‘He was fiery, formidable, but funny too...’

Gorhe said an unbiased analysis of Balasaheb Thackeray's personality did not happen during his lifetime. "He would always tell party workers that actions should speak louder than words. But I feel that most of the time, he was compelled to spend more energy on explaining what he did not mean to say, rather than what he actually wanted to convey. As a result, he became more specific and straightforward. Unfortunately, very few in the country analysed or tried to analyse Balasaheb Thackeray's words by giving due consideration to his feeling and attachment to a particular cause that he commented on," she said.

"In 1998, when I started party work, I did not personally know Balasaheb Thackeray. I respected him and was curious about him. I went and frankly told him that I have started working for the party and that I do not carry any family legacy or the money and muscle power, which are the so-called prerequisites for making it big in a political party. He told me that what he valued more was my work towards social justice and my influence on women. The very fact that he felt like taking a note of my work at that point was enough to encourage me to continue the party work that I had started," said Gorhe.

Narrating yet another experience spread over a decade's association with Thackeray, Gorhe said: "Uddhav Thackeray had undertaken a tour to address issues pertaining to farmers in the state and I was accompanying him. Wherever he was scheduled to go, I would reach a little before he did. He told this to Balasaheb who then called me and asked why and how I reached before him. He would enquire about the mode of transport I took. Small incidents such as this were enough to show the keen interest he took in common party workers."

... contd.

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