Shiv Sena

From Free net encyclopedia

Template:Politics of India Image:Shiv sena symbol.gifShiv Sena or शिव सेना (meaning Army of Shiva, referring to Shivaji) is right-wing hindu nationalist, sometimes referred to as "quasi-Fascist", political party in India founded on June 19, 1966 by Bal Thackeray, who is the president of the party. It is a Hindu party, though it is strongly associated with Maratha identity. In the 13th Lok Sabha (1999-2004), it had 15 (out of 545) members. During that period, the party was part of the government coalition at the national level. Manohar Joshi, a Shivsainik, was the Speaker of Lok Sabha 2002-2004.

Shiv Sena has its employment cell Shiv Udyog Sena. Bharatiya Kamgar Sena ("Indian Worker's Army"), a labour union, is affiliated to the Shiv Sena. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena ("All India Students' Army") is the student wing of SS.

Although the party is mainly based in Maharashtra, it has in recent years started to form branches all over India. That work has however, had rather limited success. A sister party in Nepal, Nepal Shiv Sena, has also been founded.Image:Shivsenakolkata.jpg

1 Shiv Sena in Maharashtra
2 Shiv Sena in Goa
3 Accusations of criminal activities
4 See also
5 External links
6 References

[edit]

Shiv Sena in Maharashtra

Maharashtra has always been the main stronghold of the party. The party has ruled the state in coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party. The SS-BJP did however lose the 2004 state assembly election. SS is now the main opposition party in the state. The BJP-SS combine governs the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Traditionally the main strongholds of SS have been Mumbai and the Konkan coastal areas. However, in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections the result was reversed. SS made inroads in the interior parts of the state, while suffering losses in Mumbai.

[edit]

Shiv Sena in Goa

SS is active in Goa. Although its an ally of BJP in Maharashtra and on the national level, the party is opposing the BJP government in the state.

[edit]

Accusations of criminal activities

Prominent members of Shiv Sena have been accused of criminal activities such as extortion and murder, allegedly undertaken with the blessings of Bal Thackeray. According to an article in Le Monde Diplomatique (see below), Shiv Sena leaders always accept the official police version of police killings (self-defense), even if others claim otherwise. The Shiv Sena has a long history of violent protest, it is common for Shiv Sena to damage property and assault people in their protest, shivsena leaders have often threatened violent protest openly in media, often using the term "Shivsena Style", which means physical violence. Extorting money from shopkeepers and petty businessmen is their main source of finance.<ref>Shivsena style Violence[1][2][3][4][5]</ref>

In 1998, Shiv Sainiks ("soldiers of Shiv") attacked movie theatres in Bombay over Fire, a controversial film with a lesbian theme, forcing it to be withdrawn. In 1999, they vandalised a cricket pitch in Delhi to stop the Pakistani cricket team from playing there.

In Jan 2006 Shivsena party workers led by some Shahar Pramukh Sadanand Tharwal, beat the Station Master and deputy of dombivli railway station: the deputy station master was slapped twice, and the shivsena workers wanted the station master to sit on a donkey,and they blackened their faces, there were about 250 workers including 100 women.<ref>Mumbai Mirror: Shivsena assault on Railway Staff</ref>

On 8 Jan 2006 Shivsena party workers stoned Domino's Pizza and Piramyd megastore outlets on Senapati Bapat road in Pune. The activists were protesting against the shop names in English, the police said. There was no major damage, except to the name boards.The Sena activists had also threatened to attack McDonald's outlet on JM road, but the presence of the police prevented it.

On February 14, the Sir John group, headed by Vipul Patel had organised a cultural programme at the Vraj Hotel in Nallasopara. The event was held in memory of Patel’s brother who died tragically two years ago. However, when the Shiv Sena, who were attending a street play nearby, got wind of the event, they presumed it was a Valentine’s Day celebration and landed up at the hotel. They then proceeded to destroy the place and molest the women and young boys present.The Party Chief later apologised for this incident,however it is widely speculated that this event took place because of some local rivalry.

The party has been accused of collusion in pogroms aimed at Muslims in Bombay since the 1980s, and is considered by many to be little better than a Fascist organisation. Bal Thackeray most recently courted controversy by suggesting that Indian Muslims be deprived of the franchise, and denied the right to vote in local and national elections

[edit]