END OF AN ERA

MAY HIS SOUL REST IN ETERNAL PEACE

• Normally on a  Saturday, coming back from Office quite early is supposed to be a joy ride.  But today it was like driving through a ghost City.
• I had never seen such spontaneous grief on the streets in my living memory
• Shri Bal Keshav Thackery breathed his last around 03.30PM and immediately the news spread with lightening speed. All business establishments were closed in a mark of respect for the departed leader.  Here again, I find quite uncharacteristic spontaneity in every nook and corner as I had to travel from one end of Mumbai to the other to reach my house from my Office.
• Shri Thackery had a very long history of political events in Maharashtra in general and Mumbai in particular from 1966 onwards.
• He was liked by not only his hard core followers but by his political opponents and enemies also for one quality-CANDIDNESS. He never took back any of his words. When he speaks,he speaks from his heart and stood by his word. Never there was an occasion where he tried to declare that he did not say what he did say. Its a great quality for a Politician not only in India but in the World today.
• He is seen as a protector in Mumbai by lakhs of people, especially by the so called majority community of Hindus. The very fact that the majority feels insecure in a city like Mumbaii speaks volumes about the Secular fundamentalism in our Country.
• The Most underplayed fact of his great acts of kindness was during 1984 when anti Sikh riots were raging across the country, he went out personally to Gurdwaras in Mumbai and ensured protection to all Sikhs in Mumbai and the great metropolis did not have any anti Sikh riots during 1984, which was a blot against the then Government even today. This act of Courage was never highlighted by the so called Media.
• He never cared who thinks what especially never bothered or acknowledged the presence of Media and he gave statement after statement which comes out of him from his deep sense of Nationalism and love for his fellow Marathas.
• "There are only two castes in the world-Rich and Poor. Make the Poor Rich but do not make Rich Poor" was his outlook on the social fabric.  By 1966 when he just entered politics and started Shiv Sena, Communists were ruling the roost and Mumbai was in their stranglehold. Today you cannot see even a single red flag anywhere in Mumbai, not even on May Day. That way,  Mumbai was spared from becoming a Kolkata and the metropolis of Mumbai thrived with lot of employment attracting hordes of people from all corners of India.This was one of his major contributions to Mumbai.
• When asked in a wicked manner by a Reporter to comment upon the remote control he wields in the then Shiv Sena Government, he just quipped "What is the difference between High Command and Remote Control" and the Reporter has to mumble some insignificant words as he has no answer for this frontal attack of candidness from him. 
• When he entered Politics in 1966, Indira Gandhi just then became Prime Minister, Amitabh Bachchan was unknown, Sunil Gavaskar had not played his debut match and one SK Patil was the uncrowned King of Mumbai. In 2012 Indira Gandhi was almost forgotten, Amitabh Bachchan rose to fame and almost retired, same was the case with Gaskar and Sachin followed him, who too is nearing retirement and nobody knowns who is S K Patil in Mumbai. But, Bal Thackery remained well known through 3 generations and has his indelible mark on the politics in Maharashtra and Mumbai till his passing away today. 
• A Leader who shall never be forgotten in Mumbai

 ONE GREAT FRIENDSHIP WITH SHRI R K LAKSHMAN CLICK TO READ

• BAL THACKERY STARTED HIS CAREER AS A CARTOONIST. Just a few are available in the net.