Maharashtra
When Balasaheb Thackeray safeguarded the future of a displaced community

More than three decades ago, when thousands of Kashmiri Pandits fled the terror nightmare in their homeland in 1990 to seek refuge elsewhere in India, many landed in Mumbai, the City of Dreams, and Pune, the academic capital of Maharashtra.
A majority of the uprooted Kashmiri Pandits, with their parents, wife and children, escaped from certain death with hardly anything more than the clothes they wore, and spent months in agony and uncertainty over how to rebuild their future from scratch in strange surroundings.
Maharashtra was the only state which opened its doors, hearts, wiped their tears and helped the Kashmiri Pandits grow new roots in this state, over a couple of thousand kms away from their birthplace.
“At that time, a group of Kashmiri Pandits met the roaring tiger of Shiv Sena, Balasaheb Thackeray. Led by the late Lt Gen (Retd) P.N. Hoon, the delegation discussed the entire issue of Kashmiri Pandits threadbare with the Sena Pramukh,” said Sanjay Nahar, who runs an NGO, Sarhad, in Pune.
Acclaimed author-journalist Rahul Pandita, a teen then, recalls how the Kashmiri Pandits — though penniless — did not seek monetary aid from Balasaheb Thackeray, but wanted something that could help them stand on their feet and make them independent in the long run.
Nahar said the delegation requested Balasaheb Thackeray to use his good offices and offer the Kashmiri Pandits reservations in technical or engineering courses in various academic institutions here.
Interestingly, the meeting was facilitated by a reserved, young journo — Sanjay Raut — now the stormy petrel of the Sena and its chief spokesperson.
Balasaheb Thackeray readily agreed to the proposal — though some opposition parties then had sniggered — and sowed the seeds for affording a stable future to an entire generation of Kashmiri Pandits.
Amit Wanchoo — the grandson of the legendary H.N. Wanchoo who was assassinated by terrorists in December 1992 — said that it was only Balasaheb Thackeray then “who threw a lifeline to Kashmiri Pandits” when they had nobody to call their own.
“Many had no funds or friends, spent months in dirty cattle-sheds or slums, worrying about their future. We always believed that education is important for children, but educating them away from their homeland was a big challenge,” said Wanchoo.
He is among the few who decided to remain in Kashmir despite the near-total exodus by his fraternity.
With Balasaheb Thackeray throwing open all the higher-technical-engineering institutions for Kashmiri Pandits, thousands took advantage to enrol themselves and encounter the future with confidence, and around 7,000-8,000 have benefitted, said Nahar.
More importantly, Pandita said that the gesture came without any ‘strings attached’, and Balasaheb Thackeray never treated them as any kind of ‘a political vote-bank or a bargaining tool’, and it remained a totally unselfish measure.
Sena MP Raut remembers the days when Balasaheb Thackeray was the sole person who spoke for the Kashmiri Pandits when the rest of the country kept quiet in dread of the terrorists.
“When the delegation met Balasaheb Thackeray, he openly advocated giving arms to the Kashmiri Pandits for their self-defence… Instead, they asked for educational quotas, which he readily agreed to and allowed 5 per cent reservation in the state. Nobody knows the pain of the Kashmiri Pandits more than the Shiv Sena,” Raut said.
Pandita and Wanchoo point out how many Kashmiri Pandits occupying top positions in Indian government or in leading companies worldwide had benefited from Maharashtra’s generosity in their darkest hour.
Wanchoo said that inspired by Balasaheb Thackeray, even Maharashtra proved magnanimous towards Kashmiri Pandits and contributed their mite to wipe the tears of their brethren from the snowy Valley.
“I met him in 1994 and he was surprised to learn that some — like me — still opted to live on in Kashmir. There were many young students living in home-stays, rentals or as paying guests in Maharashtra. But when they couldn’t afford to pay their dues, the local owners/families quietly waived them off,” said Wanchoo.
Nahar recalled the times when many Kashmiris — Pandits, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs — who became ‘refugees’ overnight, had problems with even basics like food and clothes and many NGOs came forward in Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad, Nashik and other cities to care for them.
According to Pandita and Wanchoo, “we are indebted to Balasaheb Thackeray and till now, we consider Maharashtra as our ‘second home’ for all practical purposes”.
Years later, Balasaheb Thackeray’s initiative bloomed across the country with other states and even the Centre coming up with various reservations, quotas, grace marks, certain privileges etc. for the Kashmiri Pandits/Muslims/Sikhs, that ensured the displaced persons secured a firm foothold in life.
Maharashtra
Maharashtra Tops In Millionaire Growth With 1.78 Lakh Wealthy Households

Mumbai: The number of millionaire households in Maharashtra has grown by 194% to 1.78 lakhs in the last four years, which is the highest in the country. According to a latest wealth report, Mumbai alone hosts 1.42 lakh millionaire households with Maharashtra being the preferred investment destination for 43% of Indian millionaires.
India now has 8.71 lakh millionaire households, families with a net worth of at least 8.5Cr, increasing by 90% from 4.58 lakh in 2021, revealed the ‘Mercedes Benz-Hurun India Wealth Report 2025’ launched on Thursday. The report states that the number of such millionaire families have grown by 445% from 2017 whereas only 0.01% became billionaires. However, these households comprise only 0.31% of the total households in India, highlighting the growing wealth disparity in the country.
Notably, the report revealed that Maharashtra leads the country in terms of millionaire households, 1.78 lakh, recording a 194% growth since 2021. Mumbai, the country’s financial capital, alone hosts 1.42 lakh millionaire families, which is again the highest in the country, followed by 68,200 in New Delhi. The report stated that the economic expansion of Maharashtra, which is home to 471 individuals featured in the ‘Hurun India Rich List 2024’, is underpinned by a 55% increase in its gross state domestic product (GSDP) between 2020-21 and 2023-24, crossing Rs40 lakh crore. Similarly, Mumbai accounts for 80% of the state’s total wealth, backed by 55% GSDP growth.
Maharashtra stood out as the most preferred investment destination in India for millionaires, with 43% of them choosing it over Gujarat, Karnataka and Delhi NCR, revealed the ‘Mercedes-Benz Hurun India Luxury Consumer Survey 2025’, also launched on Thursday. The survey revealed that stocks, real estate, and gold remain the top asset choices for millionaires with 51% expecting Indian real estate to grow in the next two years, while 38% believe it will remain stable.
Anas Rahman Junaid, founder and chief researcher at Hurun India, said, “I am struck by the extraordinary upward mobility we’re witnessing in India. This democratisation of prosperity speaks to the resilience of our economy, with opportunity spreading to millions of new wealth creators. We project India’s millionaires could double to around 1.7 to 2 million households in the next decade. Powered by our young demographic, technology and entrepreneurial spirit, India is poised to become the world’s fastest-growing wealth hub, gradually closing the gap with the leading economies.
Santosh Iyer, MD and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India, highlighted that the millionaires are also quickly shifting towards luxury electric vehicles (EVs) in comparison to the overall shift in general EVs. He stated that while the overall shift to EV is around 4%, luxury car owners record an 11% shift. “India’s growth story underscores the resilience and transformation of the economy, driven by a burgeoning domestic market and soaring aspiration of today’s young generation. Mercedes-Benz remains a symbol of social prestige, financial affluence and unmatched desirability,” he added.
Maharashtra
Mumbai News: Central Railway’s Sector-Wise Local Train Proposal Sparks Outrage Among Commuters; Officials Call It ‘Impractical’

Mumbai: A controversial proposal by the Central Railway’s (CR) Mumbai division to overhaul the suburban railway system by segregating it into sector-wise corridors—akin to metro train operations—has ignited widespread backlash from commuters and railway officials alike.
Originally presented to the Railway Minister last year, the proposal aims to increase suburban train frequency to one every three minutes during peak hours by dividing the existing network into eight operational corridors.
These would include routes such as CSMT-Thane (slow), Thane-Kalyan (slow), Kalyan-Kasara (slow), CSMT-Kalyan (fast), CSMT-Panvel (slow), Belapur-Uran (slow), and Thane-Nerul/Vashi (slow), among others.
Although the presentation claims that this move could transform Mumbai’s local train operations, a fierce debate has erupted over the practicality of the leaked proposal.
“This proposal is unadulterated absurdity. The person who prepared it has no idea about Mumbai and has clearly never used the Mumbai suburban network as a means of transport for work,” said former General Manager of Central Railway, Subodh Jain
According to a senior CR official, who declined to be named, “The plan may look good on paper, but in reality, it’s completely impractical. It would involve mass transhipment of passengers at busy junctions like Thane and Kalyan—already under tremendous pressure.”
“Catching one train itself is a big hassle—now imagine the inconvenience of changing 3 to 4 trains in a single journey and the extra time lost at each station,” said a senior Central Railway officer.
“The crowding at transhipment stations will be unimaginable. Passengers who manage to get a seat in the first train will likely lose it in the connecting train, as those already standing will rush to board first.”
The elaborate plan (FPJ has a copy) involves running services sector-wise — with the first sector operating only between CSMT and Thane on the slow line, the second sector covering CSMT to Kalyan on the fast line, and the third sector managing operations between Thane and Kalyan on the slow corridor, as well as Kalyan to Kasara and Kalyan to Karjat.
While the presentation made by the Mumbai Division under the leadership of the then Divisional Railway Manager, Rajnish Goyal, claims that sector-wise operations could boost efficiency and frequency, even internal voices remain skeptical.
The concerns are not just logistical but also practical—crowding at transhipment points, loss of seating priority, added travel time, and passenger confusion could worsen the already strained infrastructure.
Sources within CR have hinted that the proposal may have been “deliberately leaked” this week, rekindling both internal debates and public scrutiny.
Passengers, who form the backbone of Mumbai’s lifeline, expressed their frustration across social media platforms and in interviews.
Jayant Sathe, a daily commuter from Kalyan, remarked, “Whoever designed this plan clearly doesn’t understand Mumbai’s suburban travel. Changing trains at Thane after boarding from Badlapur? That’s completely unrealistic.”
The proposal has also drawn sharp criticism online. Devesh Tiwari posted on X (formerly Twitter), “This is a stupid plan. It will create horrible bottlenecks at terminal stations. Why can’t CR reduce headway to 120 or 90 seconds during peak hours? It’s simple tech, but there’s zero willpower to implement it.”
Another internet User @warrenbhai added posted on X “Changing and crossing FOBs will be a nightmare. A lot of us catch up on sleep during the long travel. That won’t be possible anymore.”
Another commuter, Kumar Saket, called the proposal the “joke of the month,” while Bharat Soni criticized what he termed the “Reel Minister” for making hollow promises, stating:
“What’s new in promising 3-min frequency? WR already does that. CR used to run locals every 5 minutes up to Kalyan. Try giving us 15-min services up to Kasara and Karjat—that would be actual progress.”
@smartkalyan7 posted on X “Instead of this jumlabazi, build a new line between Kalyan and Borivali. Thousands waste time commuting to the western suburbs via Dadar.”
Maharashtra
Mumbai: Floral Tribute Paid To Late Meenatai Thackeray At Dadar’s Shivaji Park; Security Measures Reviewed

Mumbai: A floral tribute was offered today at the statue of late Meenatai Thackeray at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park, followed by an inspection of the site.
Speaking on the occasion, leaders said that the affection Shiv Sainiks hold for late Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray is equally deep for late Meenatai Thackeray, who had left behind a legacy of warmth and family values.
Strongly condemning the recent act of vandalism against the statue, they emphasized that such incidents, motivated by personal malice, will not be tolerated. The accused has already been arrested, and police interrogation is underway.
Authorities also reviewed the security arrangements around the statue and Shivaji Park. It was announced that immediate measures would be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future. Necessary funds have been approved for enhanced security, and as per the directives of Shiv Sena chief leader and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, additional resources will be provided.
The statue of Meenatai Thackeray at Shivaji Park, along with another at Khed, were installed under the initiative of senior Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam, creating an emotional bond with Shiv Sainiks since their childhood.
Former corporator Samadhan Sarvankar, DCP Zone-5 Mahendra Pandit, and other police officials were present during the visit.
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