Mumbai: A new age seems to have dawned on the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray). In a renewed push to regain lost ground, the party is now attempting to carve out a new votebase by taking up youth- and people-centric issues.
Known for its religion-infused politics, the party that lost six Members of Parliament to Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, the Shiv Sena (UBT) is now supporting the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest in Delhi, and holding similar protests back home in Mumbai.
The change is visible right from the top: party president leader Uddhav Thackeray is in Delhi meeting protesters at Jantar Mantar and Opposition bigwigs, and his son and state legislator Aaditya Thackeray is mobilising and organising youth protests in Mumbai.
Uddhav Thackeray was one of the first political leaders to lend support to the CJP’s Abhijit Dipke and activist Sonam Wangchuk. Late on Monday, he visited the site of the protest at Jantar Mantar to declare his support.
On Tuesday, Thackeray said that he was in favour of the CJP and youth from Day 1, and that Wangchuk had in the past even visited his home Matoshree in Mumbai. He called out the Central government, calling their regime ‘Ravan Raj’.
“What the government is doing is not democratic. now people have started saying that Britishers were better than them. Youth is our future and government should listen to them,” Uddhav Thackeray told the media in Delhi. “It looks like there is no difference between the government and Ravan as the government is mistreating women and little girls . The country is waking up now and the government has to listen.”
On Wednesday, his son Aaditya Thackeray appealed to youngsters to join him at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Friday to “unite under the Tiranga to sing the national anthem in one voice”.
“This peaceful protest is against the brutal oppression in Delhi, the detentions of students across the country, and to show that Maharashtra stands with the brave youth who are fighting for our country. Come if you stand with Sonam Wangchuk, Abhijeet Dipke and all those at Jantar Mantar. Come also if you stand against how the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other Members of Parliament were picked up and detained while protesting—if this can happen to them, this WILL happen to you soon,” Thackeray wrote in a social media post.
The party’s social media page has been actively posting in English and started a campaign called ‘One Nation One Emotion’.
These developments were preceded by a well-attended Shiv Sena (UBT) protest on Sunday at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park in support of youth. Aaditya Thackeray organised and mobilised this protest, where he said, “This is only the beginning and we will take it ahead till we bring change and better days. We won’t let our country be swallowed by dictators!”
After the protest, many protesters were detained; notices and First Information Reports (FIRs) were slapped against many. The younger Thackeray and his team have been going to police stations to help the affected, even announcing an email address for protesters to reach out to if anyone has any legal complications and FIRs or notices against them. He also urged advocates to represent in such cases pro-bono (without charge), and to stand with students and activists.
Political observer Hemant Desai said that after another split in the party, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has no other option but restrategise and rebuild a completely new party.
“As far as I see since there are no immediate elections in sight, Uddhav Thackeray has understood that he wants to build a new structure, a new party. And youth is a big factor. There is an anti-government atmosphere on social media and he has realised that issues like employment, technology, student education are topics that would attract youth,” Desai said.
“Looks like now their strategy is changed, and they are taking up people-centric issues like the economy and youth. And if he continues on this path, he might get support.”
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Changing strategies
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai on Wednesday, Aaditya Thackeray criticised the police action in Delhi, and demanded that the detained youth be released immediately. “Our demand was clear. The children and youth who have been detained should be released… This is the first time we’re seeing a peaceful protest, while the government is becoming violent,” he said.
On Sunday, the agitation organised by Shiv Sena (UBT) saw hundreds flood the streets of Mumbai at Shivaji Park, holding placards and chanting anti-government slogans.
Uddhav Thackeray urged the youngsters to carry forward this momentum. “I can see the fire in your belly. Keep this alive till this government goes out of power. The anger of the youth present here is a spark that will spread across the country and turn into a fire against the Bharatiya Janta Party-led government,” he said.
Before Sunday’s event, the Shiv Sena (UBT) had organised a Ram Raksha reading programme in Mumbai and Nagpur to highlight the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
In parallel, the party started organising agitation in support of the CJP while also raising issues like fuel policy of the government relating to ethanol blending in petrol. Aaditya Thackeray had even written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the Centre to reconsider the E20 fuel mandate, saying that consumers should be given a choice between pure petrol and ethanol blend, and that E20 should not be made mandatory.
Thackeray has also been vocal in his support for Mumbai’s football grounds that the state government is trying to change into a convention centre building. He has been urging to the footballers to rally in support of the football ground in Mumbai.
A whole new game seems to have begun, and the Shiv Sena (UBT) is playing ball with enthusiasm.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
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