There is a false impression gaining adherents in most parts of India that Pratibha Patil, soon to be ensconced as the president of India, is a Marathi icon in the making, and that celebrations are about to rumble through Maharashtra. This ethnic portrayal of Pratibha Patil emanates from a failure to comprehend the subtleties of multiple identities that govern local politics.

That is why most non-Marathi speaking people believe that the Shiv Sena represents and manifests the Maharashtrian ethos and identity. For the English media, in particular, the historical figure of Shivaji Maharaj symbolises the aggressive pride of Maharashtra and it is taken as a given that the Shiv Sena supremo, Balasaheb Thackeray, reflects the militant Marathi character. For some pan-Indian journalists, Sharad Pawar is yet another symbol, but more of cunning power politics than Marathi ethnicity. Within Maharashtra he has begun to get identified more with Maratha caste politics than with Marathi identity.

Yes, Pratibha Patil will be the first Maharashtrian resident of Rashtrapati Bhavan. But the streets and towns of Maharashtra are unimpressed. Even the Shiv Sena, which chose to jeopardise its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party on this issue, has not given any call for mass celebrations. The Maharashtra Congress, as usual, is in a state of deep inertia and has no inclination for spontaneous festivities. The state BJP is as hostile to Pratibha Patil as it is to Sonia Gandhi. The so-called Left parties, which once played a dominant role in Maharashtra politics, are so completely irrelevant that they too cannot generate any enthusiasm. For the people, it is a huge non-event. The capital of the state, Mumbai, is too concerned with coping with the monsoon rains and fluctuations on the stock exchange to be absorbed in the presidential election. The point is, most of Maharashtra is neither particularly proud nor negatively disposed. The mood on election day, on Thursday, was one of indifference — not cynical but not exuberant either.

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