Bal Thackeray's speeches left all spellbound

Where does a local man who's dwarfed in his day-to-day life look for shelter? It was Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray who provided this shelter to the Marathi manoos for the last five decades.

Like many Maharashtrians who lost out to South Indians in the job market, Balasaheb too lost out to the legendary cartoonist RK Laxman in the fight for a job at the Free Press Journal. He soon realised that his was not an isolated case. Maharashtrians were losing out in every field, and needed protection.

By the time the Shiv Sena came to be founded in 1966, the Mumbai trade union movement was the Reds' bastion. Even the localities that were traditionally occupied by the Maharashtrians were being invaded by the others. Balasaheb's politics was driven by the motive to protect the Marathi manoos and later evolved with all the angularities that attracted so much critical attention.

However, there is a need to separate the man from his politics. He was a multi-faceted man and his communication skills were par excellence. His speeches at the Shivaji Park drew loyal followers, and kept them spellbound.