After the daily round of editorial meetings, we have come to the conclusion that Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray is a man of ideas.
And, because he is man of ideas, and a leader of men to boot, he is under tremendous pressure these days to cook up something smart so that he and the MNS can keep his pet project alive: Mumbai for Marathis. After letting loose his cadre on hapless North Indians and asking for Marathi signage on shops, the Leader is now planning to unleash his version of the Cultural Revolution in his state.
Using goon power — he is a leader of men, remember — he has asked cable companies to “prominently” telecast Marathi news channels and shows, especially Saam, a newly-launched Marathi news channel owned by Sharad Pawar’s nephew Abhijeet Pawar. Now if you smell some long-term political tie-ups in this special mention, we don’t blame you. Such are the terms of the trade. Even Marathis won’t be spared this time.
Such even-handed justice is truly the great sign of a leader. But his latest attempt at thought-control can come up against a very small but potent enemy: the TV remote control. Channel surfing is a national pastime, they say.