'Bangaldeshi Raj' - My letter to Outlook Magazine

In response to the cover story of Outlook Magazine “The New Enemy” (September 3, 2012), 3M had sent a letter to the editor explaining the background to Raj Thackeray’s speech. And this is what they printed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Branding Raj Thackeray’s MNS a communal party is fallacious — given that hundreds of his Muslim followers joined the August 21 rally.

BHARAT GOTHOSKAR, MUMBAI

--------------------------------------------------------------------

But 3M would like the readers of this blog to see the original letter. So here it is...

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Bangladeshi Raj

Your cover story, The New Enemy (Sept 3), has fallaciously branded Raj Thackeray’s MNS as a communal party though hundreds of his Muslim followers had joined the Aug 21 rally. It is imperative to understand Raj’s political philosophy to comprehend his Azad Maidan speech. He believes that all states in India have become virtual sub-nations and that the leaders of Hindi migrants in Mumbai are trying to destabilize the body politic of Maharashtra, a sub-nation of Marathi people. Now Bangladeshis are adding fuel to the fire. He has defined this sub-nationality as ‘Maharashtra Dharma’. This concept was developed by various saints and administrators since the 11^th Century including Malik Ambar (a Muslim) and was finally adopted by Chhatrapati Shivaji as the founding principle of the Maratha Empire. In fact Lokmanya Tilak used the essence of ‘Maharashtra Dharma’ to build the concept of ‘Swarajya’ which in turn formed the core of Indian Independence Movement. ‘Maharashtra Dharma’ is to be understood as all-inclusive, secular and just governance that is averse to ‘foreign interventions’. Though Raj wants to restrict himself to his state, the media has ironically made him a national leader with Hindutva leanings!

Bharat Gothoskar, Mumbai