In yet another anti-Bihar (north Indian) politically motivated step (can be called anti-national at a big spectrum) the MNS Chief Raj Thackeray has challenged the Bihar Chief Minister to enter Mumbai for celebrations of ‘Bihar Diwas’ on Sunday (April 15, 2012). In fact, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which has often protested the presence of people especially migrant labour belonging to North India is bitterly opposing Bihar Day or Diwas in the city. On Thursday night (April 12, 2012), Raj Thackeray urged the Congress-NCP coalition state government to arrest Nitish Kumar and also said that he would now allow the ‘Celebration’ to be held. The MNS Chief asked deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and home minister R R Patil to tell Nitish Kumar to refrain from visiting Mumbai.
Addressing an election rally for the Malegaon Municipal Corporation (MMC), Thackeray said the government can arrest him if it wanted, but he would not sit quiet and allow Maharashtra to be plundered by migrants and politicians from other states. "Wait till April 15." Thackeray said the influx of migrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are burdening amenities in Maharashtra's cities like Mumbai, Nashik, Pune and Nagpur. Referring to the Bihar Diwas, he said the anniversary of Bihar's formation was on March 22, yet it was being celebrated later on. He said the modus operandi of leaders like Nitish Kumar was to enter Maharashtra on the pretext of cultural programmes to get a political foothold and then dominate the natives.
In response to Thackeray, Nitish Kumar on Friday clarified that he would visit Mumbai anyhow to attend the ‘Bihar Diwas’ celebrations this Sunday even through the programme is severely opposed by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). "The Bihar Diwas celebration in Mumbai is a socio-cultural event, not a political function," said Nitish Kumar to media. Nitish Kumar had earlier said he was "free to travel anywhere in the country and do not need a visa to come to Mumbai".
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is a unique political party having a hardly logical agenda of throwing out North Indians from the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The democratic setup of India makes it a nation of states and union territories. Here, the every citizen has the full right to visit or even reside in any nook and corner of the country. Maharashtra is not an exception, it also falls under the democratic India. Be it a common people or state Chief Minister or any political leader, Thackeray and his party has no any right to refrain the Biharis residing in Mumbai from celebrating the Bihar Diwas. And the threat of Thackeray to stop Nitish Kumar from visiting the city is totally out of box and an anti-national activity.
If we see the picture of India at a broader spectrum, we find that the state and union territories of India are dependent on each other by some and other means. Be it official work or daily wagers, no any state or a city can sustain for a day without the involvement of professionals and labourers belonging to different parts of the country. The step of Thackeray is totally politically motivated, and somehow it is misguiding the people of Maharashtra by creating anti-national sentiments. However, unfortunately or fortunately, India’s democratic setup has made the politicians and political parties supreme. They care more for their self interest rather than the benefit of common people.
Celebrations of ‘Bihar Diwas’ is nowhere going to benefit the state of Bihar or the country, but it is only a small get-together event for people residing in the metropolitan city of Mumbai. Neither, the celebration is going to change the political scenario of Maharashtra. Thackeray should be generous enough and allow the Biharis residing in Mumbai to celebrate the day with great fervour. Threatening Nitish Kumar and Biharis from celebrating the day is not at all acceptable and it is pointing finger towards the dangerous trend of regionalism in the world’s biggest democratic country India, which is renowned worldwide for ‘Peace and Brotherhood’.
