Thursday, November 29, 2012

Bal Thackeray’s Biography and Chronology of Events in His Life




  • 1926: Bal Keshav Thackeray was born on 23 January 1926 in Pune in a lower middle class family. His father, Keshav Sitaram Thackeray, was an editor, writer, social reformer and social cum political activist. The Thackrey’s belong to the Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (CKP) caste.
  • 1926: Bal Thackeray’s family name was “Thakre”. His father, being a fan of India born writer of “Vanity Fair”, William Thackeray, anglicized “Thakre” to “Thackeray”.
  • 1930: Birth of Bal Thackeray’s younger brother, Shrikant Thackeray.
  • 1956: Keshav Thackeray was a founding member of “Sanyukta Maharashtra Samiti” which fought for the creation of a separate Marathi speaking state. The state of Maharashtra was established on 1 May, 1960.
  • Mid 1950s: Bal Thackray started his career as a cartoonist with the Mumbai English daily “The Free Press Journal”. In the 1955 Guru Dutt movie “Mr & Mrs 55”, Bal Thackeray drew the cartoon for the Guru Dutt’s character, who is a struggling cartoonist.
  • 1960: Bal Thackeray and his brother, Srikant Thackeray, started the Marathi political weekly journal “Marmik”. In Marmik, he advocated an anti Gujarati, anti South Indian and anti Marwari sentiments.
 Balasaheb Thackeray dies:
  • Balasaheb Thackeray died at 3.30 pm on 17 November, 2012, of a cardiac arrest. This article discusses the main events from his life, his legacy, why he was famous and what he will be remembered for.
  •  
  • Large crowds of Mumbai’s residents and Shiv Sena supporters accompanied Bal Thackeray’s dead body from his residence, “Matoshri“, to Shiv Sena Bhavan. From Sena Bhavan Balasahab Thackeray’s body was taken to the statue of his wife Mina Thackeray at Shivaji Park. Shiv Sena “Shakha Pramukhs” (Branch Leaders) accompanied the special truck.
  •  
  • Bal Thackeray’s youngest son Uddhav performed the last rites as per Hindu custom. Usually, as per Hindu tradition, the eldest surviving son lights the funeral pyre. As per tradition, Balasaheb’s estranged elder son, Jaidev Thackeray, should have performed his last rites.
  •  
  • Jaidev Thackeray was standing alongside younger brother Uddhav when he lit Bal Thackeray’s funeral pyre. Bal Thackeray’s eldest son, “Bindumadhav”, had died in a road accident on 20 April 1996. Bindumadhav Thackeray’s Tata Sumo met with an accident at “Waksai Phata” on the old Bombay – Pune NH4 highway. One of the achievements for which Balasahab will be remembered is the new Mumbai – Poona Expressway.
  •  
  • Cousins Udhav and Raj Thackeray and their families came together for Bal Thackeray’s funeral. Raj Thackeray’s wife (Shalini), son (Amit), daughter (Urvashi), accompanied Uddhav, his wife (Rashmi), sons (Aditya, Tejas), on the truck that took Balasaheb’s body to Shivaji Park. Raj Thackeray walked with the crowd behind his uncle’s body.
  •  Politicians from all parties (Sushma Swaraj, Sharad Pawar, L K Adwani, S S Chouhan, DY Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal, Arun Jaitley, Praful Patel, etc), industrialist (Anil Ambani), actors (Amitabh Bachchan, Nana Patekar, Ritish Deshmukh, etc) paid their last respects at Shivaji Park.
  •  
  • This was an official state funeral. Mumbai Police gave a 21 gun salute before Thackeray’s was cremated.
  •  
  • Bal Thackeray had been suffering from respiratory and pancreatic illness. On 15 November, 2012, he was in critical shape and the doctors had given up hope. Meena Thackeray, Balasaheb’s wife too had died of an heart attack.
 Courtesy:
 
·         http://wonderfulmumbai.com/life-legacy-and-death-of-bal-thackeray/







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Shiv Sena bandh in Palghar against suspension of cops for Facebook arrests: Top 10 developments:NDTV


10 Developments


Edited by Ashish Mukherjee | Updated: November 28, 2012 14:49 IST


Palghar:  The Shiv Sena is enforcing a complete bandh or shutdown of Palghar today - this part of Thane in Maharashtra is where two young girls were arrested recently for their Facebook posts on Bal Thackeray's death. Mr Thackeray, who was 80, was the Shiv Sena president; he died earlier this month.
Here are the latest developments:
  • The Sena has called the bandh to protest against the suspension of two policemen who arrested the young girls.
  • Because of the Sena's bandh, schools, colleges and markets are closed. Bus services are limited. The courts are working, but not many people have turned up there.
  • There is heavy police presence all around. At least 500 police officers and the Rapid Action Force have been posted to maintain peace. "People have joined the bandh on their own. The entire talka is shut. Business establishments are closed," said Shiv Sena leader Prabhakar Raul.
     
  • On November 18, as Mr Thackeray was cremated, lakhs of supporters filled the streets to follow the hearse's journey to the large Shivaji Park in Mumbai. Nervous about potential violence by the Sena, the city was quiet, choosing to stay indoors.
     
  • Shaheen Dadha, a young girl, questioned this on Facebook. Her friend Renu Srinivasan indicated that she liked her comment.
  • The next day, they were arrested, provoking public outrage.
  • Their arrest was based on a police complaint by Sena leader Bhushan Sankhe in Palghar, a strong base of the party.
  • The charges against the two girls have still not been dropped - they have been accused of deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings, making statements promoting enmity between classes and under the Information Technology Act.
  • The girls were released on bail within a few hours of their arrest. Sena workers vandalised a hospital owned by the family of one of the girls involved.
  • The Shiv Sena says the policemen who arrested the girls are being unfairly penalised and that they were acting "as per the situation".
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Tags: Bal Thackeray, Facebook arrest, Shiv Sena

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Bal Thackeray: Identity Politics to the Fore



Bal Thackeray
By Ram Puniyani

The declaration of demise of Bal Thackeray (November 17, 2012) has brought the Mumbai city to a complete halt. Most of the news channels are relaying his death procession round the clock and having discussion about his tall stature most of the time. His grip on the city had been more or less complete from last three decades in particular. The methods he employed had some supporters on one side but for others it filled the people with fear, as his followers had been openly indulging in acts of vandalism time and over again. Today it is very difficult to say that city has come to a halt merely out of reverence for him alone or fear factor is also there behind this closure of the city will have to be assessed over a period of time.

As per some accounts Thackeray family had migrated from Bihar and finally settled in Maharashtra. Bal Thackeray came to prominence for voicing the need for jobs for ‘sons of the soil’ and with open threats to South Indians, Gujarathis, Biharis in that order. His initial role was that of breaking the left controlled trade unions, at the behest of the industrialists and section of the ruling party, Congress. This action of his had led to lot of violence between the leftist trade unions and Thackeray followers. The peak of this was murder of the CPI trade Unionist Krishna Desai, a blow from which the left trade unions could not recover.

He later jumped to bandwagon of Hidnutva politics, openly supporting the Bari demolition and playing an active part in the horrific Mumbai violence of 92-93. His writings in Saamna, the Shiv Sena mouth piece, were very provocative and could easily come under the clause of ‘Hate Speech’ but despite that the case filed by some Mumbai citizens fell through and Thackeray continued to spread his anti Muslim tirade through his speeches and writings. True later Election Commission disenfranchised him for six years from voting. After Babri demolition, someone suggested that the Shiv Sainiks were the one who demolished it; he cleverly lapped it up and said that if Shiv Sainiks have done it I am proud of that.

The violence which followed the demolition was probed by Shrikishna Commission. This commission’s findings indicted the Shiv Sena supremo. The celebration rallies were organized by Shiv Sena in Dharavi jurisdiction amongst others. The commission pointed out  “These Celebrations by Shiv Sena had mobs which were chanting provocative slogans: Musalman Ka Do Hi Sthan: Pakistan Ya Kabristhan (Muslims can only be in: Pakistan or Graveyard). In retaliation Muslims shout: Jo ham se takarayega: Mitti me mil Jayega (Those who attack us will be decimated).
 
To cite another example of Thackeray’s complicity and role in violence one recalls from Shrikrishna Commission report that ”On 1st January 1993 there was an article in Samna under the caption’ Hindunni Akramak Vhayala Have’,(Hindus should become aggressive now) openly inciting Hindus to violence.” (Volume 1 page 13)

 The more striking observation of the Commission was " From the conversation which could be heard [by Yuvraj Mohite, Mahanagar Reporter, at Thackeray house during the riots], it is clear that Thackeray was directing Shiv Sainiks, Shakha Pramukhs and other activists of Shiv Sena to attack the Muslims, to ensure that they give tit for tat and ensure that 'not a single landya (a derogatory term for Muslims) would survive to give the evidence’ [vol.ii, Page 173-174]...the communal passions of the Hindus were aroused to a feverish pitch by the inciting writings, particularly in Saamna and Navakal.” [Volume 1, page 21-22]. “...and violence in January (1993) was taken over by Shiv Sena and its leaders who continued to whip up communal frenzy by their statements and acts and writings and directives issued by Shiv Sena Pramukh Thackeray.”

This is just a small sample of what was the role of Thackeray and his Shiv Sena in The Mumbai violence. After the Mumbai violence he started being called Hindu Hriday Samrat and had a total grip on the politics of Shiv Sena. He was unfazed by the impact of his beliefs and actions. In his famous interview to the time magazine (titled: Kick them out!) during this time he poured vitriol on the Muslims with all abuses and hate. As Muslims were fleeing Mumbai he said that Muslims need to be taught a lesson. If they are fleeing Mumbai, it’s OK; else they should be kicked out.


Shops down their shutters in Bandra. Photo: Shashi Ashiwal(Courtesy:The Hindu)
He has been an opponent of Indo-Pak friendship all through. Be it the question of Indo Pak Cricket match or the concert of Pakistani Gazal singers, Mumbai witnessed the ‘direct action’ of Shiv Sainkis in the form of digging the cricket ground pitch at Kotla cricket ground or vandalizing the Gazal concert in Mumbai. Much before the coming to fore of the terror of groups related to Sadhvi Prgya Singh Thakur or Swami Aseemanand, it was Thackeray who had called for the formation of ‘suicide squads’ by Hindus. A self avowed admirer of Hitler, he conceded that he appreciates Hitler and that he himself has many traits similar to Hitler. He believed in Thokshahi (Dictatorship) not Lokshahi (democracy).

The divisive politics of Hidutva or the identity politics built around ‘sons of the soil’ does run parallel to his opposition to the affirmative action and aspirations of deprived sections of society. True to that he opposed the implementation of Mandal Commission, indicating his anti OBC politics. He was the only one who stated it openly. The other party thoroughly opposed to Mandal, BJP, which is opposed to affirmative action for any weaker section of society, dodged the issue and intensified on Ram Temple issue to bypass this affirmative action for OBCs. Similarly Thackeray has been vehement opponent of dalit aspirations in any form. When the Maharashtra Government published Babasaheb Ambedkar’s book, ‘Riddles of Rama and Krishna’, Shiv Sena stood to oppose it in a serious way and there was some violence between Shiv Sena supporters and dalits. When the issue of changing the name of Marathwada University to Ambedkar’s name came, Thackeray opposed it strongly leading to another bout of unrest. It is just a tragedy of our times that despite this clear agenda of Thackeray, some dalit parties are allying with his party at electoral level.

The massive turnout as his funeral is being read as that he was the voice of Marathi manoos. True a section of Marathi people adore him, but the larger section of poor peasants, the workers and dalits from Maharashtra know that Thackeray has been no representative of their aspirations. With so many problems nagging the poor of Maharashtra there is a need to shift the terrain of politics away from identity politics of the likes of Thackeray to the material issues related to bread, butter, shelter and employment. The politics of Hindu nation and Marathi manoos is against the values of Indian Constitution which call for the principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. How did Thackeray’s politics conform to these is a matter of introspection.

Contents of the article rest on its author.






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Saturday, October 13, 2012

Light at end of tunnel, finally:The new development towards Islamic banking in India


Dr.Mohammad Manzoor Alam
Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam

The Reserve Bank Governor Mr D. Subba Rao’s recent announcement constitutes a significant advance in the field of Islamic banking and finance in India, which has been a cherished goal for all of us, and for the attainment of which the Institute of Objective Studies has worked tirelessly over the last quarter century.

Although in Islamic finance we have already made substantial advance in India in terms of growing acceptance of Shariah-compliant investments and other Shariah-compliant financial services and products. The IOS, with the collaboration of financial consultants Estwind, developed a Shariah index of thousands of companies in India, which has helped pious Muslim investors to invest safely.

However, Islamic banking itself has been a far more tougher nut to crack. Finally, it has begun to crack and we hope to have a proper Islamic banking system in India, which so far had no such institution. Despite a huge body of research carried out by the IOS, and a large number of books published by us, introducing a large number of issues of Islamic economics to the wider society, the scene did not seem to change even a wee bit.


After writing hundreds of articles by scholars associated with the IOS, long debates, including an hour-long discussion on India’s premier TV network on prime time by Prof. Omar Chapra, Prof. Ausaf Ahmad and me on the advantages of interest-free banking and financial mechanisms nothing seemed to have changed. This programme was organized by IOS with great effort.


After years of long consultations with financial experts, seminars by erudite scholars, highest officials of Reserve Bank of India, Securities and Exchange Board of India, besides government secretaries in the ministries of finance, trade and commerce, and law we could come to the conclusion that unless India’s banking laws are suitably amended the Reserve Bank of India cannot allow Islamic banking operations in India.


For the last eight to ten years, the IOS, often with Indo-Arab Economic Co-operation Forum, has run a massive campaign of public awareness of the non-exploitative and stable nature of Islamic banking and finance as well as lobbying with the political elite to convince them about the desirability of introducing Islamic banking in India.


Our deliberations over the issues have been graced by the Prime Minister, Finance Minister, Home Minister and eight to ten ministers of the Union Cabinet, besides Chief Ministers of Delhi state and other states at a time. At one of these conferences, the Prime Minister met Arab delegates and also invited them for a longer talk over tea to his office in the evening.

After all these years of struggle and relentless toil, the Governor of Reserve Bank of India, announced late last week that he had formally written to the Government of India to restructure or amend the laws to allow Islamic banking in India.


He said: “Islamic banking is allowed in many parts of the world, but the Banking Regulation Act of India does not conform to Islamic banking because it allows banks to borrow from and deposit money with the RBI on interest. But we are in correspondence with the government on how our laws can be restructured or amended so that they are in conformity with Islamic banking”.

As far as the change in the law is concerned, I have met Mr Salman Khurshid, India’s Law Minister, several times in last few weeks to impress upon him the need to initiate the necessary measures. He has written to the Planning Commission of India and RBI as well as consulted with the top level of the federal government on the issue. Being among the four most powerful ministers in the cabinet of federal government, he has assured me of help, and has worked on that assurance.
The political establishment is today convinced that Islamic banking will allow inflow of billions of dollars into India and strengthen it. This will also help the country’s struggle to create a non-exploitative and equitable financial system in India.

God must be thanked and the struggle continued. It is a long story headed for a happy end.

The contents of the article rest on its author.






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Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Sivakami I A S, the champion of the oppressed



Shafee Ahmed Ko

 captionP.Sivakami I.A.S.

P.Sivakami an I.A.S officer, of 1980 batch from Tamil Nadu, chose a deliberate exit from significant post mainly to fight atrocities towards Dalits. She joined Bahujan Samaj Party, and contested 2009 parliamentary election and unfortunately she was not able to win the race. Later she has organised party “Samuga Samatuva Padai Party”, and she steers it to a greater success.

Sivakami held responsible posts, including as collector in Thoothukudi district.
 As a steadfast bureaucrat, she served as special commissioner and commissioner,
 directorate of Stationary and Printing for Tamil Nadu Government and
 she opted voluntary retirement on November 23,2008 is now making brilliant history.
 
 
As a politician one could see Sivakami’s   bold step since she travelled wide and long from February (2012) to various states, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, Shillong to promote her mission also with an idea of electing a Christian successor to former President Pratibha Patil.  This could be one of her political manifestation that a minority to become the first citizen although Abdul Kalam had a fitting laurels. She was vociferous in the stand telling news reporters at the Shillong Press Club, “Our campaign is to look for a suitable Christian candidate who has integrity, who is apolitical and secular who would go on to occupy the highest office. He or she should be candidate who can represent the whole nation,” (The Telegraph: Kolkata Tuesday, April 3, 2012)

P.Sivkami's book release in Madurai (Courtesy:The Hindu)

 
One could comprehend her attempt Sivakami as champion of oppressed and 
depressed group and this is what she envisages that our nation should be.
Although wiping off the tears and woes the Dalits, Sivakami is optimistic
 to win the goal, and she has seen in her own experience as an upright officer a
 situations where upper class bureaucracy has denied the fitting post to Dalits
, for the simple reason that they are Dalits a wrongly conceived concept.
 It is no denial in politics, media, judiciary, and in executives 
upper class is dominating entire system of our country.
 
This, she feels that there should be an end to such socially diseased
 class conscious system. 
 
 
 All we know about Dalits ostracized as untouchable no matter
 they are living from urban or from rural area. 
 A kind of discrimination is being menaced everywhere as casteism,
 what we hear as two tumbler formula in
 Tamil Nadu, a raised  wall  in cemetery dividing one
 for upper caste, the other for untouchable are all
 well familiar news.
 
 
But Sivakami has more to tell about the atrocities meted to Dalits and she wonders 
as we all know how long such tragic situation of unemancipated racism, schaunism,
 and nepotism one could be bear with. The greatness of Sivakami  is her writing skill that
 would  expose the Dalit woes, key issues, it’s her greatness that  she sacrifices time
 in travel and meeting people of different parts of India only to disseminate her mission 
of rights of feminism, and to tell all how  atrocities against Dalits could be rooted  out.
 
 
As a literary insightful writer, we see Ms.Sivakami,attending a most important Literature Festival held
in Jaipur, on 26 January 2010 to commemorate,the 60th Republic Day which and almost most
 renowned writers including Ms.Sivakami who was the first Dalit woman writer participated.


The writers from different ends chiefly from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, 
Punjab, Delhi and Maharashtra converged to spotlight the Dalit woes through skilled writing.
 Madam Sivakami, Om Prakash Valmiki, Kancha Ilaiah, Ajay Navaria, Desraj Kali, 
Iqbal Udasi, and Laxman Gaikwad were among the key speakers. Amongst these personalities
Christophe Jaffrelot, a regular French columnist of Indian Express,
had to be a panellist along with Nirupam Dutt, S.S.Nirupam and S.Anand during the session.

 “The Dalit resurgence which took place in the 1990s in the State one
 among the prominent writers was the former Civil Services Officer P.Sivakami” 
  recorded “The Hindu” on December 1,2011(Madurai Edition) captioned
 “Dalit literature played vital role in resurgence” It was a celebrate event when
 Ms.Sivakami’s poetry compilation “Kadhavadaippu” nearest English could be
 “Lockout”. On the occasion at De Nobili centre of Madurai found the celebrities
 such as R.Adhiyaman, founder-president, Adi Tamizhar Peravai, and S. Tamil Selvan,
 state president, Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers' Association received the first copy.
 The most important thing that Mr.Adhiyaman extolled Sivakami’s writing comprised,
” Feminism, Dalitism and Body Politics” In reply Sivakami expressed her anguish how
 the poverty prone Dalits were exploited in every sphere of their life,
 be it economic resources, and society as a whole, the rich is an upper
 hand everywhere in anything. Mr. Adhiyaman was with all praise that Sivakami's writings dealt with,” Feminism, Dalitism and Body Politics.

Sivakami further added, “The ruling classes which form this elite section have no regard for the poor and the recent increase in prices state that, even schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme does not result or work towards empowering the poor but enslaving them, she opined”.

She feels that entering into political arena; she will gain more power to fight against the menace of upper caste meted to the Dalits. For a leading news magazine she said, “For long, I was planning to quit government service. I have worked with the downtrodden and for women’s empowerment. But in politics we have more power to bring about change,” She has   authored four novels and almost hundred short stories.


Sivakami with her mission marches as a champion of oppressed, and her steps are welcome with people’s cooperation and has gained lot of well wishers. 



 


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