Raj Thackeray
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Raj Thackeray | |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | June 14, 1968 Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Political party | Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Founder & President (Since 2006) |
| Spouse | Sharmila Thackeray |
| Children | 1 son (Amit Thackeray) |
| Residence(s) | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
Raj Thackeray (Marathi: राज ठाकरे) (born June 14, 1968) is the founder and president of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (Maharashtra Renaissance Army), which is a regional party in the state of Maharashtra in India. He is the nephew of former Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, and cousin of current Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.
Personal life
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 | This section possibly contains original research. (November 2008) |
Raj Thackeray was born on June 14, 1968[1] in a Marathi Kayastha (CKP) family to Shrikant Prabhodankar Thackeray and Kunda Thackeray, Shrikant Thackeray was the younger brother of Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray and Raj's 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 also well versed in the language of Urdu. He also made a couple of Marathi films. Raj is married to Sharmila, daughter of famous Marathi theater/films actor, producer-director Mohan Wagh.
They have a son named Amit Thackeray.
Raj Thackeray did his schooling from Bal Mohan Vidya Mandir School in the central Mumbai suburb of Dadar, close to his residence in Shivaji Park and later on graduated from the prestigious Sir J.J College of Art.
Like his father and uncle Raj is a gifted painter and cartoonist. He had also expressed his desire to work for Walt Disney Studios. Raj Thackeray said when asked what he would have done had he not joined politics. "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."[2][3]
Raj is also a avid photographer like his cousin Uddhav Thackeray. Raj has also published a photo-biography on his uncle titled 'Bal Keshav Thackeray' - a photo-biography.[citation needed]
Political career
Once seen as the future leader of Shiv Sena, Thackeray started his political career with Bal Thackeray's Shiv Sena party in Maharashtra. On 9 March 2006, Raj Thackeray formed the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) after being allegedly 'sidelined' by the Bal Thackeray’s son Uddhav.[4] Shiv Sainiks (Shiv Sena members) who supported Raj’s leadership, in contrast to 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), an ideology that the party members felt the Shiv Sena had given up on.
During his Shiv Sena days Raj openly criticized new urban developments on Pune's various hillocks in support of environment.[5] In 2003, Raj pledged to plant 76 lakh trees across Maharashtra.[6]
Maharashtra rural development
In order to create industrial and rural development in Maharashtra, on 14th June 1996 Raj Thackeray officially formed the Shiv Udyog Sena and appointed its executive committee.[7] It was also to "give self-employment loans to jobless" Marathi youth.[1]
In the same year, he organised a Michael Jackson concert for the first time in India at the Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai. The objective of the concert was to raise funds for the organisation.[8] [9]
Controversies
2008 violence against North Indians
In February 2008 Raj Thackeray led MNS in an andolan against North Indian "goondaism". This included targeting (with violence and intimidation) the north Indian (specifically from Bihar) population of Mumbai and surrounding areas.
Pre-MNS controversies
Kohinoor mill contoversy
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. [10]
References
- ^ a b http://www.jansamachar.net/display.php3?id=&num=14801&lang=English
- ^ http://www.apakistannews.com/raj-thakre-wanted-to-work-with-walt-disney-84833
- ^ http://newsx.com/story/30816
- ^ "Raj Thackeray: The tiger cub". Rediff. 2005-12-01. Retrieved 2002-01-03.
- ^ "Shiv sainiks to protect hills: Raj Thackeray". Indian Express. February 07, 2003. Retrieved 2008-12-07.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Why politicians don't save trees". Indian Express. May 18, 2003. Retrieved 2008-12-07.
- ^ http://www.shivudyogsena.org/origin.htm
- ^ http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/stories/20081121252302400.htm
- ^ http://www.jansamachar.net/display.php3?id=&num=14801&lang=English
- ^ http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=214951
External links
- Raj Thackerey's response in The Indian Express to Sudheendra Kulkarni's criticism
- Cartoons created by Raj Thackerey
- ^ http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080070973 New legal strategy to tame Raj
- ^ http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14811453