Kolhapur "bans" Thackeray for insulting royals

Chief Minister Joshi despatched Cabinet colleague Ramdas Kadam to Kolhapur Wednesday on a salvage mission and Kadam promised political parties there that Thackeray was contrite and was willing to apologise.

Says Digivjay Khanvilkar, Congress MLA from Kolhapur and member of the royal family, “We want a public apology from Thackeray,” not just the intent to apologise. “Thackeray has turned senile and is acting more and more like Don Quixote every day. We have to prevent his madness from going too far,” he said.

According to political observers, for once, Thackeray might have gone too far in attempting to mess with the Kolhapuris’ Holy Cow — their princely ruler of yore, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj. At a function last week to mark the birth anniversary of Thackeray’s father, Prabodhankar, the Sena chief, as is his wont, made certain thoughtless remarks about the Maratha King. Shahu Maharaj, was a social reformist of note, adored and revered by all Maharashtrians. His liberal attitudes and modern zeal for uniting the masses under one umberella irrespective of their caste, religion or creed has earned him the undying devotion of Muslims, Marathas and Dalits alike not just in Kolhapur but all over Maharashtra.

An early 20th century king, Shahu Maharaj was said to once have sent the Thackeray pere a cheque of Rs 5,000 to help out the latter with a debilitating illness. Prabodhankar was also known as a social reformist, both being contemporaries of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

Dr Y D Phadke, who chaired the commemoration, recalled that Father Thackeray had returned the cheque with disdain, saying, “I spit upon such charity.”

The son, however, went one step further by recalling that his father had actually threatened to urinate upon it. The Sena mouthpiece Saamna reported that when Thackeray recalled the story, there was thunderous applause from the auditorium.

Kolhapuris had been simmering ever since. The district was shut down today by popular demand and a Minister in the Joshi cabinet despatched to Kolhapur to mop up after Thackeray. The Sena chief was unavailable for comment, but according to sources said to be rather chastened at the magnitude of the chasm that he might have opened between himself and the Marathi masses.

According to Narubhau Limaye, Pune-based freedom fighter and contemporary of former Chief Minister Y B Chavan, “Thackeray’s tasteless remarks are likely to boomerang upon him in a big way. The Marathas may take time to flare up, but they do not forget an insult.”

In fact, even YB Chavan had to suffer a seven year ban from Kolhapuris when they failed to appreciate his method in seeking to unite the erstwhile princely state with Maharashtra during the run-up to the “Sanyukta Maharashtra” movement. Kolhapuris had wanted force, Chavan consensus. His was the better option but he had to repent nevertheless.

Speaking to The Indian Express from Pune, Limaye said the princely family is “very sacred” to not just Marathas but all Marathi people as wll. “But there has always been distrust between Marathas and Kayasthas (Thackeray is one). And Thackeray’s comments might be seen as a slight and bring the old rivalry to the fore,” he warned.

Congress spokesperson Ratnakar Mahajan declined to comment saying he would not like to whip up the sentiments of the people any more than they have already been. However, Khanvilkar has threatened a state-wide agitation in the event Thackeray fails to actually apologise in person.

Agitation against Sena supremo called off

KOLHAPUR: A week-long agitation by all political parties excluding Shiv Sena and Bharatiya janata Party (BJP) to condemn Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s reportedly insulting remarks against great social reformer and former Kolhapur princely state ruler Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, was called off this afternoon following Thackeray’s willingness to apologise and end the the controversial issue. A statement issued by the action committee said that the agitating parties were withdrawing their agitation, since Thackeray, through District Guardian Minister Ramdas Kadam has showed his willingness to apologise to the people of Kolhapur if they (citizens) felt that his remarks had hurt their sentiments.