Sachin Tendulkar is perhaps the most loved and admired sports person in India and therefore no sane man in his wits would have the audacity to criticise the great man on his patriotism. And may be after the election reversals, the Shiv Sena Supremo, Bal Thackeray would be finding it difficult to keep a calm mind, otherwise how one can define his outburst against Sachin Tendulkar.
As a reply to a question Tendulkar said this: “Mumbai belongs to India, that’s how I look at it. And I am a Maharashtrian and I am extremely proud of that. But I am an Indian.” A statement any Indian should have been proud about hasn’t gone down well with the ageing leader of Shiv Sena. He criticised Tendulkar for making what he calls a ‘political statement’ and said that he has hurt the sentiments of the ‘Marathi Manoos.’Bal Thackeray has always been the self proclaimed ‘Neta’ of Marathi Manoos and he played the same sort of chauvinism all through his political career. The goons of the Sena have always threatened people and created a sort of ‘Goonda Raj’ in Maharashtra. As if one ‘Sena’ was not enough to create mayhem in the city, Mumbai has got another Sena these days, called the Maharashtra Nava Nirman Sena (MNS) headed by Bal Thackeray’s nephew Raj Thackeray. He created a party of his own when Bal Thackeray overlooked Raj and made his son Udhav the chief of the Shiv Sena.
The Shiv Sena activists resent people calling Bal Thackeray an old man. So I don’t want to tickle the resentful minds of Shiv Sainiks. So the “83 year young” leader of the Sena has been trying to find out an issue to reignite the subject of Marathi pride after the big electoral defeat they faced in Maharashtra. And he got a good subject when Sachin Tendulkar in an interview said India is for all Indians. The Sena chief happily jumped into the scene and criticised Tendulkar and said that Tendulkar has got “run out” in the “pitch of Marathi Manoos” by telling so. He was unaware that by telling so he has got himself out “hit wicket” in the minds of Indians and most importantly, the Marathis. Sachin Tendulkar is one of the greatest sons of Maharashtra and a jewel in Indian conscience. No person in India has ever got away unhurt by criticising Tendulkar personally. It would be a good thing for the Sena chief to remember it if he has some interest in regaining the lost respect of Marathis. As if the tirade was not enough, Samna, newspaper of Shiv Sena, has again come down hard on Tendulkar and said that he has not done any sacrifices for India and Maharashtra and he is not a great Maratha at all.
The goons and thugs of Shiv Sena have attacked the newscentre of CNN IBN in Mumbai and Pune recently. What is interesting is the proud way in which the Sena has taken responsibility of the attack. They have said in a statement that the attack was a natural response of the Shiv Sainiks for the alleged disrespect that the channel showed to Bal Thackeray. The media or the fourth estate is one of the most important pillars of democracy and any attack on the media should be condemned with earnest words and action. Instead, the Shiv Sena, which is a registered political party, has condoned it, which makes it all the more important to proscribe the party and ban it. But the political establishment of this country doesn’t seem to have the courage to do such a thing. So it is up to the common people to give a fitting reply to the Shiv Sena by voting against them in the coming elections as well. But the high number of votes that thuggish parties like Shiv Sena and MNS got in the recent elections should be a matter of worry for all those who believe in the values of democracy.
What people like Bal Thackeray and Raj Thackeray don’t understand is that respect is not earned by violence and brutality. Sachin Tendulkar, the most respected and loved sports person of this country, has earned it through his dedication and commitment to the nation’s cause. The man is widely respected because of his humility and modesty. People like Bal Thackeray are losing the respect they used have among people by such ridiculous utterances. The earlier they understand it, the better.
As a reply to a question Tendulkar said this: “Mumbai belongs to India, that’s how I look at it. And I am a Maharashtrian and I am extremely proud of that. But I am an Indian.” A statement any Indian should have been proud about hasn’t gone down well with the ageing leader of Shiv Sena. He criticised Tendulkar for making what he calls a ‘political statement’ and said that he has hurt the sentiments of the ‘Marathi Manoos.’Bal Thackeray has always been the self proclaimed ‘Neta’ of Marathi Manoos and he played the same sort of chauvinism all through his political career. The goons of the Sena have always threatened people and created a sort of ‘Goonda Raj’ in Maharashtra. As if one ‘Sena’ was not enough to create mayhem in the city, Mumbai has got another Sena these days, called the Maharashtra Nava Nirman Sena (MNS) headed by Bal Thackeray’s nephew Raj Thackeray. He created a party of his own when Bal Thackeray overlooked Raj and made his son Udhav the chief of the Shiv Sena.
The Shiv Sena activists resent people calling Bal Thackeray an old man. So I don’t want to tickle the resentful minds of Shiv Sainiks. So the “83 year young” leader of the Sena has been trying to find out an issue to reignite the subject of Marathi pride after the big electoral defeat they faced in Maharashtra. And he got a good subject when Sachin Tendulkar in an interview said India is for all Indians. The Sena chief happily jumped into the scene and criticised Tendulkar and said that Tendulkar has got “run out” in the “pitch of Marathi Manoos” by telling so. He was unaware that by telling so he has got himself out “hit wicket” in the minds of Indians and most importantly, the Marathis. Sachin Tendulkar is one of the greatest sons of Maharashtra and a jewel in Indian conscience. No person in India has ever got away unhurt by criticising Tendulkar personally. It would be a good thing for the Sena chief to remember it if he has some interest in regaining the lost respect of Marathis. As if the tirade was not enough, Samna, newspaper of Shiv Sena, has again come down hard on Tendulkar and said that he has not done any sacrifices for India and Maharashtra and he is not a great Maratha at all.
The goons and thugs of Shiv Sena have attacked the newscentre of CNN IBN in Mumbai and Pune recently. What is interesting is the proud way in which the Sena has taken responsibility of the attack. They have said in a statement that the attack was a natural response of the Shiv Sainiks for the alleged disrespect that the channel showed to Bal Thackeray. The media or the fourth estate is one of the most important pillars of democracy and any attack on the media should be condemned with earnest words and action. Instead, the Shiv Sena, which is a registered political party, has condoned it, which makes it all the more important to proscribe the party and ban it. But the political establishment of this country doesn’t seem to have the courage to do such a thing. So it is up to the common people to give a fitting reply to the Shiv Sena by voting against them in the coming elections as well. But the high number of votes that thuggish parties like Shiv Sena and MNS got in the recent elections should be a matter of worry for all those who believe in the values of democracy.
What people like Bal Thackeray and Raj Thackeray don’t understand is that respect is not earned by violence and brutality. Sachin Tendulkar, the most respected and loved sports person of this country, has earned it through his dedication and commitment to the nation’s cause. The man is widely respected because of his humility and modesty. People like Bal Thackeray are losing the respect they used have among people by such ridiculous utterances. The earlier they understand it, the better.
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