Marathi Manoos

'Thackeray worked to precision to raise an army - you cannot ask questions of senior officers in the army and you have to just do and/or die. In the civilian atmosphere, encouraging them to study, educate themselves or seek more than just jobs as turners and fitters would also mean that they would use their minds to ask questions. Thackeray wanted none of that.' Bal Thackeray had campaigned for the rights of the Marathi Manoos, but what were the effects of Thackeray's legacy on his son Uddhav and his nephew Raj? While the tiger cubs have gained nationwide recognition for their political quirks, the reality is that unlike their godfather they have never been educated in economics, philosophy or the languages and they fear to hold a conversation with the English-language media. While the Shiv Sainiks remain loaders, turners and fitters at the Mazagon Docks or with Air India, left behind in their chawls for generations and occasionally lending muscle to the local dada, Mumbai grew into a city of high-rises and multinationals. In this book Sujata Anandan exposes the many sides of Bal Thackeray's true inheritance.