**Tributes
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Balasaheb Keshav Thackeray (23 January 1926 – 17 November 2012) |
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Balasaheb Keshav Thackeray (23 January 1926 – 17 November 2012), is what the epitaph will say. However Balasaheb (popularly Bal Thackeray) has left behind a legacy that will live on. Who was Bal Thackeray? Why was a mostly regional player able to play on the psyche of the entire nation?
There are too many journals, magazines and surely google that should be able to provide a lot of valuable information about Bal Thackeray. I would like to focus on who he could have been, yet who he remained as. It is well known that he started the political part of his public life as a champion of the causes of generational Marathi speaking people (as compared to general Maharashtrians), to prevent their perceived marginalization in jobs, industry and society by non Marathis. With the growth in his stature and power came the responsibility and willingness to do more and help others. As he refused to be trapped in the self-inflicted cobwebs of pseudo secularists, wider Hindu groups started to look up to him as the one who could call a spade a spade. Not only, he would also back his words with action and do what may not have been politically palatable for others to do. Case in point; he stood up as a saving grace for the 500,000 internally displaced community of Kashmiri Hindus. They begged educational opportunities for their hapless children and he came to the rescue. The community remains indebted and grateful to Balasaheb for this reason. The nation desired earnestly for the leader to take and keep charge. They were done with those who had made only lip service and after winning elections proven incapable of action. They continually reached out to him and Balasaheb did explore. However, eventually, for planned and unplanned reasons, his leadership remained concentrated within his original Marathi base. That was a huge loss for the nation that waited. Many more people had desired Balasaheb the fearless, outspoken, doer of a leader to be their representative too but that was not to be. It is not to be. Arun Koul, Shehjar
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I still remember my first encounter with this man in the 90’s when the Kashmir insurgency was peaking by the seconds…. 5 lakhs Kashmiri Pandits were thrown out of their own homeland making them refugees in their own country… It was one of the biggest genocide in the Indian History… these people were rendered homeless… killed brutally while the politicians who were supposed to be their saviour distress were in loss of action because of they could not see a votebank or did not have the heart to settle these people who were loitering with open wounds of terrorism around the country…. Every door of these so called secular populist politicians closed on me when I went knocking seeking help for those who had taken a refuge in the Maximum City… except one man’s door… he didn’t only open his door… he welcomed them in…
It was very important that the next generation OF Kashmir didn’t feel inadequate in the absence of proper educational institutions that they had to abandon overnight in their mother state because of insurgency… It was Balasaheb Thackeray who immediately ordered that a reservation should be fixed for the refugee Kashmiri youths in all the colleges of Maharashtra…. The reservation included Muslims, Ladakhi, Pandit, children of security forces serving in the valley… when he announced the reservation he didn’t demarcate on the basis of religion… The announcement was for everybody… This way the man secured the future of 50,000 youths who had the choice of picking up guns in the absence of education… For me, this was Balasaheb Thackeray who did not shy away from taking a stand where the Delhi doins were taking refuge around the diplomacy of terrorism… Also read: Thackeray stood by the Kashmiri Pandits Ashoke Pandit, Film Director & Community Activist, Mumbai (India) |
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"He taught us never worry or think too much about what others think but do whatever you feel is right for your community. He taught us to be fearless. He was not just lion of Maharashtrians but for Kashmiri Hindu community. His passion was so strong and leadership so powerful that he led and people followed, even without winning any election."
Ankit Monga, President, Kashmir Hindu Foundation, Inc- KHF (USA) |
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The Kashmiri community has lost one of the strongest supporters who beleived in real action rather than lip service. He was like a God father to our community. Balasaheb Thackeray will remain in each and every Kashmiri Pandit heart for ever.
Paviter Handoo, President, Kashmiri Overseas Association- KOA (USA) |
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A large number of Kashmiri Pandits from across Delhi NCR offered a solemn Shradhanjali to late Bala Saheb Thackeray at J. N. Kaul Memorial Hall, KECSS, Pamposh Enclave, New Delhi on November 20, 2012.
The memorial meeting began with 2 minutes’ silence in memory of the departed soul. The scene was sombre and the loss caused by the passing away of this great leader was writ large on everybody’s face. Shri Moti Kaul, President AIKS, described his persona and observed that the KP community had rightly accepted him as the “caring leader of the community” because he indeed acted as a caring and patronizing guardian in our most difficult times. The pain and trauma inflicted on the community as a result of the unfortunate exodus was deep-rooted in his psyche. He also recalled his role in the early years of exodus, when Bala Sahab stood up like a rock and directed the BJP-Shiv Sena govt. to earmark academic reservations for the wards of the displaced Kashmiri Pandits in Maharashtra. It was this very gesture which lifted our academic profile and we owe him a great debt of gratitude. For us he was no less than a messiah. Dr. Romesh Raina, General Secretary- AIKS (India) |
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"Mr. Thackeray brought a real impact to KP's and he helped Kashmiris when no one else did. We KP's can learn so much from him on how to build a movement. He stood by his principles and never cared about his critics. Young generation of Kashmiri's should emulate his love for who he was and his love for being Marathi.
A. K. Monga, Kashmiri Community Leader, Faridabad (India) |
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Panun Kashmir condoles the sad demise of Bala Sahib Thackery, the veteran Hindu leader who over the last few decades had become an icon of Hindu assertion and resurgence. It was his unflinching commitment to the Nationalist cause and fatherly concern for the children of the exiled Kashmiri Hindus that opened the gates of professional institutions in Maharashtra in 1990's and created a special category for their admission. The practice continues till date.
Bala Sahib Thackery was a multifaceted personality who effectively made a difference inthe Indian politics. He wholeheartedly supported the idea of creating the Union Territory of Panun Kashmir in Jammu and Kashmir as a solution to Kashmir problem and for mitigating the suffering of the exiled KashmiriHindus, statement said. Panun Kashmir prays for the eternal peace to the departed soul and courage to the Thackery family, Shiv Saniks and the Nationalist forces to bear the loss and carry far wardhis legacy,statement said.. Dr. Ajay Chrungoo, Chairman Panun Kashmir, Jammu (India) |
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This section is devoted to remember those who have left us. An excellent way to pay homage to those who leave us in sorrow is to keep their memories alive for ever. This section of our journal is devoted to remember our near and dear ones after they pass into Eternity.
We request family members and friends to provide us information or update about any such happenings along with the picture of the departed souls at editor_shehjar@earthlink.net |
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