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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

SS MP threatens to ‘bomb’ political opponents

Journalists staged a protest outside Balasaheb Bhavan against Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Dina Patil, condemning his alleged remarks against members of the media. Pic: Bhushan Koyande Mumbai: Mumbai North-East MP Sanjay Dina-Patil – who recently defected to the ruling ally Shiv Sena apparently went haywire on Thursday, hurling bomb threats at political opponents, spitting expletives at protestors, warning jounos of assault and warning anybody “to do whatever you can”, sparking a massive political...

SS MP threatens to ‘bomb’ political opponents

Journalists staged a protest outside Balasaheb Bhavan against Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Dina Patil, condemning his alleged remarks against members of the media. Pic: Bhushan Koyande Mumbai: Mumbai North-East MP Sanjay Dina-Patil – who recently defected to the ruling ally Shiv Sena apparently went haywire on Thursday, hurling bomb threats at political opponents, spitting expletives at protestors, warning jounos of assault and warning anybody “to do whatever you can”, sparking a massive political furore. Elected on a Shiv Sena (UBT) ticket, Dina-Patil lost his temper when he was questioned on his daughter and SS (UBT) Municipal Corporator Rajool Patil who went to meet ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray to express her allegiance despite her father’s defection to the Shiv Sena led by Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. Instead of replying, Dina-Patil, reported to be short-tempered, blew his top and reacted aggressively with abuses: “Record this on camera… I have spoken to you for 2 minutes, I respect you, you should do the same… Don’t mess with me. If you return here, I will thrash and send you back. I am saying this in front of the police, you do whatever you want.” Just a couple of days ago, Dina-Patil had threatened SS (UBT) workers protesting against him. “Anybody who tries to cross my path, I will send them to the crematorium or the hospital. We have committed five murders in the past. If you protest against me, I will throw bombs on you and enter your house to hammer you.” As these threats and unparliamentary language stoked a massive political row, SS (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut shot off a letter to Mumbai Commissioner of Police Deven Bharti, demanding that the police probe all the statements of Dina-Patil and ‘book him for murder’. On the alleged bomb threats, Raut said if Dina-Patil had acquired the explosives from some terrorist organisation, he should be arrested under the dreaded Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, dealing with terrorism, terming it as a matter of national security. Political Explosion The matter escalated into a full-fledged political brawl with Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders like Congress’ Nana Patole, Vijay Wadettiwar; SS (UBT)’s Aditya Thackeray, Sunil Raut, Sushma Andhare; Nationalist Congress Party (SP)’s Supriya Sule, Dr. Jitendra Awhad, Jayant R. Patil, and many more, attacking Dina-Patil and demanding that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis must act in the matter. Aditya challenged Dina-Patil to instantly quit as MP, recontest in the name of Shinde or PM Narendra Modi and then see the outcome. Andhare said till the MPs were with SS (UBT), they were cultured but after walking over to the Shiv Sena, they have lost all their etiquettes or fear of the laws. Faced with an embarrassing backlash, Bharatiya Janata Party’s Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Shiv Sena’s Omprakash Babarao alias Bachhu Kadu quickly tendered unconditional apologies to the media on behalf of Dina-Patil, while Minister Girish Mahajan attempted to equate the outburst with recent strong language used by Sanjay Raut, who had said that “Shinde has given birth to 6 traitors”. On Raut’s letter to the CoP, a defiant Dina-Patil declared: “Whatever I said, I did it openly. If the police feel any action is to be taken against me, I am ready to face the consequences.” He again slammed the media persons for "thrusting microphones at him”, going to the ‘other side’ (the MVA) and then returning to quiz him, prompting the TV Journalists Association and other media groups to protest and seek action against the belligerent MP. “Has the MP been provided (Y-Plus) security at public expense to threaten the media which is doing its duty or the political protesters?” asked an irate TV reporter. Dina-Patil launched a broadside against the MVA and dared those who dubbed him a ‘traitor’ to come to his constituency without any security. On the incident of five murders, he airily said: “It had happened before I was born”, but Raut retorted claiming to possess details of all those alleged killings. “I don’t need an entourage of 10 vehicles as I rule the hearts of the people. I have aligned myself with ‘real men’. Shinde Saheb has commended me for my stand,” he claimed. Fadnavis and Shinde commented briefly on the matter and later were closeted in a meeting to discuss the fallout of Dina-Patil’s utterances especially after the media launched strong protests in different parts of Mumbai.

Derivative vs. Discipline

Bengaluru recently witnessed an unusual but telling medical intervention. Doctors at National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) helped a 29-year-old young man, identified as ‘Mr. D,’ break free from what was diagnosed as stock trading addiction. According to the case report, the individual moved from modest investing to aggressive intraday and Futures and Options (F&O) trading, chasing rapid gains until financial stress, anxiety, and behavioural issues took over. To fund his addiction and chase losses, he reportedly turned to digital loan apps, eventually accumulating a staggering debt of Rs.80 lakh. This episode is not an exception. It is a sign of a deeper malaise quietly spreading across India’s capital markets.


High Spirits

Derivative trading attracts first-time investors with speed and excitement. A small margin promises control over large positions. A few successful trades create confidence. Screens flash green and red, mimicking the emotional highs of speculation, if not gambling. SEBI data shows that close to nine out of ten retail participants in the F&O segment lose money over time. Yet participation continues to rise, driven by hope, bravado, and fear of missing out (FOMO).


Over the last three decades, markets have repeatedly shown that short-term price movements are noisy and unpredictable. The Harshad Mehta episode in 1992, the dot-com collapse of 2000, the global financial crisis of 2008, and the pandemic crash of 2020 all triggered sharp falls followed by recoveries. Traders betting on direction during these phases were often wiped out. Investors who stayed invested survived and prospered.


The psychological burden of derivative trading is heavy. Losses demand recovery. Recovery demands larger risks. Overconfidence alternates with panic. Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman famously observed that people feel the pain of losses twice as strongly as the pleasure of gains. Derivatives magnify this imbalance. Many traders mistake activity for intelligence, while markets quietly penalise impatience.


Constant Companion

Technology has turned markets into a constant companion. Mobile trading apps have removed friction and restraint. Decisions are taken in seconds, often without strategy or risk control. Leverage ensures that mistakes hurt faster. When capital erodes, emotions worsen. Several Nimhans case studies highlight how trading losses spill into family life, work performance, and mental health.


Globally, the pattern is identical. Studies in the United States and South Korea show retail derivative traders consistently underperform even basic index returns. Legendary investor Warren Buffett has warned that derivatives are financial weapons of mass destruction, not because they are evil, but because they amplify human error.


In contrast, history offers clarity. Over the past 40 years, Indian equities have delivered roughly 12 to 14 percent annualised returns despite wars, scams, political shifts, and recessions. This return did not come in straight lines. It came through patience, reinvestment, and discipline.


The Safer Bet

Mutual funds convert market volatility from an enemy into an ally. Systematic Investment Plans ensure that investors buy more units when markets fall and fewer when they rise. This simple discipline reduces timing risk and emotional interference.


Consider an investor who started a monthly SIP during the turbulent early 2000s. The dot-com bust, global recession, and later crises would have tested conviction. Yet the same investor, continuing uninterrupted, would today sit on a substantial corpus. The power of compounding rewards time, not brilliance.


Fund managers often remind investors that markets correct portfolios, not patience. Market expert Ramesh Damani has repeatedly said that wealth in equities is created not by trading frequently, but by owning quality businesses and allowing time to work its magic.


Mutual funds also provide diversification, professional management, and regulatory oversight. Hybrid funds, index funds, and retirement-oriented schemes cater to different risk appetites without demanding constant decision-making. Most importantly, they protect investors from themselves.


The emotional difference is striking. Traders live with constant tension. Investors live with acceptance. One reacts to noise. The other responds to value. Over decades, this difference compounds into vastly different.


The Nimhans intervention reminds us that financial decisions are never purely numerical. They are deeply psychological. Markets will always tempt with speed and shortcuts. Yet history, data, and experience point in one direction. Sustainable wealth is built slowly, deliberately, and patiently.


Derivatives may promise excitement, but disciplined investing offers dignity. In choosing the long road, investors choose peace of mind along with prosperity. Over time, the market does not reward the restless. It rewards the resolute.


(The writer is a retired banker and author of ‘Money Does Matter.’ He can be reached at  krs1957@hotmail.com. Views personal.)


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