Raj Thackeray calls for unity of Marathi manoos, asks youngsters not to fall for WhatsApp history

Raj Thackeray urged unity among Marathi people for upcoming polls, criticising caste politics, and demanding support for Maharashtra, Marathi language.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday sounded the bugle for the BMC and local body polls by calling for all Marathi people, irrespective of their caste, to unite in order to save Maharashtra and Marathi from the siege of “others”. While playing the Marathi card, Raj also declared his support to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on condition that the latter worked for the benefit of Maharashtra and the Marathi manoos.

Raj Thackeray at a public meeting at Shivaji Park on the occasion of Gudi Padwa in Mumbai, on Sunday (Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times)

The MNS chief declared that as the people were divided into castes and religions, they did not present a united front before the government and political parties as Marathis. “Look at how Tamil Nadu fights for its pride when the central government tries to impose Hindi,” he said. “But we are a surrendered society. I have not seen anyone as confused as the Marathi manoos ever.”

Raj said he would not blame the people since financial and social insecurity was responsible for their lack of fight. “Political parties and leaders are dividing you on the basis of caste to divert your attention from the real problems of life such as education, agriculture and employment,” he said. “But you should unite as Marathis and once you do that, political leaders will be scared of you.”

As an example, the MNS politician lambasted the politics played even in the brutal murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. “Why are we giving an angle of Vanjari versus Maratha to this murder?” he said. “Politicians are doing so to divert you from the real issues.” Raj declared that no politician had ever benefited his community. “Most of Maharashtra’s CMs, ministers and MLAs were Marathas,” he said. “What did they do for their community? Why were Marathas forced to fight for reservation?”

Raj said that Maharashtra and the Marathi language were besieged by others and ordered MNS workers to check all banks and establishments and ensure the use of Marathi there. “How dare they say they don’t understand and speak Marathi?” he demanded. “Marathi is the language of Maharashtra, and everyone will have to respect it. He also said that Marathi youths were not getting jobs and projects because they were awarded to “outsiders”.

Raj urged Fadnavis to look after Maharashtra and Marathi and offered him conditional support. “If you work for the betterment of Maharashtra and Marathi, we will support you. Just do everything with our consent,” he said.

The MNS chief also urged people not to succumb to the politics of caste- and religion-based hatred and not to look at history from a communal perspective. He said the tombs of people like Aurangzeb and Afzal Khan, who attacked the swarajya of Chhatrapati Shivaji, should in fact be protected to showcase them as a symbol of Maratha bravery.

“Shivaji Maharaj was fighting feudalism,” he said. “Don’t look at the caste and religion of the commander or employees of historical figures, as people from all communities worked for different kingdoms. I urge youngsters to stop reading history on WhatsApp. This is a plan to divert you from the real problems of society. The government is giving every project to Adani. He (Adani) is clever and we were adaani (illiterate).”

Raj said that religion should be followed but at home, not on the streets. He gave the example of Turkey which, during the regime of Kemal Pasha, gave up religion-based governance and adopted a secular-modern approach towards governance. He also reiterated his stand on not using the polluted water of the Ganga, and said that it was not an insult to the Maha Kumbh and Ganga but the issue of river pollution in the country.