After the green signal

After the green signal

The Shiv Sena chief and his band's reaction to the Congress-NCP government'ssanction for prosecution against Bal Thackeray for his alleged role in the1992-93 riots could have been foretold. Sena musclemen have disrupted roadand rail traffic and forced closure of shops since Saturday; their supremohas issued dark warnings of "riots" in his state, "nationwiderepercussions", and even dismissal of the state government under Article356. As Thackeray and his men prepare to deploy all the disruptionisttactics in their arsenal, the state government must stay its course. It mustensure that the law of the land does finally catch up with the guilty.

Thackeray has been allowed to scorn the rule of law for far too long. TheShiv Sena's culpability in the bloody riots that convulsed Mumbai in thewake of the Babri Masjid demolition and the serial bomb blasts wasmeticulously chronicled by the Srikrishna Commission which indicted theoutfit in the severest terms for the organised attacks against minoritiesduring those days. Several cases were also registered against the Sena chiefin the aftermath. Yet, successive governments, both in the state and at theCentre, have prevaricated at best and colluded in fact to keep him off thehook. The present case under which Thackeray is to be prosecuted for hisinflammatory editorials in party mouthpiece Saamna, is the only case, infact, to have survived the erstwhile Sena-BJP government's attempts tosilence the law during its tenure in power.

The record of the Congress-led government has also been abysmally effete onthis score. Given this context, while there can be no doubt that thegovernment has ample grounds to initiate proceedings against him,speculation is already rife about the timing of the green signal. Theresurrection of the case after a gap of eight long years may be seen as adiversionary tactic for a government attempting to deflect attention fromits own non-performance on the eve of a crucial assembly session.

The move is allegedly part of former Shiv Sainik and Deputy Chief MinisterChaggan Bhujbal's private vendetta against his former mentor. There may beyet another twist to this tale. If care is not taken, the government'sgo-ahead to proceedings against Thackeray may well end up working to hispolitical advantage. It has been obvious for a long time now that anout-of-power Sena is finding it increasingly difficult to hold on to itsslipping base. It is not incidental that a sons-of-the-soil campaign hasrecently been started by the Sena in Mumbai replete with loud protestsagainst non-Marathi signboards, the hiring policies of public institutionset al.

In a desperate attempt to win back an old constituency, it appears to beharking back to its traditionally macho posturing on Maharashtrianism. Inthis scenario, it may well be that the impending prosecution of its chiefturns out to be the issue that rallies disgruntled sainiks together again;Thackeray may well emerge as the hero of this piece. The onus is on thestate government to make sure that this does not happen. For this, it mustensure that regardless of the expediency behind the decision, it is helpedalong to its logical outcome. The government's political will must not flaguntil Thackeray finally meets his comeuppance.