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All this causes confusion about the identity of the Marathi Manoos, the Sena’s central theme. Dinkar
Gangal, 70, a Marathi litterateur, is wondering just who the Marathi Manoos is. Gangal lives near
Chembur and has spent much time trying to get Maharashtrians to read more. In 1982, he held a
yatra to promote reading. Two weeks ago, he launched a new website www.thinkmaharashtra. com.
“Right now, I am not able to define a Marathi Manoos. I only have the popular notion that such a
person is born and raised in Maharashtra and speaks fluent Marathi,” says Gangal.
To get a better hang of it, Gangal has proposed a survey of 2,000 people during the March Akhil
Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in Pune. “There will be 10,000 people gathered there. It is the
biggest Marathi literary gathering. We will ask 2,000 people to describe their idea of the Marathi
Manoos.”
Gangal says Raj Thackeray, Uddhav’s estranged cousin and head of the rival political outfit, the
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, is more of a “darling boy” than the Shiv Sena with some Marathis.
“Older Maharashtrians and the youth appear to be attracted to Raj. They find a bit of the old Indira
Gandhi in Raj. Like with Indira, Raj’s eyes are full of pride. They say more with their eyes than their
tongues. They have similar body language as well.”
The MNS and the Shiv Sena are feeding off the same base at the moment. Most of Raj Thackeray’s
plans ands activities have been in former Sena bases like the Konkan area. When he does
something, it is mostly to undercut the Sena, or get aggressive just as the Sena cadre used to in the
past. For instance, currently Raj is in the Konkan on a tour to galvanise support for the MNS while
his party is weak in vast areas in Vidarbha, for instance.
SO THEN, the Shiv Sena has a situation on its hands. The Marathi Manoos appears to have a mind
of his own and may not be carried away. One indication is the response to Mahesh Manjrekar’s 2009
movie Mee Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy. The film has been described as the seminal movie on
Marathi identity and is the biggest Marathi hit, grossing Rs 25 crore so far.
The story deals with an ordinary Marathi family whose head is frustrated at work and by the career
setbacks to his children. He curses his Marathi identity and blames his forefathers for his birth as a
Marathi. This riles Shivaji, the legendary Maratha king, played by Manjrekar, who wakes up when
blamed. Shivaji then has a conversation with the central character of the movie and asks him to look
at his flaws before blaming the world for the way the Marathi Manoos suffers. In the movie, the
central character changes his attitude. Maharashtra hopes the Sena will too.
WRITER’S EMAIL
vijsimha@gmail.com
From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 7, Issue 08, Dated February 27, 2010