“Day After Day, Burned by Remorse, O Lord Rama”

Uddhav Thackeray has suddenly remembered Lord Shri Ramchandra. Against the backdrop of the misappropriation of funds from the donation box at the Ayodhya temple coming to light, the ‘UBT ‘ faction has announced a campaign to recite the ‘Ram Raksha Stotra’. Well, it is certainly noteworthy that this occasion has prompted them to remember Lord Shri Ramchandra.

It is likely that the need to protect their own faction arose because the number of members defecting from their group to the Shiv Sena began to increase; there is no doubt that this is what led to them recalling Lord Shri Ramchandra.

Given Uddhav Thackeray’s temperament and style of functioning, he will simply not be able to survive in politics. He and his son are solely responsible for the sorry state his faction finds itself in today. Uddhav Thackeray will never honestly reflect on why he is unable to retain party workers, simply because such introspection is not in his nature. Since he has now developed the desire to recite the Ram Raksha Stotra, Uddhav should also take this opportunity to read and reflect upon the Ramayana.

In doing so, he will come across many incidents that bear similarities to events in his own life, and he will understand how Lord Ram behaved in those situations, and how he himself behaved. He may also realize that the need to seek the protection of Lord Shri Ram has arisen not because of his enemies, but because of his own actions. Therefore, many good wishes to Uddhavrao for his recitation of the Ram Raksha Stotra. One may reasonably hope that through this, Sanskrit words will replace words such as “namard” (coward), “kothala” (entrails), and “dagalbaz” (traitor) in his speech, and that his language too will become more refined.

So, the question arises: why did Uddhav Thackeray suddenly think of Lord Shri Ramchandra? The defection of six Lok Sabha members dealt a severe blow to the ‘UBT ‘ faction. Having already lost control of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Uddhav was disheartened and had not anticipated that Lok Sabha members would leave in such a large group. Fearing that if MPs left today, MLAs and the remaining corporators in Mumbai might follow suit tomorrow, and wondering who else but Lord Ramchandra could save him from this crisis, Uddhav, who once considered himself all-powerful, has now turned to invoking the Almighty.

Lord Ram had to relinquish the royal throne because of the insistence of his stepmother. While giving up the throne, Lord Ram did not experience even the slightest sorrow. As part of his duty, Shri Ram relinquished his rightful claim to the throne and departed calmly for fourteen years of exile. Lord Ram accepted exile without complaint in order to honor the promise made by his father. The lure of power and the throne could not stand in the way of his decision to go into exile.

Once Uddhav begins reading the Ramayana, he will surely be reminded of the circumstances of his own entry into politics. During the formative years of the Shiv Sena, a period marked by struggle, Uddhav was never by his father’s side, whereas Raj Thackeray had been actively involved in the party’s work since his youth. Raj Thackeray successfully helmed the Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena, an organization launched to expand the Shiv Sena’s reach among the youth, for many years. He was actively involved in the party’s work on the ground, participating in numerous agitations and facing police cases as a result. Thanks to his oratory skills and his rapport with party workers, Raj Thackeray was widely viewed as Balasaheb’s natural political heir. It was during this time that Uddhav suddenly became active within the Shiv Sena.

Uddhav had absolutely no appreciation for the immense toil and struggle his father had endured to build the organization, nor for the ordinary party workers he had gathered and nurtured with such deep affection. Veteran Shiv Sainiks can recount the lengths to which Uddhav went to keep Balasaheb’s natural political heir away from that position. Compare the actions of Uddhav who deftly sidelined his own maternal and paternal cousin, denying him his rightful due, with the conduct of Bharata.

Bharata himself harbored no desire for the throne; upon learning that his brother Rama had gone into exile after the throne was entrusted to him, Bharata went to meet Rama and implored him to ascend the throne. In response, Lord Rama reminded him of the vow made to their father and affirmed his commitment to upholding filial duty.

What a vast gulf exists between this episode from the Ramayana and the “modern Ramayana” unfolding at Matoshree, where a cousin was forced out of the party! The revered Balasaheb had declared that no member of his family would hold a position of power, a pledge he honored until the very end of his life. Instead of bestowing a position of power upon an ordinary Shiv Sainik, Uddhav chose to become the Chief Minister himself; furthermore, he appointed his own son as a minister. What a vast contrast there is between Lord Shri Ram, who cheerfully accepted exile to honor his father’s word, and Uddhav, who trampled upon his father’s word! If you are going to recite the Ram Raksha Stotra, then also listen to the Geet Ramayan and read both the Valmiki Ramayana and the Tulsi Ramayana. Use this as an opportunity to stay away from politics for a few days. That way, Uddhavrao’s faction might at least hold its ground for that duration. And while you are at it, after reciting the Ram Raksha Stotra, also do read Swami Samarth’s Karunashtake as well…

END OF ARTICLE