Team Uddhav Leader On Hindutva, Marathi Manoos, Thackeray Reunion

The Shiv Sena of the old days was very different from what a section of it is today,  Arvind Sawant, senior leader of the Shiv Sena UBT, made it clear today, offering a more nuanced perspective of contentious terms like bhumiputra (sons of the soil) or Hindutva. Speaking to NDTV at the Power Play Conclave, he said a much broader definition was upheld by no less than the party founder Balasaheb Thackeray.

"He used to say, 'I don't want a Hindu who goes to the temple and rings the bell. We want a Hindu who attacks the country and rings the bell. This is our Hindutva," he said.

"Even in terms of running the party, there was space for Muslims, Christians, Hindus, he said. 

"If you look at the elections of Shiv Sena in 1968, in 1972, in 1977, you will come to know that the supporters of Shiv Sena later became Parsiyat. They are Christians, Muslims.  Shabirbhai Sheikh was a Muslim.  He went to the district office," he said.

Even caste was not a deciding factor as in the north India. "It doesn't happen on the basis of caste. Whoever fights for his Maharashtra, for the country, when he took up the role of Hindutva, he said the same thing.  Whatever the caste, creed, religion, whoever is ready to sacrifice his life for this soil - they are ours. That is our Hindutva," he said. 

Asked about the current crop of leaders, some of whom give statements like "We will stop trains", he said, "See, we have brought the ideology from birth.  I didn't come from any party.  I was born in Shiv Sena. There was never such an ideology.  That is why Balasaheb had so many friends".

The question of "Marathi first" also received a nuanced definition.

"In sons of soil, it doesn't mean all Marathi. The people who have lived here for generations, like Marwari, Gujarati, for how many years?  More than 100 years. So, will we not call them sons of soil?  Their right comes first or the rights of others?" he said. 

Asked about the reunion of the Thackeray brothers after nearly two decades, he said the brothers had decided that Maharashtra was bigger than them. "My pride, my whatever it is, it is not bigger than Maharashtra.  Maharashtra is bigger.  My pride, my fight, it is not bigger than that," he quoted Raj Thackeray as saying.

"And on that day, Uddhav had come to Shivaji Temple.  He was asked the same question there also. He gave the same response. Nothing is bigger than Maharashtra. I have to come together for Maharashtra. I have to take a step forward".