‘This Mumbai is ours’: Uddhav faction gave message to opponents on Shiv Sena’s 60th foundation day

Mumbai, June 19. Today has completed 60 years of the establishment of Shiv Sena. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction, on the occasion of the party’s 60th anniversary, said that several attempts were made to break and weaken the Shiv Sena in the last six decades. The party claims that due to fear of Shiv Sena in the minds of opponents, many parallel ‘senas’ were formed from time to time and they also got destroyed, but the foundation laid and the ideology established by Balasaheb Thackeray remained steadfast.

Without naming the recent rebellion of six MPs, the editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ said that even today many fake organizations are being set up inspired by commercial thinking, but Shiv Sena was never established as a business deal. The editorial said that the Shiv Sena chief never allowed the party to become a business. Therefore, from time to time, opportunists and bargain hunters were shown the way out, so that this stream of Marathi identity and Hindutva remains pure, the echo of which is still heard in the valleys of Maharashtra.

The editorial said that Shiv Sena taught Marathi society to live with self-respect. It gave people the confidence to say, “This Mumbai is ours.” The party made common people councilors and created a strong network of branches, which acted like family courts for the people. Shiv Sainiks were busy serving the people day and night to solve problems like roads, water, school admission, hospital assistance and ration cards. In case of any incident of injustice, Shiv Sainiks were the first to reach the spot.

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena alleged that efforts to destroy the pride of Maharashtra and weaken the state’s self-respect have intensified in recent years. The editorial said that since the inception of the party, people motivated by political ambitions have from time to time backstabbed it. Despite this, Shiv Sena has endured every attack and reached this stage today, because its opponents never had the courage to fight from the front. It also mentioned Balasaheb Thackeray’s statement in which he had said, “There are so many wounds on my back that now there is no room left for new wounds.”

The editorial said that Shiv Sena changed the definition of social service. Be it any local accident or bomb blast, Shiv Sainiks were always the first to reach for relief work. The party reached every household through programs like blood donation camps, education campaigns, health camps and free book-copy distribution. Working selflessly, Shiv Sena became the biggest support of laborers and workers. According to the editorial, on the basis of this public service, Shiv Sena registered its strong presence in municipal corporations, Maharashtra Assembly and Parliament. The party made common citizens MLAs, MPs and ministers and became a symbol of the pride of Maharashtra.

The editorial said that while entering its 60th year, there is a pain in the mind of the party. On one hand, a large army of dedicated workers always stood with the party, while on the other hand, some opportunists, selfish people and defectors left the party for personal gains. It was described as a symbol of the decline of morality in current politics. Just as Shiv Sena spread the message of Marathi identity in the valleys of Sahyadri, in the same way it awakened the entire Hindu society by raising the trumpet of Hindutva.

From Malanggarh to Ayodhya movement, Shiv Sena made huge sacrifices in the fight for Hindutva. The question raised was, “Have the people who claim to be the biggest supporters of Hindutva today, been able to give even a fraction of that contribution?” At the end of the editorial, it was said that just as it is said about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj that if he had not been there, the identity of Hindus would have been destroyed, Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray carried forward the same legacy and gave top priority to protecting the integrity of the country. ‘Nation First’ has been the permanent mantra of Shiv Sena. This mantra is resonating even today and will continue to resonate in the future also. Shiv Sena is immortal.