Maharashtra: BJP makes a play for Marathi pride
With a grand swearing-in ceremony, high on symbolism, planned for October 31, the BJP is pulling out all stops to woo Mumbai’s Marathi-speaking population with events that invoke Maharashtrian pride.
With a music show by Ashok Hande’s group and LED screens flashing depictions of Shivaji’s coronation and a flashback into the lives of Maharashtra’s tallest leaders, the new BJP government is going all out to grab the space so far occupied by its rivals and even its former ally — the custodian of Marathi pride.
The grand celebrations at Mumbai’s much loved and iconic Wankhede Stadium and large cut outs of lotuses in the sea in Mumbai are sure to invoke Marathi asmita, even among those who don’t count themselves among the parochial set. With a divorce in the long standing relationship with the Shiv Sena, the original sons of the soil party, the BJP is well placed to grab a space in the hearts of even those who chose the Sena over the BJP.
A cartoon, depicting Gujarati "seths" carving off Mumbai, went viral a few days before the Maharashtra elections. The Congress too raised its pitch against the BJP’s alleged Gujarat-favouring stand declaring that the party was in the process of shifting the Marine Police headquarters from Mumbai to Gujarat. It’s probably these sentiments — that the Marathi manoos is being sidelined by the BJP in it’s own home state — that the soon-to-be sworn in government wants to quell. Which is why the swearing-in ceremony of Devendra Fadnavis’ government on Friday is expected to be high on symbolism and Marathi heritage.
As Maharashtra’s 19th chief minister is set to be sworn in, the ceremony will move from the lawns or hall of Raj Bhavan to the Wankhede Stadium, an iconic venue in Mumbai. A chief reason for the change in venue is of course, its capacity; it can accommodate the over 40,000 guests the ceremony is expected to have in attendance. The show promises to be a glittering affair with celebrities from various walks of life—sports, music, cinema and public life. Also in attendance will be chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states, leaders of opposition in the non-BJP ruled states and all the newly elected MLAs in Maharashtra.
While the actual swearing-in is set to be a crisp affair, the two-hour long extravaganza, will feature a music show by Ashok Hande. The organizers have chosen the performer well. Hande is a popular household name in Maharashtrian homes for his spectacular folk music and dances. Besides his music and his stint on reality shows, Hande is best remembered for his series Marathi Bana, popularly known as a "70mm Marathi programme", that had over 100 artists performing it. The idea was to showcase the "true qualities of Marathi manoos" through their celebrations, trials and folk art.
Another highlight that the organisers seem to have in store is a LED screen flashing pictorial depictions of Shivaji’s coronation, an important piece of Maharashtra’s history that invokes great pride among the Marathi speaking populace even today.
The symbolism will not be lost on the middle class Maharashtrian watching the celebration on television at home. For the past few years, Maharashtrians have rued the falling percentage of Marathi-speaking people in the heart of the city. The reasons have been several — with the shutting down of mills, workers sold off their homes and moved to their hometowns; rising property rates saw the original dwellers selling off their houses to move to the distant suburbs. A survey in 2009 showed that the Marathi-speaking population of the city had fallen by 69 per cent in 30 years.
For years, parties like the Shiv Sena and the MNS, have wooed voters by invoking Marathi pride and promising opportunities to the locals, fighting off "outsiders". With this show of Marathi asmita, the new government probably hopes to win over those who still look at the BJP as a non-Maharashtra party.