist and cartoonist by profession; he was also a social activist and writer who was involved in the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement of the 1950s, which argued for the creation of a unified state called Maharashtra for Marathi-speaking areas with Mumbai as its capital. Bal Thackeray was inspired by his father's political philosophy.
Bal Thackeray (Marathi pronunciation: 23 January 1926 – 17 November 2012), was an Indian politician who founded the Shiv Sena, a right-wing pro-Marathi[2] and Hindu nationalist party active mainly in the state of Maharashtra.
Bala Saheb Thackeray
Bal Thackeray at 70th Master Dinanath Mangeshkar Award
Thackeray in 2012
Shiv Sena Pramukh (President)
In office
19 June 1966 – 17 November 2012
Preceded by
Position Created
Succeeded by
Uddhav Thackeray
Personal details
Born
Bal Keshav Thackeray
23 January 1926
Poona, Bombay Presidency, British India
Died
17 November 2012 (aged 86)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Political party
Shiv Sena
Spouse
Meena Thackeray (née Sarla Vaidya)
( m. 1948; died 1995)[1]
Children
3, including Uddhav Thackeray
Parents
Keshav Sitaram Thackeray (father)
Ramabai Thackeray (mother)
Relatives
Raj Thackeray (nephew)
Thackeray Family
Thackeray began his professional career as a cartoonist with the English-language daily, The Free Press Journal in Bombay (now Mumbai), but he left the paper in 1960 to form his own political weekly, Marmik[citation needed]. His political philosophy was largely shaped by his father Keshav Sitaram Thackeray, a leading figure in the Samyukta Maharashtra (United Maharashtra) movement, which advocated the creation of a separate linguistic state for Marathi speakers. Through Marmik, Bal Thackeray campaigned against the growing influence of non-Marathis in Mumbai.[citation needed] In 1966, Thackeray formed the Shiv Sena party to advocate for the interests of Maharashtra in Indian political and professional landscape, and against certain segments of Mumbai's Muslim population.[3][4][5]
He had a large political influence in the state, especially in Mumbai.[6] A government inquiry found that Thackeray and Chief Minister of Maharashtra Manohar Joshi incited members of the Shiv Sena to commit violence against Muslims during the 1992–1993 Bombay riots.[7][8]
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Thackeray built the Shiv Sena with help of Madhav Mehere chief attorney for trade union of India, Babasaheb Purandare, historian for Govt of Maharastra and Madhav Deshpande Head Accountant for Shiv Sena, these three individuals to a large extent were responsible for the success of Shiv Sena and stability of politics in Mumbai till 2000 to ensure it grows into an economic power center.[4] Thackeray was also the founder of the Marathi-language newspaper Saamana.[9] After the riots of 1992–93, he and his party took a Hindutva stance. In 1999, Thackeray was banned from voting and contesting in any election for six years on the recommendations of the Election Commission for indulging in seeking votes in the name of religion. Thackeray was arrested multiple times and spent a brief stint in prison, but he never faced any major legal repercussions.[3] Upon his death, he was accorded a state funeral, at which many mourners were present. Thackeray did not hold any official positions, and he was never formally elected as the leader of his party.[6]
Early life
Edit
Main article: Thackeray family
Thackeray was born on 23 January 1926 in Pune, the son of Keshav Sitaram Thackeray (also known as 'Prabodhankar') and his wife Ramabai Thackeray.[4] The family belongs to the Marathi Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu community.[10][11] He got his surname Thackeray from his father Keshav who was an admirer of India-born British writer William Makepeace Thackeray, his father Keshav later changed his surname from Panvelkar to "Thackeray" [12][13] Bal was the eldest of eight siblings, three among them being brothers Shrikant Thackeray (father of Raj Thackeray) and Ramesh Thackeray, and five sisters (Sanjeevani Karandikar, Prabhavati (Pama) Tipnis, Malati (Sudha) Sule, Sarla Gadkari and Susheela Gupte).
Bal's father, Keshav Thackeray, was a journalist and cartoonist by profession; he was also a social activist and writer who was involved in the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement of the 1950s, which argued for the creation of a unified state called Maharashtra for Marathi-speaking areas with Mumbai as its capital. Bal Thackeray was inspired by his father's political philosophy.[3]
Career
Edit
Thackeray began his career as a cartoonist in the Free Press Journal in Mumbai. His cartoons were also published in the Sunday edition of The Times of India. After Thackeray's differences with the Free Press Journal, he and four or five people, including politician George Fernandes, left the paper and started their own daily, News Day. The paper survived for one or two months.[14] In 1960, he launched the cartoon weekly Marmik with his brother Srikant.[15] It focused on issues of common "Marathi Manoos"( Marathi people or Marathi speaking people) including unemployment, influx of migrants, retrenchment of Marathi workers and its office in Ranade Road became the rallying point for Marathi youth.[16] Bal Thackeray later stated "that not just a cartoon weekly but also the prime reason for the birth and growth of the Sena." It was Marmik issue on 5 June 1966 which first announced the launch of membership for the Shiv Sena.
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This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. (August 2021)
Bal Thackeray (Marathi pronunciation: [baːɭ̆ keːʃəʋ ʈʰaːk(ə)ɾeː]; 23 January 1926 – 17 November 2012), was an Indian politician who founded the Shiv Sena, a right-wing pro-Marathi[2] and Hindu nationalist party active mainly in the state of Maharashtra.
Bala Saheb Thackeray
Bal Thackeray at 70th Master Dinanath Mangeshkar Award
Thackeray in 2012
Shiv Sena Pramukh (President)
In office
19 June 1966 – 17 November 2012
Preceded by
Position Created
Succeeded by
Uddhav Thackeray
Personal details
Born
Bal Keshav Thackeray
23 January 1926
Poona, Bombay Presidency, British India
Died
17 November 2012 (aged 86)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Political party
Shiv Sena
Spouse
Meena Thackeray (née Sarla Vaidya)
( m. 1948; died 1995)[1]
Children
3, including Uddhav Thackeray
Parents
Keshav Sitaram Thackeray (father)
Ramabai Thackeray (mother)
Relatives
Raj Thackeray (nephew)
Thackeray Family
Thackeray began his professional career as a cartoonist with the English-language daily, The Free Press Journal in Bombay (now Mumbai), but he left the paper in 1960 to form his own political weekly, Marmik[citation needed]. His political philosophy was largely shaped by his father Keshav Sitaram Thackeray, a leading figure in the Samyukta Maharashtra (United Maharashtra) movement, which advocated the creation of a separate linguistic state for Marathi speakers. Through Marmik, Bal Thackeray campaigned against the growing influence of non-Marathis in Mumbai.[citation needed] In 1966, Thackeray formed the Shiv Sena party to advocate for the interests of Maharashtra in Indian political and professional landscape, and against certain segments of Mumbai's Muslim population.[3][4][5]
He had a large political influence in the state, especially in Mumbai.[6] A government inquiry found that Thackeray and Chief Minister of Maharashtra Manohar Joshi incited members of the Shiv Sena to commit violence against Muslims during the 1992–1993 Bombay riots.[7][8]
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Thackeray built the Shiv Sena with help of Madhav Mehere chief attorney for trade union of India, Babasaheb Purandare, historian for Govt of Maharastra and Madhav Deshpande Head Accountant for Shiv Sena, these three individuals to a large extent were responsible for the success of Shiv Sena and stability of politics in Mumbai till 2000 to ensure it grows into an economic power center.[4] Thackeray was also the founder of the Marathi-language newspaper Saamana.[9] After the riots of 1992–93, he and his party took a Hindutva stance. In 1999, Thackeray was banned from voting and contesting in any election for six years on the recommendations of the Election Commission for indulging in seeking votes in the name of religion. Thackeray was arrested multiple times and spent a brief stint in prison, but he never faced any major legal repercussions.[3] Upon his death, he was accorded a state funeral, at which many mourners were present. Thackeray did not hold any official positions, and he was never formally elected as the leader of his party.[6]
Early life
Edit
Main article: Thackeray family
Thackeray was born on 23 January 1926 in Pune, the son of Keshav Sitaram Thackeray (also known as 'Prabodhankar') and his wife Ramabai Thackeray.[4] The family belongs to the Marathi Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu community.[10][11] He got his surname Thackeray from his father Keshav who was an admirer of India-born British writer William Makepeace Thackeray, his father Keshav later changed his surname from Panvelkar to "Thackeray" [12][13] Bal was the eldest of eight siblings, three among them being brothers Shrikant Thackeray (father of Raj Thackeray) and Ramesh Thackeray, and five sisters (Sanjeevani Karandikar, Prabhavati (Pama) Tipnis, Malati (Sudha) Sule, Sarla Gadkari and Susheela Gupte).
Bal's father, Keshav Thackeray, was a journalist and cartoonist by profession; he was also a social activist and writer who was involved in the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement of the 1950s, which argued for the creation of a unified state called Maharashtra for Marathi-speaking areas with Mumbai as its capital. Bal Thackeray was inspired by his father's political philosophy.[3]
Career
Edit
Thackeray began his career as a cartoonist in the Free Press Journal in Mumbai. His cartoons were also published in the Sunday edition of The Times of India. After Thackeray's differences with the Free Press Journal, he and four or five people, including politician George Fernandes, left the paper and started their own daily, News Day. The paper survived for one or two months.[14] In 1960, he launched the cartoon weekly Marmik with his brother Srikant.[15] It focused on issues of common "Marathi Manoos"( Marathi people or Marathi speaking people) including unemployment, influx of migrants, retrenchment of Marathi workers and its office in Ranade Road became the rallying point for Marathi youth.[16] Bal Thackeray later stated "that not just a cartoon weekly but also the prime reason for the birth and growth of the Sena." It was Marmik issue on 5 June 1966 which first announced the launch of membership for the Shiv Sena.[17][18]
Politics
Edit
Further information: Shiv Sena
1966–1998
Edit
The success of Maarmik prompted Thackeray to form the Shiv Sena on 19 June 1966. The name "Shiv Sena" (Shivaji's Army) was after the 17th century Maratha king. Initially, Thackeray said it was not a political party but an army of Shivaji Maharaj, inclined to fight for the Marathi manoos (person).[19] It demanded that native speakers of the state's local language Marathi (the "sons of the soil" movement) be given preferential treatment in private and public sector jobs. The early objective of the Shiv Sena was to ensure their job security competing against South Indians and Gujaratis.[15] In its 1966 party manifesto, Thackeray primarily blamed south Indians.[20] In Marmik, Thackeray published a list of corporate officials from a local directory, many being south Indians, citing it as proof that Maharashtrians were being discriminated against.[19]
His party grew in the next ten years. Senior leaders such as Babasaheb Purandare, chief attorney for Trade Union of Maharashtra Madhav Mehere joined the party and chartered accountant Madhav Gajanan Deshpande backed various aspects of the party operations. In 1969, Thackeray and Manohar Joshi were jailed after participating in a protest demanding the merger of Karwar, Belgaum and Nipani regions in Maharashtra.[21] During the 1970s, it did not succeed in the local elections and it was active mainly in Mumbai, compared to the rest of the state. The party set up local branch offices and settled disputes, complaints against the government.[5] It later started violent tactics with attacks against rival parties, migrants and the media; the party agitated by destroying public and private property.[6][22] Thackeray publicly supported Indira Gandhi during the 1975 Emergency to avoid getting arrested; Thackeray supported the Congress party numerous times.[15]
Dr. Hemchandra Gupte, Mayor of Mumbai and the former family physician and confidant of Thackeray, left Shiv Sena in 1976 citing importance given to money, violence committed by the Shiv Sena members and Thackeray's support for Indira Gandhi and the 1975 emergency.[23]
Politically, the Shiv Sena was anti-communist, and wrested control of trade unions in Mumbai from the Communist Party of India (CPI). Local unemployed youth from the declining textile industry joined the party[22] and it further expanded because of Marathi migrants from the Konkan region.[15] By the 1980s, it became a threat to the ruling Congress party which initially encouraged it because of it rivalling the CPI. In 1989, the Sena's newspaper Saamna was launched by Thackeray.[24] Because of Thackeray being against the Mandal Commission report, his close aide Chhagan Bhujbal left the party in 1991. Following the 1992 Bombay riots, Thackeray took stances viewed as anti-Muslim and based on Hindutva.[6] Shiv Sena later allied itself with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won the 1995 Maharashtra State Assembly elections and were in power from 1995 to 1999. Thackeray declared himself to be the "remote control" chief minister.[6][25]
Thackeray and the Chief Minister Manohar Joshi were explicitly named for inciting the Shivsainiks for violence against Muslims during the 1992–1993 riots in an inquiry ordered by the government of India, the Srikrishna Commission Report.[8][7]
He had influence in the film industry. His party workers agitated against films he found controversial and would disrupt film screenings, causing losses. Bombay, a 1995 film on the riots was opposed by them.
Thackeray died on 17 November 2012, of cardiac arrest.[71] Mumbai came to a virtual halt immediately as the news broke out about his death, with shops and commercial establishments shutting down.[72] The entire state of Maharashtra was put on high alert. The police appealed for calm and 20,000 Mumbai police officers, 15 units of the State Reserve Police Force and three contingents of the Rapid Action Force were deployed.[73] It was reported that Shiv Sena workers forced shops to close down in some areas.[3] The then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for calm in the city and praised Thackeray's "strong leadership", while there were also statements of praise and condolences from other senior politicians such as the then-Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP leader and MP (Former Deputy Prime Minister of India), L. K. Advani.[74]
He was accorded a state funeral[75] at Shivaji Park, which generated some controversy[76] and resulted from demands made by Shiv Sena.[77] It was the first public funeral in the city since that of Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1920.[78] Thackeray's body was moved to the park on 18 November.[79] Many mourners attended his funeral, although there were no official figures. The range reported in media sources varied from around 1 million,[80] to 1.5 million[81] and as many as nearly 2 million.[82] His cremation took place the next day, where his son Uddhav lit the pyre.[83] Among those present at his cremation were senior representatives of the Maharashtra government and the event was broadcast live on national television channels.[84] The Parliament of India opened for its winter session on 21 November 2012. Thackeray was the only non-member to be noted in its traditional list of obituaries. He is one of few people to have been recorded thus without being a member of either the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha.[85] Despite having not held any official position, he was given the 21-gun salute, which was again a rare honour.[86] Both houses of Bihar Assembly also paid tribute.[87][88][89] The funeral expenses created further controversies when media reports claimed that the BMC had used taxpayers' money. In response to these reports, the party later sent a cheque of Rs. 500,000 to the corporation.[86]
The Hindu, in an editorial, said regarding the shutdown that "Thackeray's legion of followers raised him to the status of a demigod who could force an entire State to shut down with the mere threat of violence".[90] Following his death, police arrested a 21-year-old woman who posted a Facebook comment against him, as well as her friend who "liked" the comment. Shiv Sena members also vandalised the clinic owned by the woman's relative.
