Balasaheb Thackeray, founder of Shiv Sena, partially succeeded in the initial stages by vehement anti-South Indian campaign in Mumbai. It made Shiv Sena popular in Maharashtra, particularly in Mumbai. It perhaps increased its votebank also. It was peculiar admixture of Hindu rashtra and regionalism. But it could not make Balasahab popular on the all India or on the all Maharashtra canvas. Though many people think of him as saviour of Mumbai, which actually he is.

We all know that Mumbai has been the biggest centre of industry and commerce and is rightly called financial capital of India. On the trade union front, Leftists were quite dominant. Had they remained dominant for a decade more they would have finished Mumbai industrially as they did to Kolkata. The credit of saving Mumbai from "red monkeys" in trade unions goes to Balasaheb who used to call them "lal muha bandar".

Maharashtra is not an ordinary State and Mumbai is not an ordinary State capital. Money flows from all parts of the country to Mumbai. More than 50 per cent of the banks have their head quarters in Mumbai. The same applies to all other financial institutions. Bollywood is the biggest attraction to the youth. From all over the country, money flows to Bollywood. The same applies to trade, commerce and industry. Nobody grudges this super status of Mumbai. Rather people from all parts of the country take pride in Mumbai.

Unfortunately, last week, on the call by MNS leader Raj Thackeray against North Indian people, less than half a dozen incidents against north-Indian people took place. All the TV channels screamed -- Mumbai burning. Resultantly, Raj Thackeray got publicity and violence multiplied. Looking at the size of Mumbai, it was not that alarming. Many eye-witnesses mentioned it on various channels that they crossed over the metropolis but did not find the violence of nature described. But by that time Raj Thackeray spoke against Amitabh Bachchan, the so-called brand ambassador of UP. He even questioned Big B being Mumbaikar. Couple of bottles were smashed at Bachchan's residence. It was shown on TV channels.

Our Home Minister Shivraj Patil was in his usual Nero's role. He just said that he had asked the State Government to do the needful. It was the same old story -- Patil's patent line is -- maintain peace and harmony. The Government of Maharashtra was blissfully inactive when sporadic violence spread in Thane, Pune and other areas. They nominally arrested Raj Thackeray, he was out on bail within two-and-a-half hours. This shows that how much they care for the anger generated all over north India against his intemperate utterings.

Maharashtra is not only part of the rashtra but prides itself to be Maharashtra. During freedom struggle and thereafter it earned its reputation by personalities such as MG Ranadey, GK Gokhale, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, VD Savarkar, Dr Hedgewar, Morarji Desai, YB Chavan, Madhu Dandavate, SM Joshi and others. Today Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and a half-a-dozen others are revered all over India and abroad not as a Maharashtrians but as Indians. Maharashtra may take the credit of producing personalities like them and may have extra-loyalty justifiably.

Till date Raj Thackeray and the ilk have not added any glory to Maharashtra. His claim to Maharashtrian pride is fallacious. He does not realise what he has done. He has violated the spirit of emerging India and the Constitution which gives right to every citizen to move or settle anywhere in India. Maharashtra, barring a few of its parts, is quite a developed State. It perhaps, ranks second among developed States of India.

Thousands of Biharis were seen boarding trains leaving Mumbai for Patna and elsewhere in Bihar. Narrow local loyalties are injurious to the very health of the nation. In all metropolis the proportion of local population is decreasing.

In Delhi, the original Delhiwallas are shrinking. The Bengalis are a minority in Kolkata and so are the Kannadiga in Bangalore. But the history of civilisation tells us that the development and civilisational advancement is the result of massive migrations, good or bad, over a period of time. I don't want to say anything against the media but they should not forget their sense of proportion vis-à-vis interest in their commercial advancement.

It is human nature that new entrants in any place are resented. But these very people contribute a lot.

Colonial rulers took lakhs and lakhs of Indian labour to distant islands. Today these islands have made their mark and attained great heights. One can go to Mauritius and see the progress that has been made. One can advise Maharashtra to maintain Maharashtra and not become Laghurashtra under leaders like Raj Thackeray and the present Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.sually, I am optimistic. But looking at the events over the last few years, I have turned pessimistic about internal security as it has been reduced to votebank politics by the present rulers of the country, be it the ULFA in Assam or the PWG in Andhra Pradesh.

Courtesy: www.dailypioneer.com, February 17, 2008