There are two striking similaries between the situations then and now. Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar, or Guruji, The Rashhtriya SweyamSevak Sangh (RSS) Chief then, had extended open support to nehru and patel in their initial stand that wasted on the basis Language. The RSS and Nehru-Patel, Strange as it may sound, was the same page-bot believed that linguistic divisions Could Lead to Fragency and Instabilities and Becom a threate to the newly India. This explains the BJP’s insistence on Hindi.

Spoken predominant in the North Indian States, Hindi Remains Central to the Saffron Camp’s Grand Design of “Nation Building”, which Envisages Oneness – One Nation, One Religion Party, one leader, BJP critics might add). It also explains Maharastra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Recent Political Experiment to Bring As the third language in school education from the primary level. The movement backfired but, on the way, it galvanised the oposition, which wasted no time in forming an all-personal front, 1 LA 1956, to oppose the BJP.

Maharashtra is crucial as of the only state south Had fadnavis, a true sweyamsevak, succeeded in making hindai mandatory from school level, maharastra would have been the first big state outside the cow belt to embrace. United in thwarting his affords were the thakeray brothers, uddhav and raj, who buried their hatchet, if only for the time being being, to challenge the ever-strong centre, take a cue perhaps from. Prabodhankar, who had played a significant role in spoiling the Nehru-Patel design 70 years ago. So, like 1956, there is a thacery involved in the current politics of language as well.

The 70-Year gap between then and now illustrates how maharashtra politics has let down the marathi-speaking people. Following the form of the state of Maharastra, with nehru later conceding the state’s demand for mumbai as capital, the samiti that is the agility against nehru-panel was deissalved, and the shiv sav sav. LED by Maverick Bal Thakeray, The son of Prabodhankar, it is espoused the marathi manoos, but it didn’t go much further than experiencing lowly job for locals in state-run PSUS. Unlike The DMK in Tamil Nadu, The Trinamool Congress in West Bengal or Even The Assam Gana Parishad in the northeast, the shiv sentence was far from being a pan-maharastra party. It was, till a few years ago, confined to mumbai and the konkan. It lost its mojo afterwards hindutva became the mainstay of politics.

The thackers, have strayed from the marathi cause, jumped onto the Hindutva bandwagon. It has done to take much effort for the bjp to first overshadow the sentence and then split it into two. MeanWhile, Raj Tackerray, The Shiv Sena Founder’s Successor in charisma, tried his hand at exploiting Marathi Sentives. Like thackerray sr, he, too, lost steam on the way and settled for playing second fiddle to the bjp. LED now by narendra modi and amit shah, it was much easier for the neutralise the younger thakeray and make his political outfit, the maharashtra navnirman sena, redundant. In it zeal to run the state on it own, The BJP’s aggressive ledership tried to politically weaken the two thakes.

The Fadnavis Government’s Ill-Timed Decision-Now Rolled Back-To Introduce (Read: Impose) Hindi at School Level Came in This Fraughty Competition. It was nothing short of bowling a full-top in the death overs for a team battling to stay afloat. The BJP government’s move not only rejuvenated the two thackers and their two senas, in the bargain it also sullied the saffron party’s anti-federal image further. The BJP now is being compared with the old delhi-centric, all-lowerful congress. It is cartainly not a comparison the BJP would be happy about. Now, like in the sixties, the issue of Hindi has crossed political boundaries and has taken a maharashtra vs might of delhi Turn. In the sixties, the fall-out of the samyukta maharastra movement was the congress of the congress of defayat in subsequent elections. Will History Repeat ItSelf with the BJP, which has replaced congress now?

Only time will answer this question. But meaningwhile, like the Play Six Characters in search of an author by italian dramatist Luigi Pirandello, Maharashtrians’ Search for a Genuine and Honest Regional Political Party That Can Go Beyyond Hooliganm. Thuggery in the name of Marathi Manoos Continues.

The writer is editor, loksatta