My dear Aditya, again the same mistake? Just last week when the interim budget session was going on, I heard a new batch of Yuva Sena functionaries was selected. And guess what? I see you have followed the same pattern, which has led to this whole downfall of the entire Shivsena in the past! Yes, it was first in the Yuvasena where the cracks of discontent had appeared which resulted in the beginning of an end which we all saw with our own eyes. You saw what happened later…When Yuvasena was hurt, disturbed, the discontentment amongst children of politicians who were once the office bearers, it was that spark which was bound to explode, and it did…So why make the same mistake again?
Who all were the part of Yuvasena then? If I am not wrong, they were the children of all senior politicians who are not with your party today, barring one or two. You were the boss and Varun Sardesai was handling the day-to-day affairs! When the likes of Shrikant Shinde’s and Sarnaiks or Kadam’s were disturbed and felt humiliated, it was a natural progression that the parents of these Yuva Sainiks couldn’t be left behind. It was like a ticking bomb; That was the beginning of cracks in your party which you failed to notice. No, never the old people were disturbed so much, even if they were, they would have continued; had the dadagiri and ‘politics’ not disturbed the next generation of these leaders. There was discontent amongst all, but they were pushing it year after year.
What had to happen, happened! But I see you haven’t changed the stance or the strategy to actually see, what went wrong and where? It is good news that you and Senior Thackeray have now kept the family’s so called advisors away from crucial decisions that take place now, as I think even you and your family have discovered what went wrong and how yet these few advisors even if they are with you, are getting their work done from the Mantralaya. I am glad such advisors are at bay!
First and foremost Aditya, understand one thing. In the current crop of next generation of politicians especially from Sena (I am including both UBT and Eknath Shinde group too) I don’t see anyone apart from you and Shrikant, having that kind of vision or maturity what a leader needs to have in the next 30 years of politics in Maharashtra. I had hopes in your alliance partner NCP’s (SP) Rohit Pawar who possesses an extra advantage than you for having grassroots understanding, but then he messed it up badly by playing caste spirited politics, which luckily you aren’t much concerned with nor do you practice it.
So, the concern that I want to share with you is yet again, you have gone ahead and chosen sons and daughters of ONLY politicians as Yuva Sena office bearers this time too. It is a very wrong decision, as again the others who are toiling day in day out for your party are yet again left in the lurch. The problem with these so-called politicians’ sons and daughters is nothing, but they are too plush for a Yuva Sainik. Why are you so influenced by Bollywood that you want to copy paste all of their concepts too? For example, nepotism. Do these ‘nepo’ kids, who are newly elected in the YuvaSena, understand politics at all? Forget, grassroot! These kids, majority of them, have studied abroad and are rich. Secondly, they have an air about themselves. Thirdly, they have not seen the headwork their parents had put in during the making of Shivsena, what they have seen are only the fruits of being a big leader their parents are today. They have seen only the dadagiri, the inflow of money and muscle power. So, these kids only have seen the brighter side. They don’t know what the rural problems are, how the party was built, how to win votes and how to build the trust, which once Late Shri Balsaheb had!. They simply use their Yuvasainiks Card to either pass a toll or for free lunches at restaurants or influence a police station in their area. Neither of them are available to the public once they pass the honeymoon stage of 1 year being in politics.
These ‘nepo kids’ don’t know what a cadre is, what sanghatana is, or what Shivsena is. It was built on the blood and sweat of aam sainik…And understand very clearly, it is that time in your life wherein you will have to not only double your efforts but travel extensively too if you have any hope of re-building your party. And at that time, you will require only grassroots players with you who are ready to take on the mighty opposition if the time comes and not the ones who will eat only salads and will need AC. Basically not only in your party, but around all political parties, these mumma and daddy kids are softer than a soft toy.
I leave it in your hands to decide the fate of YuvaSena. I know, not much will change, but in the future, an opportunity to non-nepo kids, even if it is as small as coming to Sena Bhavan daily if you can give, I am sure that same Yuvak in your party will stand by you and help you make what your grandfather; late Shri Balasaheb Thackeray was! Rest, hope all was well in Jamnagar!
– Vikrant Hemant Joshi
