Have you ever heard from any of present Thackeray about their grandfather?
No, Right. Why they don't speak about him? Everyone used to be proud of their
ancestors especially if they have done great work. Isn't it?
 |
| Raj Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray, Bal Thackeray, Prabodhankar Thackeray |
A 65-year-old man was
getting married to a 12-year-old girl called Manju. A grand pandal was erected
for the rich and powerful guests. This was the time when Sarda Bill (Child
Marriage Restraint Bill) was being discussed in British India Legislature in late
1920s.
When the old man was about
to garland poor Manju, her teenager friend gate-crashed into the venue in a
manner that would eventually be known as ‘Bollywood style’! In his firm voice,
he asked to stop the wedding! When ignored, he lit a matchstick and actually
set the tent on fire!
Today, on his 127th
birth anniversary, let’s get to know 7 things about him that have impacted our
lives directly or indirectly. It would also be interesting to find out if Bal
Thackeray carried forward his legacy in the true sense.
1. Love
Marriages
At a time, when love before marriage was a social taboo, he got
dozens of youngsters married. If the shock of ‘love marriages’ was not enough
for the society, Prabodhankar ensured inter-cast marriages took place without
any opposition.
2. Dowry
& Donkeys
Through organisations like Swadhyay Ashram and Govindagraj
Mandal, Prabodhankar fought against the social evil of dowry. He
would hold protests with donkeys outside wedding venues, where dowry was
accepted. He would force the groom to return the dowry to the bride’s father.
3.
Anti-Brahminism
When Keshav was a child, he would be asked to sit in a separate
line for food at public functions. Even water would be poured into his glass
from a distance. This treatment given by Brahmins infuriated the Kayastha
child.
When he started reading, he was greatly influenced by the
writings of Mahatma Phule, who had fought against the rigid caste system.
Later, Prabodhankar not only wrote against the dominance of Brahminism, but
toured the then Bombay province holding lectures for a caste-less society.
This brought him closer to Chhatrapati Shahu of Kolhapur and Dr
Ambedkar. Since Mahatma Gandhi broke the Brahminical dominance of Tilak, he
admired Gandhi. But this admiration was limited as Prabodhankar didn’t approve
of the Mahatma’s politics.
4. Bahujan
Hindutva
Prabodhankar was a Hindutva-wadi, but his Hindutva was
diagonally opposite to that of RSS for two reasons. One, he was a “rationalist”
in a limited sense, as he opposed religious rituals by Brahmins or anyone. Two,
his followers call him the father of “Bahujan-wadi Hindutva” as it’s the
Hindutva sans Brahminical dominance.
When he wanted a Dalit to perform pooja at a Ganpati
pandal at Dadar, traditional Brahmins opposed it. So, he started public
Navratri at Dadar. Initially, it was a non-Brahmin affair, but now everyone
celebrates it across Maharashtra.
6.
Prabodhan
When he
started Prabodhan (meaning
enlightenment), “a fortnightly journal devoted to the social, religious and
moral regeneration of the Hindu society”, it became so popular that Keshav
Thackeray would be known as ‘Prabodhankar Thackeray’. He wrote over 20 books,
which included the biography of Pandita Ramabai, whose immense contribution in
the field of women’s education had gotten eclipsed following her embrace of
Christianity.
Reading
and writing were his passions. His writing was powerful and ruthless at times.
He got so impressed by India-born British writer William Makepeace Thackeray,
that he changed his spelling from ‘Thakre’ to ‘Thackeray’.
7. Master
of Many Arts
Orphaned at an early age, Keshav learnt various arts to run his
family. He painted sign boards, tried his hand on photography, made rubber
stamps and even worked as a mechanic.
He got in touch with
a theatre company and learned to sing and act. He wrote a famous play called ‘Khara
Bramhan’ (Real Brahmin) on the life of Saint Eknath. He acted in ‘Shyamchi
Aai’, the film that got first Golden Lotus award for the best film
in 1954. Interestingly, he acted as a religious preacher, the ones he fought
against throughout his life
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