Four Faces: The Sena’s New Sainiks

THE FAMILYUddhav Thackeray (Executive President)The unofficial first family of Maharashtra politics, the Thackerays rose from humble beginni...

THE FAMILY
Uddhav Thackeray (Executive President)

The unofficial first family of Maharashtra politics, the Thackerays rose from humble beginnings to become one of the richest families in the state. The man whom Bal Thackeray would have lead the Sena to power watches Animal Planet and Discovery to relax. His passion for animals isn’t restricted to the idiot box: Uddhav Thackeray is also a wildlife photographer and loves tracking tigers. His taste in food, though, is downright unadventurous: He loves boiled or sauteed vegetables. An animal-lover and peacenik, he now leads a party known for its swagger, intolerance and decidedly unintellectual cadres, and faces the daunting task of moving out of his imposing father’s shadow and carving a niche for himself.

THE ACHIEVER
Narayan Rane
(Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and former chief minister)

FROM reportedly being a member of the infamous Harya-Narya gang of Chembur, Narayan Rane rose through the Sena ranks to become the party’s second chief minister after Manohar Joshi was appointed Speaker of the Lok Sabha. A politician who has never made a secret of his ambition, he is now eyeing the top job again should the Sena return to power.

After the Sena came to power in 1995, Rane took private lessons in Hindi and English, a fact he has never bothered to hide. Initially an insipid orator who turned off crowds, he has since acquired finesse and sophistication in his speech — and so impressed does he seem by his new skills that he rarely lets anyone else be heard during debate time in the House. To overcome his educational shortcomings, he took to reading voraciously, but his volatile temper continues to be a handicap. The Sena grapevine also has it that Thackeray junior’s ascension has effectively sidelined Rane.

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THE WANNABE
Dilip Ganpat Shinde Pramukh of Shakha 33

ALMOST 15 years ago, he heard Bal Thackeray deliver a speech at a Shivaji Park Dussehra rally. He recognised it as the defining moment of his life, and immediately joined the Shiv Sena. ‘‘Saheb says Maharashtra is for Maharashtrians and Hindutva for India. I believe in this. The Indian Muslims are a pampered lot,’’ says Shinde.

He dreams of rising high in the party hierarchy and serving Saheb and the nation. ‘‘If you are diligent and serve the party well, you will get your big chance. With Saheb at the helm, anything is possible in the Sena. I am waiting for my big chance.’’

In the meantime, Shinde is making sure his personal life is in order. His three-year-old son has been named Aditya after Uddhav Thackeray’s son. And photography, he admits is something he ‘‘decided to pursue because of Uddhavji.’’

THE WORKER
Sandeep Srikrishna Satardekar

A theatre director and musician, this Sainik has directed the well-known Marathi folk play Garjaa Maharashtra Maza, which he uses as a plank to promote the Sena ideology. ‘‘I look at this play as a publicity medium for the Sena. Through this play I tell people how relevant the Sena is in Maharashtra,’’ says Satardekar.

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It was Bal Thackeray’s uncompromising Hindutva stand ‘‘so relevant in these times of increasing Muslim population’’ that drew Satardekar to the Sena. And he tries to further that spirit during Ganeshotsav and Navratri, by approaching mandals to stage his play. Because his income is inconsistent at best, his two children live with his parents in Vasai. ‘‘I am a small man. I dream of making my name as an artiste, but given the competition, my dream will always be a dream,’’ says Satardekar.