Updated on Monday, November 16, 2009, 16:01 IST
Zeecric Bureau
Mumbai: Legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who on Sunday completed 20 glorious years in international cricket, has become the latest target of the pro-Marathi Manoos brigade.
Sachin, who had few days back stated that Mumbai was a part of India and that every Indian has an equal right on the city, has been criticised by none other than Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray.
In a letter addressed to the cricketing legend and published in Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna, Thackeray said that the Sachin comments have hurt the Marathi Manoos.
While appreciating Sachin’s remarks that he was equally a Marathi and an Indian, Thackeray made it clear in the published letter that he did not like Sachin calling Mumbai a city on which every Indian had an equal right.
Thackeray even advised Sachin to concentrate on his game and not get involved in politics.
Speaking at a media conference a few days ago, Sachin had said that his 20 successful years in the game of cricket have mainly been possible because of the love he has for his country.
The most famous Mumbaikar had also opined; though he was a proud Maharashtrian, it was important to acknowledge the fact that the state is a part of India, and more than anything else, he is an Indian first.
An irate Thackeray described Sachin’s remarks as absolutely unnecessary and asked him to instead focus on the pitch. He further advised Sachin not to treat the Marathi Manoos issue as a pitch and hit fours and sixes on it. Shiv Sena won’t tolerate this, Thackeray wrote, adding Sachin should not lose the respect that he has earned over the years, on the political pitch.
"There was no need for him to take a cheeky single by making such remarks," Thackeray said
"By making these remarks, you have got run-out on the pitch of Marathi psyche. You were not even born when the 'Marathi Manoos' got Mumbai and 105 Marathi people sacrificed their lives to get Mumbai," he added.
To this, BCCI Spokesperson Rajiv Shukla said in New Delhi, "This is the same language that Mohammed Ali Jinnah spoke. The whole of India and all Maharashtrians excluding a few Shiv Sena leaders and leaders of Raj Thackeray's party are with Tendulkar".
"These kind of comments are completely uncalled for. Shiv Sena people have no business to talk like this. Tendulkar is a nationalist. He is for Maharashtra, he is for India. If somebody calls himself an Indian, is it a crime?" he retorted.
"No Marathi will support Shiv Sena if they talk in these terms. Tendulkar has spoken like an Indian, like a nationalist. They don't understand this. In order to get some votes, they are trying to provoke feelings. These people should be brought to book," Shukla added.
"Maharashtrians don't like such utterances. Only a handful of people will support this. Majority of them won't like this. They want to be called Indians first.
"Whole of India and all Maharashtrians, excluding a few Shiv Sena leaders and leaders of Raj Thackeray's party, are with Tendulkar," he added.
It was widely insinuated in the press that Bal Thackeray had taken an anti-Indian stand in criticizing Sachin Tendulkar's position that he is an Indian first and a Maharashtrian later and that Mumbai belongs to all Indians. Fact is, upon reading Bal Thackeray's open letter which first appeared in Samna and which was translated and printed in the English media today, it becomes clear that nowhere has Bal Thackeray criticized Sachin's love for India. Bal Thackeray himself said in the letter that he is a proud Indian and signed off his letter with Jai Hind. So what Bal Thackeray had in mind was the unbridled influx of people into Mumbai. While this is a problem affecting all metros not only in India but all over the word and a national development policy has to be initiated to prevent urban centers from turning into ghettos, what, obviously, Bal Thackeray saw was the political fall-out of Sachin’s declaration. He wanted to forestall Sachin from being exploited by Congress in its anti-Sena campaign. While the secular press may not have seen it, Sachin has great respect for Bal Thackeray and now that Thackeray has forewarned him (not a warning of threat, but a warning to take precaution lest he falls into any political trap in the name of patriotism) he would definately be cautious.
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