MNS workers attacked north Indian candidates on Sunday to protest against inadequate representation of locals. But they failed to realise that such attacks can create a sense of insecurity among the Maharashtrians living in other parts of the country.

Raj Thackeray who has never touched the core issues like poor condition of the farmers and their suicide, bad transport condition, electricity problem, rising rape cases and molestation of girls in Maharashtra; is now promoting a violent form of ethnic politics to build the base of his party. He says that he is a Maharashtrian in the true sense. Where was he when the farmers of Vidarbha were committing suicide? Were those farmers not Maharashtrians? He never ever raised his voice for them.


This is not the first time that MNS activists have attacked north Indians in Mumbai. In fact, they had attacked the taxi drivers and the vegetable vendors only a couple of months ago. They did not even spare Bollywood actors and actresses who are from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Thackeray also launched a scathing attack on bollywood superstars like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan who are from UP and Delhi respectively.


Thackeray is following the path of Shiv Sena supremo, Bal Saheb Thackeray who built his political base in Maharashtra in the 1960s and 1970s by promoting an aggressive agenda of regional chauvinism.


At present Thackeray is targeting people from Bihar and UP. After this he might even attack the South Indians, Muslims, Christians and other communities that resides in Maharastra. The recent incidents of attacks on north Indian throw an open challenge to Vilasrao Deshmukh government. The government’s failure to curb these incidents portray a negative message to the whole nation.


The MNS’s action will only create a sense of insecurity among the Maharashtrians living outside Maharashtra. Raj Thackeray may be able to ensure his personal security, but how can he ensure the security of a common Maharashtrian who moves out of Maharashtra. Unfortunately, the people who support him and indulge in these activities failed to realise the fact that their actions could be counter-productive.
But here I would like to mention that Raj’s arrest established him as a hero. Now whole media is following him and covering every move of him. So, everybody can agree upon one issue that Raj Thackeray is not ’unknown’ at least. Some might label it as ’notorious’ and not ’famous’. But it is true that he has become a hero for a particular section of society. There is a need to check his party workers who are terrorising the people. Their activities are not different from that of terrorists. The religious extremists are killing common people on the name of religion, while MNS party workers are spreading terror in the name of region. MNS should be banned as the terrorist organisation SIMI is banned. This act of dividing Hindus in the name of regionalism is foolish.


The anti-Christian riots, revival of Naxalbari uprising, Islamic militancy and intra Hindu – conflicts, all these events are projecting India’s image as a highly racist and revengeful society.