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===Bombay-Mumbai Controversy: Wake Up Sid===
===Bombay-Mumbai Controversy: Wake Up Sid===
On 2nd October 2009, MNS workers disrupted the screening of the film [[Wake Up Sid]] on its release in a few Pune and Mumbai theatres, after a rabble-rousing Raj objected to the city being referred to as 'Bombay' instead of Mumbai. The city of Mumbai was referred to as Bombay in a scene because of the colloquial parlance used in the film <ref>http://www.thehindu.com/2009/10/03/stories/2009100356650100.htm</ref> and in some songs (lyrics by noted poet, [[Javed Akhtar]]) to evoke romantic nostalgia.
On 2nd October 2009, MNS workers disrupted the screening of the film [[Wake Up Sid]] on its release in a few Pune and Mumbai theatres, after a rabble-rousing Raj objected to the city being referred to as 'Bombay' instead of Mumbai. The city of Mumbai was referred to as Bombay in a scene because of the colloquial parlance used in the film <ref>http://www.thehindu.com/2009/10/03/stories/2009100356650100.htm</ref> and in some songs (lyrics by noted poet, [[Javed Akhtar]]) to evoke romantic nostalgia.
Kutte Kamine
The film's producer, [[Karan Johar]], rushed to Raj's residence, profusely apologising and agreed to all of Raj's terms, including an apology on each of the 700 frames in the film.<ref>http://movies.rediff.com/report/2009/oct/02/wake-up-sid-in-trouble.htm</ref>
The film's producer, [[Karan Johar]], rushed to Raj's residence, profusely apologising and agreed to all of Raj's terms, including an apology on each of the 700 frames in the film.<ref>http://movies.rediff.com/report/2009/oct/02/wake-up-sid-in-trouble.htm</ref>


Revision as of 11:00, 12 November 2009

Raj Thackeray
File:राज ठाकरे.jpg
Raj Thackeray
Personal details
Born (1968-06-14) June 14, 1968 (age 56)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Political partyMaharashtra Navnirman Sena, Founder & President (Since 2006)
SpouseSharmila Thackeray
Children1 son (Amit Thackeray);1 daughter (Urvashi Thackeray)
Residence(s)Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Raj Shrikant Thackeray (Marathi: राज ठाकरे) (born June 15, 1968) is the founder president of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena ("Maharashtra Reformation Army"), which is a regional party in the state of Maharashtra,India. He is the nephew of former Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, and a cousin of the current Shiv Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray.

Personal life

Raj Thackeray was born on June 15, 1968 into a Marathi Kayastha (CKP) family and was named Swarraj Thackeray at birth[1]. His father, Shrikant Thackeray was the younger brother of Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray, and his mother, Kunda Thackeray is the younger sister of Balasaheb Thackeray's wife Meena Thackeray. Raj's father Shrikant Thackeray was a musician, cartoonist and was well versed in several languages including Urdu. He was also keenly interested in movie making and made a couple of Marathi films. Raj is married to Sharmila, daughter of the famous Marathi actor, producer and director Mohan Wagh. They have a son named Amit and a daughter, Urvashi.

Raj Thackeray was schooled at Bal Mohan Vidya Mandir School in the Central Mumbai suburb of Dadar, and graduated from the prestigious Sir J.J College of Art."[2]

Like his father and uncle, Raj is a gifted painter and a cartoonist. When asked what he would have done had he not joined politics Raj Thackeray said: "In my college days, I wanted to work with Walt Disney Studios. I drew cartoons even before my foray in politics. Film making is also a passion. I would have been doing either of these things."[3][4] [5]

Like his cousin Uddhav Thackeray Raj is also an avid photographer. He has published a photo-biography on his uncle titled 'Bal Keshav Thackeray' - a photo-biography.[6]

Political career

Raj Thackeray supporters attending his rally in Shivaji Park, Mumbai

Raj Thackeray started his political career with his uncle's (Bal Thackeray) Shiv Sena party in Maharashtra.

On 14 June 1996, as an employment generation initiative in Maharashtra, Raj Thackeray formed the Shiv Udyog Sena.[7] One of its objectives was to give self-employment loans to unemployed Marathi youth.[1]

In 1996, with the objective of raising funds for the organisation, he organised a Michael Jackson concert for the first time in India at the Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai. [8] [9]

Raj criticized new urban developments on Pune's various hillocks in support of environment.[10] In 2003, Raj pledged to plant 76 lakh trees across Maharashtra, a project that started, but was never completed. [11]

On 9 March 2006, Raj Thackeray formed the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) after claiming to have been 'sidelined' by Bal Thackeray’s son Uddhav.[12] Shiv Sainiks (Shiv Sena members) who supported Raj’s leadership over that of his cousin Uddhav (Bal Thackeray's son), joined the MNS. The party was founded on the ideology of being the benefactor of the local Marathi population (Marathi Manoos).

In the October 2009 Assembly Elections, Raj Thackeray's MNS won 13 seats out of the 145 it contested to the 288 seat Maharashtra Assembly. Thackeray's hopes of playing a pivotal role in the formation of the next state government were dashed as the ruling Congress led coalition crossed the half-way mark.[13][14]

Winning 5.7% of the votes in the Oct 2009 Maharashtra assembly elections, MNS effectively split the traditional votes of the BJP-Shiv Sena combine, thereby helping the ruling Congress-led alliance retain power.[15][16]

This was similar to the trend in the 2009 General elections, when MNS ate into Shiv Sena's traditional marathi votes, again helping congress and its allies win a majority of Maharashtra's seats to the Lok Sabha.

Controversies

Regionalism: 2008 violence against North Indians

Main article: 2008 attacks on North Indians in Maharashtra

In February 2008 Raj Thackeray led MNS in an andolan (minor uprising/ protest) against the supposed dominance of migrants from North Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the commercial capital of Mumbai. At a rally in Shivaji Park, Raj warned that if the dadagiri (intimidating dominance) of these people in Mumbai and Maharashtra continued, he would be compelled to make them leave the metropolis.[17] Raj was arrested along with a SP leader for their involvement in the fracas, but was released on paying a penalty of mere Rs.15,000. This in spite of causing injury to scores of people and loss of property worth crores of rupees. These actions were actively supported by ruling INC-NCP Combine who ensured that police stood on sidelines while Raj & his goondas took city to ranson. Even when police tried to act on their own, they were actively restrained by CM & Home minister from doing their jobs. All this was done to ensure that the lunatic fringe may gravitate towards Raj Thackery to the benefit of ruling combine. The parentage of MNS; Raj's party has been quite evident from the kid glove treatment him & his workers (read criminals) have been receiving from state appratus which has facilitate the unprecedented third term for INC-NCP combine even after running one of the most incompetent government in state whic has the hnour of hosting events like 7/11, 26/11 & so forth.

Acquittal in Kini murder case

In July 1996, Ramesh Kini was found dead in a cinema theatre in Pune. Kini was a tenant in a ramshackle tenement in central Mumbai, whose landlord, Laxmikant Shah, was trying to get him out of the house. Shah also happened to be a close childhood friend of Raj Thackeray. Raj and his men allegedly killed Ramesh in order to vacate the house. A CBI enquiry was later issued for the case, but the CBI dismissed the case as one of suicide.[18]

Kohinoor mill controversy

On 21 July 2005 a five acre plot of land, Kohinoor Mill No. 3, located across the road from the Shiv Sena party headquarters, Sena Bhavan, in Dadar, Mumbai, was purchased by Raj and Unmesh Joshi (son of former Maharashtra Chief Minister and former Lok Sabha speaker Manohar Joshi) for a whopping Rs 421 crore. The NCP leader from Mumbai, Sachin Ahir, then objected to the sale of the Kohinoor Mill land, saying that there were forty bids, yet only three were short-listed. He demanded a re-bid as there was a lack of transparency in the move. [19]

Reaction to Jaya Bachchan wanting to speak in Hindi

Jaya Bachchan, Rajya Sabha MP, stated at a Hindi film function that she would be speaking in Hindi since she was from Uttar Pradesh and the people of Maharashtra should ask her apology.[20] Raj Thackeray threatened to ban all Bachchan films unless Jaya apologised in a public forum for hurting pride of Maharashtrians. MNS workers began to attack theatres screening The Last Lear starring Hindi cinema legend, Amitabh Bachchan. It was only after Amitabh also tendered an apology that screening resumed.[21]

Remarks on Chhath Puja and Migrants

In his party speeches, Raj reproached North Indian leaders for politicizing Chhath Puja , a festival popular in Bihar, calling it a "drama" and a "show of arrogance".[22] He demanded that they only celebrate Maharashtra day and not UP day in Maharashtra. A petition was filed in the Patna civil court on February 8 against him for his remarks.[23] His statements drew flak from political leaders across the board, especially those from the North Indian states. The then Indian Railways minister and former chief minister of Bihar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, vowed that he would come to Mumbai and perform Chhath Puja in front of Raj's house, he also ridiculed Raj saying, "He [Raj] is a child in politics".[22] The Navnirman Sena leader accused migrants of swamping Maharashtra, India's most industrialised state, in search of jobs.[24]

The MNS chief also accused migrants of disrespecting the local culture. On February 9, expressing his stance on new migrants settling in Mumbai, Raj said, "New immigrants to the city should be denied entry into the city, while those already staying here should show respect to the Marathi 'manoos' and his culture".[25]

Bombay-Mumbai Controversy: Wake Up Sid

On 2nd October 2009, MNS workers disrupted the screening of the film Wake Up Sid on its release in a few Pune and Mumbai theatres, after a rabble-rousing Raj objected to the city being referred to as 'Bombay' instead of Mumbai. The city of Mumbai was referred to as Bombay in a scene because of the colloquial parlance used in the film [26] and in some songs (lyrics by noted poet, Javed Akhtar) to evoke romantic nostalgia. The film's producer, Karan Johar, rushed to Raj's residence, profusely apologising and agreed to all of Raj's terms, including an apology on each of the 700 frames in the film.[27]

References

  1. ^ a b http://www.jansamachar.net/display.php3?id=&num=14801&lang=English
  2. ^ http://ibnlive.in.com/news/tough-guy-thackeray-from-the-days-of-raj/58885-37.html
  3. ^ http://www.apakistannews.com/raj-thakre-wanted-to-work-with-walt-disney-84833
  4. ^ http://newsx.com/story/30816
  5. ^ http://www.mumbaipluses.com/thaneplus/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=2&contentid=2009020120090202165023716e7fc947f&sectxslt=&comments=true&pageno=1
  6. ^ "Raj: Sainik Rebel Now a Scholar?". DNA. Dec 07, 2005. Retrieved 2009-10-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ http://www.shivudyogsena.org/origin.htm
  8. ^ http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/stories/20081121252302400.htm
  9. ^ http://www.jansamachar.net/display.php3?id=&num=14801&lang=English
  10. ^ "Shiv sainiks to protect hills: Raj Thackeray". Indian Express. February 07, 2003. Retrieved 2008-12-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ "Why politicians don't save trees". Indian Express. May 18, 2003. Retrieved 2008-12-07.
  12. ^ "Raj Thackeray: The tiger cub". Rediff. 2005-12-01. Retrieved 2002-01-03.
  13. ^ "Raj Thackeray in the hunt to become kingmaker". DNA. Oct 01, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "Rising star Raj Thackeray says his party will play fair". CNN-IBN. Oct 22, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
  15. ^ "Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2009 vote tally". CNN-IBN. Oct 22, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
  16. ^ "BJP concedes defeat, blames MNS in Maharashtra". CNN-IBN. Oct 22, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
  17. ^ "Raj Thackeray dares Maharashtra govt on north Indians' stand". NDTV. May 03, 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-06. Addressing a crowded public meeting at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai, the place where his uncle and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray addresses his annual Dussehra rallies, Raj warned if the dadagiri of north Indians in Mumbai and Maharashtra continued, he would be compelled to make them leave the metropolis. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ http://www.rediff.com/news/1996/0209dili.htm
  19. ^ http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=214951
  20. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvocwN5knfk
  21. ^ http://www.khaleejtimes.com/weekend/inside.asp?xfile=/data/weekend/2009/October/weekend_October66.xml
  22. ^ a b "Jaya takes on Raj; MNS, SP activists clash in Mumbai". The Hindu. 2008-02-03. Retrieved 2008-04-04. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ "Petition against Raj Thackeray in Patna court". Zee News. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
  24. ^ "Right-wing Mumbai leader arrested". BBC NEWS. 2008-02-13. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  25. ^ "'Respect Marathi manoos or leave Mumbai'". Rediff. 2008-02-09. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
  26. ^ http://www.thehindu.com/2009/10/03/stories/2009100356650100.htm
  27. ^ http://movies.rediff.com/report/2009/oct/02/wake-up-sid-in-trouble.htm
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