Aaditya Thackeray raps party men for harassing Kashmiris: Who knew Indian liberalism needs a Sena to uphold it?
There are interesting explanations for the young Thackeray’s newfound love for people who'd otherwise just get called 'migrants'.
Aaditya Thackeray would make a ‘liberal’ no one needs, but some sections in India probably deserve.
In the wake of the horrific Pulwama terrorist attack, Kashmiris have been targeted in various parts of India, in some instances by the ABVP. No major political figure — Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah, Congress President Rahul Gandhi — has issued a statement condemning the attacks or appealing for peace.
The man to finally stand up and say what is right, and hold his party men accountable, is Aaditya Thackeray, chief of Yuva Sena, scion of a party that owes its entire political existence apparently to bullying other Indians.
There was an unfortunate incident yest in Yavatmal, with some students of Jammu & Kashmir. The @ShivSena had issued a press note yesterday itself which hasn’t been printed today, may be to further sensationalise the issue or defame us, while ignoring our disciplinary action (1/n)
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) February 22, 2019
As of last evening, the Party has sacked those involved in the act. J&K is a part of India and no Indian, or for that matter, nobody should face the brunt of anger that is towards terrorism. We understand the angst but it must be against terror, not innocent people.
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) February 22, 2019
We may also consider a defamation suit against those who have received our note and purposely ignored it to malign the party and to sensationalise the issue while publishing it.
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) February 22, 2019
Oh, the ironies.
On February 21, a video, purportedly showing some Yuva Sena members harassing Kashmiri students in Yavatmal, went viral on social media. The video, though appalling, is hardly surprising — assaulting ordinary citizens has reportedly been Shiv Sena SOP since the 1960s.
What came as a surprise was a statement from the Yuva Sena actually condemning the attack.
“This incident has taken place in Yavatmal because of the angst against Pakistan and its terror activities. It is wrong and condemnable. We consider patriot Kashmiris our brothers. The Yuva Sena will always stand by them.”
Though noble, the statement is perplexing, raising many questions. Just a few days ago, a Sena spokesperson was urging people to boycott Kashmir tourism, for a very specific period of two years. “Tourism benefits the local people. If these resources earned are used against the country and the security forces, Indians should boycott tourism in Kashmir for next two years,” Sena MLC Manisha Kayande had said on February 16.
What has changed since then and now? Does the Yuva Sena have a test for “patriot Kashmiris”, who are to be treated like brothers, and other Kashmiris, who are to be boycotted? More importantly, the Sena’s calling card has traditionally been attacking migrants. Does this latest statement signal a policy change? Or, is this the simple case of the son-and-heir making the polite noises, while the heavy lifters can do the dirty work?
Aaditya’s latest comments are in line with the Sena’s assiduous push to project the youngest Thackeray as a polished, urbane face — a suave Sainik who can be palatable to people beyond its core voter base.
In many ways, Aaditya is different from his grandfather, father and uncle. For one, he went to English-medium schools and colleges. In fact, he is reportedly the first among the four generations of political Thackerays to go to college. His rhetoric is more toned down than the previous generations, he has won an award for his ‘style quotient’, is enthusiastic about running commercial establishments 24x7, and is seen with Bollywood stars distributing sanitary pads.
Akshay ji & I are placing 60 sanitary pad vending machines across the State. The rotary club has joined us with 40. We are in the 100 club! Thank you @akshaykumar ji for this initiative pic.twitter.com/To3sqNVWko
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) February 15, 2018
But does the Sena really think the voter will naively fall for Aaditya’s soft tiger image? Actions speak louder than words — and the actions the Sena is most vividly remembered for are attacking migrants from South India in the 1960s and Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in the 2000s.
Such wild swings from its core ideology may not win the Sena new fans, but it can turn away loyal supporters. So, what's behind the right-noises move?
The answer can perhaps be found by reading between the lines of Aaditya’s tweets. On February 22, he tweeted: “As of last evening, the Party has sacked those involved in the act. J&K is a part of India and no Indian, or for that matter, nobody should face the brunt of anger that is towards terrorism. We understand the angst but it must be against terror, not innocent people.”
According to the young Thackeray then, innocent people should not ‘face the brunt of anger against terrorism’. Is it still okay for them to face the brunt of anger against migrants?
We await an enlightening tweet.