Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Hindus need leaders like Bal Thackeray' that was published in Newsband

Hindus need leaders like Bal Thackeray

Does the Shiv Sena take offence or feel proud when its founder Bal Thackeray is spoken of as a terrorist with a religious cause? Bal Thackeray was a Hindu revolutionary and not a terrorist. He had instilled the “fear of Hindus” in Indians of other faiths. Hindus badly needed a man like Bal Thackeray during the period he existed. When other parties went out of the way to appease the minority communities, especially the Muslims, Shiv Sena strongly stood in support of Hindus.

In any country of the world, it is the minority communities who go out of the way to appease the majority community so that they can live peacefully. But the strange thing about India is that here the majority community, the Hindus, keep on appeasing their minority counterparts which in turn strangely display aggressive attitudes. Muslims showed aggression when they had the backing of Dawood Ibrahim. Sikhs showed similar aggression when they had the backing of Jarnail Singh Bindranwale. No Hindu pointed accusing fingers at Dawood Ibrahim or Jarnail Singh Bindranwale. Instead the Hindus severely criticized people like Bal Thackeray who stood strongly in support of Hindus.

He defended the Hindus in similar manner as Peshwas in the past who were the only people who had managed to prevent India from going into the hands of Mughals. The violence was always started by the Muslims and Sena were of the right opinion that it is better to Kill and Die rather than Just Die. If they had to go by Gandhian policy, there would be only Muslims in India and not a single Hindu would exist in this land which basically belongs to the Hindus.

The Sena founder was a person who took pride in his faith, and not someone who was motivated by blind faith. It is true that Sena indulges in Marathi chauvinism and believes in Hindutva ideology. Hindus badly need such a group since all the other communities also have such groups.

Yes, the main dispute between India and Pakistan is essentially Hindu-Muslim. The country itself was created out of hatred towards the Hindus. Nobody talks about the venom and vitriol espoused by the Islamic radical leaders in India. But a word of support for Hindus expressed by Sena invites criticisms more from the Hindus than from Muslims or members of any non-Hindu communities.

Have these Hindus who criticize Sena and Bal Thackeray ever heard Naved Jihadi from Pakistan saying "It is fun to kill Hindus". Pakistan has an endless supply of such jihadis, as proudly claimed by Musharaff. With such a backdrop, only a powerful Hindu group like Shiv Sena led by a leader of Bal Thackeray’s caliber can keep the Hindus protected. Instead of criticizing Shiv Sena and Bal Thackeray, it would be wise on the part of all the Hindus to find a leader of Bal Thackeray’s caliber who can continue defending the Hindus against the Hindu-haters.