Raj: The final blow to Shiv Sena...

maybe not...

As an avid Shiv Sainik, I think this may actually be the beginning of a new era (Raj).

Would Maharashtra have been better without Shiv Sena? I don't think so. I say so because of personal reasons. I stood first in Palghar taluka of Thane district in the SSC examination of year 1991 - no other organisation had congratulated me, whatever the reasons - but me and my family have always thought it was due to us belonging to a lower middle class family without any higher class or intellectual group connections. One fine day, I received an invitation from Shiv Sena's Anand Dighe for a felicitation by Balasaheb and that's it - the function that had followed was one of my unforgettable moments of life.

The following year, while in Mahim, Mumbai, studying for my XII standard, I witnessed one of the most horrific riots in Mumbai's history. Those who know Mahim, know the demography of the area and can possibly imagine the situation. Again, without the Shiv Sena there, it would have been bloodier for us - the lower middle class families living in the one-room kitchen chawls.

When I applied for a passport after being employed as a software engineer, since we were staying in a rented place, there was nobody to accredit my application. Again the local Shiv Sena corporator, Milind Vaidya, helped me with the supporting letter without any questions. I would stress, I didn't go with any political connections.

A long time has passed since then but my repect for Balasaheb Thackeray has been etched by these experiences with Shiv Sena. I don't deny and justify the goondaism that has been attributed to Shiv Sena. But this goondaism has been the trait of every political party in India - be it BJP, Congress, Communists or the other regional parties. It is a problem with the Indian political system and if anybody thinks that it is just limited to Shiv Sena, they are wrong. But yes, there is a need to cleanse the system out of such kind of political violence.

Now to the current situation - like many others I think Raj Thackeray was a much better successor to Balasaheb than Uddhav Thackeray. He had demonstrated his leadership qualities with Bhartiya Vidyarthi Sena (BVS). I guess even other Shiv Sena leaders knew this - but I am sure, they were too afraid to tell this to Balasaheb. And the problem may have started there itself. But now I think, Raj Thackeray has got a solution. And now we will see a new Shiv Sena. It is secondary whether it will be the same name or a new name, but no doubt a new Shiv Sena is being born. And this Shiv Sena will be a much better one if it learns from its past mistakes.

The lower middle class in Maharashtra needs a Shiv Sena and it will be a sin to deny them one.