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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Shinde dilutes demand

Likely to be content with Deputy Mayor’s post in Mumbai Mumbai: In a decisive shift that redraws the power dynamics of Maharashtra’s urban politics, the standoff over the prestigious Mumbai Mayor’s post has ended with a strategic compromise. Following days of resort politics and intense backroom negotiations, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has reportedly diluted its demand for the top job in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), settling instead for the Deputy Mayor’s post. This...

Shinde dilutes demand

Likely to be content with Deputy Mayor’s post in Mumbai Mumbai: In a decisive shift that redraws the power dynamics of Maharashtra’s urban politics, the standoff over the prestigious Mumbai Mayor’s post has ended with a strategic compromise. Following days of resort politics and intense backroom negotiations, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has reportedly diluted its demand for the top job in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), settling instead for the Deputy Mayor’s post. This development, confirmed by high-ranking party insiders, follows the realization that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) effectively ceded its claims on the Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) to protect the alliance, facilitating a “Mumbai for BJP, Kalyan for Shinde” power-sharing formula. The compromise marks a complete role reversal between the BJP and the Shiv Sena. Both the political parties were in alliance with each other for over 25 years before 2017 civic polls. Back then the BJP used to get the post of Deputy Mayor while the Shiv Sena always enjoyed the mayor’s position. In 2017 a surging BJP (82 seats) had paused its aggression to support the undivided Shiv Sena (84 seats), preferring to be out of power in the Corporation to keep the saffron alliance intact. Today, the numbers dictate a different reality. In the recently concluded elections BJP emerged as the single largest party in Mumbai with 89 seats, while the Shinde faction secured 29. Although the Shinde faction acted as the “kingmaker”—pushing the alliance past the majority mark of 114—the sheer numerical gap made their claim to the mayor’s post untenable in the long run. KDMC Factor The catalyst for this truce lies 40 kilometers north of Mumbai in Kalyan-Dombivali, a region considered the impregnable fortress of Eknath Shinde and his son, MP Shrikant Shinde. While the BJP performed exceptionally well in KDMC, winning 50 seats compared to the Shinde faction’s 53, the lotter for the reservation of mayor’s post in KDMC turned the tables decisively in favor of Shiv Sena there. In the lottery, the KDMC mayor’ post went to be reserved for the Scheduled Tribe candidate. The BJP doesn’t have any such candidate among elected corporatros in KDMC. This cleared the way for Shiv Sena. Also, the Shiv Sena tied hands with the MNS in the corporation effectively weakening the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s alliance with them. Party insiders suggest that once it became clear the BJP would not pursue the KDMC Mayor’s chair—effectively acknowledging it as Shinde’s fiefdom—he agreed to scale down his demands in the capital. “We have practically no hope of installing a BJP Mayor in Kalyan-Dombivali without shattering the alliance locally,” a Mumbai BJP secretary admitted and added, “Letting the KDMC become Shinde’s home turf is the price for securing the Mumbai Mayor’s bungalow for a BJP corporator for the first time in history.” The formal elections for the Mayoral posts are scheduled for later this month. While the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA)—led by the Shiv Sena (UBT)—has vowed to field candidates, the arithmetic heavily favors the ruling alliance. For Eknath Shinde, accepting the Deputy Mayor’s post in Mumbai is a tactical retreat. It allows him to consolidate his power in the MMR belt (Thane and Kalyan) while remaining a partner in Mumbai’s governance. For the BJP, this is a crowning moment; after playing second fiddle in the BMC for decades, they are poised to finally install their own “First Citizen” of Mumbai.

Linguistic Cornerstone

Updated: Oct 22, 2024

The Union Cabinet made a notable decision by awarding classical language status to Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Pali, and Prakrit. Marathi’s elevation comes just ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections, a politically savvy gesture, while the timing of Bengali’s recognition coincides with Durga Puja, West Bengal’s biggest festival.

While this step in acknowledging the rich literary traditions that have flourished in the subcontinent is commendable, the significance of Sanskrit as the bedrock of Indian classical languages must not be overlooked, nor should it be relegated in this race to recognise regional pride. India has now officially recognized eleven classical languages, but while each of these has its own literary and cultural importance, Sanskrit remains unparalleled in its historical, intellectual and unifying influence.

The indiscriminate elevation of regional languages to ‘classical’ status risks diminishing Sanskrit’s unique role as their source. This could even fuel an anti-Sanskrit sentiment, as seen in Tamil Nadu, where promotion of regional languages has sidelined Sanskrit.

To appreciate Sanskrit’s vital place in not just India’s cultural heritage but the world’s, one must look back to the 18th century when British philologist Sir William Jones discovered the startling resemblance between Sanskrit and classical European languages like Greek and Latin. His declaration in 1786 that Sanskrit was a common root of many Indo-European languages forever altered the study of India’s antiquity.

Sanskrit has long been a vehicle of civilisational discourse, being the language in which the Vedas were composed. It is the scriptural language of Buddhism and Jainism, whose texts travelled as far as Southeast Asia and Central Asia, shaping cultures beyond India’s borders. From Panini to Kalidas, Indian litterateurs have considered Sanskrit the crown jewel of their intellectual tradition.

It is undeniable that languages like Marathi, Bengali, and Odia have their own rich histories, producing luminaries like Tukaram, Tagore, and Sarala Das. But to elevate these languages without reaffirming the primacy of Sanskrit risks losing sight of the broader legacy that binds them together. Sanskrit is the foundational language from which many of these languages borrow not only words but entire conceptual frameworks.

While the Modi government has introduced measures to integrate Sanskrit into education, these lack a comprehensive strategy to restore the language’s prominence. Political sensitivities may play a role, as Sanskrit is often, though mistakenly, viewed as a Brahminical language, entangled in caste dynamics.

At a time when India’s cultural politics are more inward-looking than ever, with an emphasis on vernacular pride, Sanskrit’s universality must be upheld. It is, after all, the thread that runs through the fabric of India’s civilisational history, connecting north and south, past and present, regional and national.

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