Connect with us
हिंदी اردو
Sunday,17-November-2024
Breaking News

Maharashtra

When Balasaheb Thackeray safeguarded the future of a displaced community

Published

3 years ago

on

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.

Post Views: 20
Related Tags:

Maharashtra

Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Central Railway To Run Special Suburban Trains From November 19-21 For Voters & Election Personnel

Published

1 day ago

on

November 16, 2024

By

In view of the Maharashtra Assembly Elections, Central Railway will run special suburban trains on November 19-20, 2024 (Tuesday-Wednesday night) and November 20-21, 2024 (Wednesday-Thursday night) to facilitate the movement of election personnel and the public.

These trains will operate on the Main Line (CSMT-Kalyan) and Harbour Line (CSMT-Panvel), with specific departure and arrival times as listed below.

Schedule for Special Suburban Trains:

1. Tuesday-Wednesday Night (November 19-20, 2024)

Main Line (Down): CSMT – Kalyan Special: Departs CSMT at 03:00 hrs, arrives at Kalyan at 04:30 hrs.

Main Line (UP): Kalyan – CSMT Special: Departs Kalyan at 03:00 hrs, arrives at CSMT at 04:30 hrs.

Harbour Line (Down): CSMT- Panvel Special: Departs CSMT at 03:00 hrs, arrives at Panvel at 04:20 hrs.

Harbour Line (Up): Panvel – CSMT Special 2: Departs Panvel at 03:00 hrs, arrives CSMT at 04:20 hrs.

2. Wednesday-Thursday Night (November 20-21, 2024)

Main Line (Down): CSMT – Kalyan Special: Departs CSMT at 01:10 hrs, arrives at Kalyan at 02:40 hrs.

CSMT – Kalyan Special: Departs CSMT at 02:30 hrs, arrives at Kalyan at 04:00 hrs.

Main Line (Up): Kalyan – CSMT Special: Departs Kalyan at 01:00 hrs, arrives CSMT at 02:30 hrs.

Kalyan – CSMT Special: Departs Kalyan at 02:00 hrs, and arrives at CSMT at 03:30 hrs.

Harbour Line (Down): CSMT- Panvel Special: Departs CSMT at 01:40 hrs, arrives at Panvel at 03:00 hrs.

CSMT- Panvel Special: Departs CSMT at 02:50 hrs, arrives at Panvel at 04:10 hrs.

Harbour Line (Up): CSMT- Panvel Special: Departs Panvel at 01:00 hrs, arrives CSMT at 02:20 hrs.

CSMT- Panvel Special: Departs Panvel at 02:30 hrs, arrives CSMT at 03:50 hrs.

All special trains will halt at all stations between CSMT-Kalyan and CSMT-Panvel, as per the schedules listed above.

These special services are expected to enhance connectivity and ensure the smooth transit of election participants. Passengers are encouraged to take advantage of these additional services for their travel needs on these nights. We hope this initiative will empower voters to exercise their right to vote.

Post Views: 31,262
Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: BMC Launches Initiatives To Boost Voter Turnout Ahead Of November 20 Polls

Published

1 day ago

on

November 16, 2024

By

Mumbai: Given the lower voter turnout in Mumbai in the previous elections, the BMC has undertaken several initiatives to boost voter participation in the November 20 state polls.

Some of the key efforts include the rationalisation of polling stations (ensuring that they are at convenient distance), establishment of voting facilities within housing societies and making essential facilities available at polling stations.

BMC Chief Bhushan Gagrani Reviews Election Arrangements

BMC chief Bhushan Gagrani, who is also the district election officer, reviewed the election arrangements on Friday. Steps have been taken to address past issues like distant polling stations and long queues. As a result, polling stations have been rationalised for better convenience. Their number has increased from 2,509 in the previous Lok Sabha elections to 2,538 in Mumbai.

Similarly, now there are 7,574 voting booths in the suburbs as compared to 7,384 in general polls. Other initiatives include ‘Know Your Polling Station’ campaign, transportation facility for Person with Disability voters.

“Awareness campaigns are being amplified through media, street plays, celebrity outreach and activities like rap songs and flash mobs,” said a civic official. Polling stations have been rationalised to accommodate 1,200 to 1,300 voters each, with increased stations in high-rise buildings.

Post Views: 35,844
Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Congress Files Complaint Against PM Modi & Union Home Minister Amit Shah For Alleged Slander & Divisive Remarks

Published

2 days ago

on

November 16, 2024

By

The Congress has filed a complaint against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah with the Election Commission of India (ECI) for their alleged “false, divisive, malicious and slanderous statements which breach norms of electoral conduct and extant law”.

About The Case Of PM Modi

In the case of Modi, it charged that during an election rally at Nashik and Dhule on November 8 he made a series of false, malicious, and slanderous statements targeting the Congress and its allies. The complaints with respect to Modi, filed by Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, said Modi claimed that the current leadership of the Congress was “opposed to the interests of the ST, SC and OBC communities” and was “actively promoting infighting” among these communities. In this regard, the Congress cited a transcribed version of Modi’s statement, in which he said, “On the one hand, Congress and its allies in J&K want to snatch rights of Dalits, Tribals and OBCs by demanding restoration of Article 370. On the other hand, they wave a blank red book in the name of the Constitution to hoodwink Dalits, Tribals and OBCs in Maharashtra.”

The Congress also quoted Modi as saying that “the three former Congress PMs – Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi & Rajiv Gandhi were opposed to giving reservations to Dalits, Tribals and OBCs. The Congress claimed that “the tone and tenor of the entire speech is further evidence of the speaker’s (Modi’s) intention to create and spread religious and caste-based animosity.”

Similarly, during an election rally in Chandrapur on November 12, the Congress accused Modi of repeating his “false and unfounded allegations”. Here it quoted Modi as saying, “If the Adivasi community gets divided into castes, it will end its identity and strength. The prince of Congress (Rahul Gandhi) has announced this in a foreign country.”

About The Case Of Home Minister Amit Shah

Similarly, in the case of Amit Shah, the Congress accused him of levelling false allegations against the party and its leaders during his election rally in Dhanbad on November 12. Stating that these actions constitute a violation of the Model Code of Conduct and the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and also constitute offences punishable under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, for promoting enmity and discord amongst different communities with the sole purpose of making some marginal and imagined electoral gains, the Congress demanded that the Commission conduct a thorough investigation in these matters and direct the registration of a criminal case against all the individuals involved in the BJP’s vitriolic and blatantly violative electoral campaign in Maharashtra.

It also demanded that orders be passed banning the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister from conducting any election-related activities for the remainder of the election period.

Post Views: 30,508
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending