The new age Maratha war

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The new age Maratha war

Sachin gave us another reason to cheer, when he unequivocally clarified his allegiance to the nation. Now that he has stood up for his belief, it remains to be seen whether Mumbaikars take a stand, come in support of their very own Marathi manoos.

CJ: Naomi Chandra

Fri, Nov 20, 2009 17:17:15 IST

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AS THE whole world celebrated Sachin Tendulkar’s magnificent two decades of cricket, there were whispers of disappointment from some who felt that despite his stature and credibility, he never really took a stand on social issues.

One knew that even a few words on peace and harmony coming from master bluster Tendukar, would go a long way in spreading the message of stopping mindless killings at the behest of selfish political hoodlums. So, a few days ago, Sachin gave us another reason to cheer, when he unequivocally clarified his allegiance to the nation. His message was clear. For him, nation comes first.

At a time when even the so-called stalwarts from the Bollywood allowed themselves to be held at ransom by the Sena, Tendular’s fearless reply at the press conference came as a breather. The master lived up to our expectations and showed Raj Thackarey, the boundary in his simple yet inimitable style. There was no drama or rhetoric patriotic jingoism but he cut right across to the point. And the barb did get through, giving the senior Thakarey another ray of hope of drawing further political mileage by getting back at Sachin Tendulkar. But the master is hardly going to allow himself to be dictated by the arbitrary mandates of the Sena.

One wonders as to what and who the two Senas really stand for. Intolerance at its worst is only what they really seem to represent. And now, after the split, it has also become a rat race of outdoing each other at the game of misplaced regionalism. Essentially all are annoying rebels without a cause. In fact, are any of these Senas really qualified to represent the Maratha pride? Are they more Maharashtrian than those like Tendulkar? Who makes the entire nation proud even as he remains unfalteringly loyal to his Maharashtrian roots? These are some of the questions that the people of Maharashtra should start asking themselves as well as the two Senas.

Now that the master has stood up for his belief, it remains to be seen whether the Mumbaikars take a stand, come in support of their very own Marathi manoos and finally show all the Sena Thakareys (senior, junior, whoever ) the boundary. Though there has been some kind of a symbolic show of support from some political sectors, including the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, the support is not above suspicion as this is the latest hot issue which every political party would want to capitalise on, although with a little caution. However, reactions from the cricket fraternity left a lot to be desired.

One expected a better show of solidarity at this point. Sometimes, it is only about making a point, at the right time, at the right place. Sanjay Manjrekar in an interview with CNN IBN said that Mumbai is about free spirited confident people. It is time to come out in the open with all such spirit and confidence, as the nation watches.

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Posted comments (4)

	well said ..!
	\| 20 November 2009 Reply to Comment \| New Comment \| Report Abuse

	Sachin definitely showed the pavilion to the Sena gang, but it is yet to be seen if anybody can control the Sena. An unprecedented attack on Mumbai kept them shut for 6-7 months, but now they are back in business. My desperate question is what can a common man do when the law itself has been unable to contain such elements. They need support / backing / help.
	\| 20 November 2009 Reply to Comment \| New Comment \| Report Abuse

	A clarification- there is a typographical error in the article (master bluster) which is attributable to the editorial team :(
	\| 20 November 2009 Reply to Comment \| New Comment \| Report Abuse