Thackeray's outburst against Pu La Deshpande

Shirish Karmarkar

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Dec 3, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/3/96

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Close on the heels of a controversy over Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray`s
reported threat to Magsaysay Award winner Anna Hazare, another row has
erupted, with the Sena chief coming down heavily on celebrated humorist
and
playwright P L Deshpande.

Mr Deshpande, accepting the first Rs.5 lakh Maharashtra Bhushan award
instituted by the Sena-BJP Government, lashed out at the goondaism in
politics on Saturday, saying it was unfortunate political parties coming
to
power through democratic process openly advocated thokshahi
(hooliganism).

Mr Thackeray hit back at Mr Deshpande at a public function here on
Sunday
for ''first accepting 'our` award and then criticising 'us` ``. The Sena
chief said: Zak marli ani yanna paritoshik dile (it was our folly that
we
presented the award to him).

Litterateurs and Opposition leaders are enraged at the Sena chief`s
remarks
bashing the most popular literary figure yet in Maharashtra. Mr Narayan
Surve, Leftist poet and former president of the All-India Marathi
Literature
Meet, said criticism levelled by Mr Thackeray was an insult to the
entire
literary community.

History scholar Y D Phadke told Deccan Herald the Maharashtra Bhushan
award
was not paid out of Mr Thackeray`s pocket. It had neither obliged Mr
Deshpande nor was he longing for such an award.

It was for the first time a number of Marathi writers are openly
condemning
Mr Thackeray for his derogatory remarks. Local dailies have severely
criticised Mr Thackeray on the issue.

The Sena chief disowned his interview attacking Mr Hazare to a
Pune-based
daily, but his attack on Mr Deshpande was at a public function when the
chief minister and the deputy chief minister were present. The leaders
of
the Opposition in both Houses of the state legislature, Mr Madhukar
Pichad
and Mr Chhagan Bhujbal, have criticised Mr Thackeray for his statement
against Mr Deshpande.

Chief Minister Manohar Joshi was evasive when asked whether he
subscribed to
Mr Thackeray`s views on the Maharashtra Bhushan award.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Source : Deccan Herald, Bangalore, Internet Edition, Dec 4, 1996.

Abhay Patil

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Dec 4, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/4/96

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MandaLee,

Let us send letters to the editors of major dailies in Mumbai on this
issue. What purpose will it serve?- The people in power in Maharashtra
will know that their senseless utterings are heard world over. Let us
get above our ideological beliefs to condemn this incident. I am sure
that the voice of non resident Maharashtrians will have some sobering
effect.

I volunteer to send the following text to TOI, Indian Express, Ma.Taa.,
Loksatta and Saamanaa. Please send an e-mail to "ab...@tcsi.com" with
letters "Pu.La." in the subject line. I will include your e-mail address
and name in the letter. If you wish to remain anonymous (if your parents
stay near a Sena shakha), please mention it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
English Text :

We, the non resident Maharashtrians and members of internet news group
soc.culture.indian.marathi, are deeply outraged by the public statements
made by Sena Chief Mr. Bal Thackarey regarding the Maharashtra Bhushan
award to Mr. P.L Deshpande. We do believe that it is the state and the
people of Maharashtra that should feel honored that Mr. P.L. Deshpande
accepted this award. We appeal the Government of Maharashtra to
publicly disassociate itself from these remarks by Sena Chief.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Marathi Text :

Shree. Pu; La. Deshpande-nee Maharashtra BhushaN purskaar swikaartaanaa
kelelyaa bhaashaNaavarche Sena pramukh BaaL Thakare yaanche bhaashya
atyant bejabaabdaar aaNi lajjaaspad ahe. Khare tar Pu.La. nni ha
puraskaar swikaaroon Maharashtra sarkarlaa upakruta kele aahe.
Thakarenchyaa vidhaanaashee sarkaarlaa kaaheehee kartavya naahee ashee
ni:sandigdha gwaahee Mukyamantree deteel ashee aamhee aashaa karto.

- Internet newsgroup soc.culture.indian.marathi che sadasya aaNee itar
aniwaasee Marathi.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
/abhay patil

Shirish Karmarkar wrote:
>
> Close on the heels of a controversy over Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray`s
> reported threat to Magsaysay Award winner Anna Hazare, another row has
> erupted, with the Sena chief coming down heavily on celebrated humorist
> and
> playwright P L Deshpande.

sam...@aol.com

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Dec 4, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/4/96

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I think Balasaheb Thackeray needs to undergo psychiatric evaluation. I
think he is having delusions that he owns the Maharastra government, how
else can one explain his crazy behaviour of late.

Abhay Patil

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Dec 4, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/4/96

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FYI. I have received 5 responses so far. I will fax the letters on 5th
December night.

Abhay Patil

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Dec 5, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/5/96

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An update from a friend in Mumbai :

Some people have criticized Pu.La.- One is Mr. Vasant Kanetkar. No
details on what he said.

Durgabai Bhagwat faulted Pu.La. for accepting the award in the first
place.

This reminds me of the reactions when Vijay Tendulkar accepted an award
( a few lakhs of rupees) instituted by Pawar Government. In fact, he had
to step down as consulting editor of "Mahanagar" (Ed. Nikhil WagLe) as
Mahanagar's editorial policy was against the awards.

/abhay

Milind Bhandarkar

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Dec 5, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/5/96

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I dont know why Pu La felt like writing a new acceptance speech for the
award. He could just have taken any of his speeches during "ANibaaNi"
and replaced 'indira gandhi' with 'bal thackeray' and "sanjay gandhi"
with 'raj thackeray'.

-milind

--
_Milind_A._Bhandarkar________...@ks.uiuc.edu_
(W)_3117,Beckman_Institute,405,N.Mathews,Urbana,IL_61801_(217)_244_1851_
_Public_Key_could_be_found_at___http://charm.cs.uiuc.edu/~milind/key.txt

amol dighe

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Dec 5, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/5/96

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nishhedha vyakta karaNyaache barech maarga aahet \. ## award ##
naakaaruun to vyakta karaavaa kii ## award ## sviikaaratanaa chaar
koparakhaLyaa maaraavyaat haa jyaachaa tyaachaa prashna aahe \. mag
pula.nnii yaach prakaare nishhedha vyakta karaavaa ase saa.ngaNaare
aamhii koNa ?

yaa ashaa sarakaarii paaritoshhika.nnii kalaakaaraalaa mi.ndhepaN
kaa yaave ? aaNi jar pula.nnaa ase mi.ndhepaN vaaTanaar nasel tar
tyaa.nnii te sviikaaraNyaat gaira te kaay ?

patrakaaritechyaa baabatiit thoDaa vegaLaa prashna paDat asaavaa,
naahii kaa ? nakki kaay farak paDato te aattaa niiT shabdaat maa.nDataa
yet naahiya \. koNii madat karel kaay ?

Y V Gadrey

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Dec 7, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/7/96

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Abhay Patil wrote:
>
> An update from a friend in Mumbai :
>

> Some people have criticized Pu.La.- One is Mr. Vasant Kanetkar. No
> details on what he said.
>
> Durgabai Bhagwat faulted Pu.La. for accepting the award in the first
> place.
>
> This reminds me of the reactions when Vijay Tendulkar accepted an award
> ( a few lakhs of rupees) instituted by Pawar Government. In fact, he had
> to step down as consulting editor of "Mahanagar" (Ed. Nikhil WagLe) as
> Mahanagar's editorial policy was against the awards.
>

> /abhay

A few years ago, there was a similar controversy between Y. B. Chavan
and Pu. La. That time I remember Y.B. Chavan had pubicly referred to
P.L. as a "Vidushak". I was very irritated that time.

Now it is P.L. Vs. Baal Thackeray. This time I did not feel anything
strongly. It is just a rivalry of Politicians and Saahityik (I forget
what the English word for Saahityik should be). It does not have the
same severity of similar clashes elsewhere in the world (Russia/Iran
etc.). To me it is just Shaabdic Dagad-Phek.

-Gadrey