Sena rally: Scenes from Shivaji Park

Dussehra – the day Lord Rama killed Ravana, as per Hindu beliefs – remains one of the most important days not just for religious reasons but for political reasons too in Maharashtra.

For the last 45 years, the Shiv Sena leader has been addressing a rally at Shivaji Park in Dadar, a tradition he began in 1966, the year the Shiv Sena was formed. In terms of pure steadfastness, it is a record hard to beat for any single leader of party to address his followers. And like before, the party faithful turned up in huge numbers at the sprawling ground.

It was clear that the crowds had turned up to see Thackeray, whose sway over Shiv Sainiks remains undiminished. His arrival was greeted with massive applause, and his jokes, some of which were in poor taste (including abusing Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah) were greeted with cheers.

Yet, such ribald comments were to an extent vintage Thackeray, who has been known to abuse his opponents openly, and something his followers have come to expect.

On the stage were pictures of Uddhav Thackeray’s grandfather Prabhodhankar Thackeray, his mother popularly known as Masaheb, and his late elder brother Bindumadhav, besides the standard bust of Shivaji. The appearance of the family members of the immediate family of Bal Thackeray is a recent phenomenon, started a few years ago, and seeks to reinforce the Thackeray family’s claim over the Sena.

Posters leading to the ground showed patriarch Bal Thackeray, son Uddhav, and grandson Aditya, who was present on the podium but who did not speak.  Yet, for all the emphasis on the family, it was clear that the Sena simply lacks a leader whose oration rouse the masses the way Bal can.

Uddhav Thackeray’s speech was almost pedantic, scoring brownie points over the state government’s act of commission and omission; the applause seemed forced rather than spontaneous.

Finally, Bal Thackeray pointedly referred to news reports that RPI leader Ramdas Athavale was miffed at not being invited. He dismissed the news as false, and said the two parties, which have allied, would hold a joint rally soon.

He could not have missed that just about 500 metres away was Chaityabhoomi, Ambedkar’s memorial. For Dalits, Dussehra too is important: it is the day Ambedkar rejected Hinduism and embraced Buddhism in 1956. And huge numbers were milling around Chaityabhoomi in the evening, as a mark of respect.