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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Tiger’s Expanding Shadow

Mumbai: In the unforgiving theater of the state politics, symbolism is often the precursor to a tectonic shift. By masterminding the unexpected move to field Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Sachin Ahir for the coveted post of Deputy Chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has done much more than simply poach a high-profile rival. He has sent an unequivocal message across the political spectrum: ‘Operation Tiger’ is far from over. This aggressive expansion...

Tiger’s Expanding Shadow

Mumbai: In the unforgiving theater of the state politics, symbolism is often the precursor to a tectonic shift. By masterminding the unexpected move to field Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Sachin Ahir for the coveted post of Deputy Chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has done much more than simply poach a high-profile rival. He has sent an unequivocal message across the political spectrum: ‘Operation Tiger’ is far from over. This aggressive expansion drive, initially aimed at consolidating Members of Parliament, is now systematically drilling down to legislators, municipal corporators, and the very grassroots foundation of the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction. However, while this tactical victory further decimates the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the collateral anxiety it has generated is being felt most acutely not within the UBT camp, but deep within the ranks of Shinde’s own senior ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party. To understand the gravity of Shinde’s relentless political expansion, one must trace the genesis of his rebellion back to the very same upper house. It was the fateful MLC elections of 2022 where the then-ruling MVA suffered a humiliating defeat, losing a crucial seat to the opposition BJP. The blame for this cross-voting debacle was squarely placed on Eknath Shinde by the Uddhav Thackeray coterie. That slight became the catalyst for the most spectacular political coup in the state’s recent history. A deeply hurt Shinde broke ranks, splintered the Shiv Sena, and ultimately brought the MVA government under Uddhav Thackeray crashing down. The BJP, still smarting from Thackeray’s 2019 decision to abandon their pre-poll alliance in favor of the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party, not only fanned the flames of Shinde’s rebellion but actively bankrolled his ascent. In a move that stunned political pundits across the country, the BJP installed Shinde as the Chief Minister—an investment they believed would permanently relegate the Shiv Sena to a subservient, manageable role. Political Emancipation For the ordinary BJP worker on the ground, the splintering of the Shiv Sena felt like a long-awaited political emancipation. For decades, the BJP grassroots had harbored a deep-seated grievance of being forced to play second fiddle to a domineering regional partner. The vertical split engineered by Shinde relieved that historical pressure. This newfound dominance was brilliantly cemented in the 2024 state assembly elections, where the BJP delivered a spectacular standalone performance, sending a record-breaking 132 legislators to the lower house. For the first time in the truest sense, the common BJP party worker tasted the unadulterated fruits of absolute political hegemony. They were the undisputed big brothers of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, dictating terms and driving the state’s overarching political narrative. But Shinde’s surprise gambit with Sachin Ahir has violently disrupted this comfortable status quo. It confirms that he is not content merely surviving as a BJP-propped proxy. Under his astute leadership, his faction of the Shiv Sena has steadily mutated into a formidable political machine in its own right. By persistently absorbing the residual strength of the UBT faction, Shinde is systematically rebuilding the undivided Shiv Sena’s original architecture, just with a different captain at the helm. Operation Tiger is clearly no longer just about numerical survival; it is a meticulously planned project for absolute resurrection. Palpable Sense This relentless consolidation has triggered a palpable sense of dread among the BJP foot soldiers. The murmurs on the ground are increasingly anxious, painting a picture of an alliance marked by silent internal friction. If Shinde continues to successfully woo the remaining legislators, corporators, and shakha pramukhs from the Thackeray camp, his Sena could very well regain the organizational muscle and street-level dominance of the undivided era. The BJP leadership’s short-term strategy to use Shinde to annihilate the Thackerays might inadvertently breed a political behemoth they can no longer control. For the seasoned BJP cadre, the impending power dynamics within the Mahayuti combine look increasingly precarious. The immediate goal of keeping the MVA out of power is being achieved, but they are now questioning at what cost to the BJP’s own regional supremacy. As Eknath Shinde’s political stature grows by the day, the fundamental question haunting the local BJP karyakarta is no longer about today’s legislative arithmetic. It is an existential apprehension looking toward the future: If Shinde succeeds in wholly appropriating the legacy, cadre, and strength of the original Shiv Sena, the BJP may find itself right back where it started by the 2029 elections—forced, once again, to play the reluctant junior partner in its own political backyard.

Warriors of Night

Updated: Oct 22, 2024

We name our daughters Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati; we worship the divine feminine power in the temples but oppress, repress and even attack the feminine power amidst us. That is the irony in the way India sees its women.

After the safety of the daylight fades, women are seen as easy prey by the predators of the night.

We mark the nine nights of Navratri, the festival of the goddess, by celebrating the dedication and valour of nine real-life women who brave the challenges of the night to pursue their dreams.


Part - 4


Never felt unsafe

The singer says there has been a generational change over the last two decades

Never felt unsafe

Work has no timings for Aisha Sayed. Sometimes, she begins her studio recording at 12 AM and finishes by 5 AM; at other times, concerts and live shows start at 9 AM and she’s done by midnight. In her field of work as a performer and singer, Sayed is used to not getting a night’s sleep and often returning home when most of the city is set to wake up. “I have been travelling at night but I have never, ever, felt unsafe in Mumbai,” says the singer-performer who began her career at the age of 13 years. Her father spotted her talent for music and took her to meet a sound engineer who was their neighbour in Bandra. The family helped her get opportunities and from there, her career began.

Being among the top contenders in Indian Idol, season 3, in 2007 catapulted her to fame and it opened up a world of new performance opportunities across the country. “I was just 20 years then and I was travelling the world, performing at the most lavish weddings, staying at the most luxurious hotels and performing at big corporate gigs,” she says. Safety, while on work, is has never been an issue for her for the organizers arrange a security detail for the performers. “They escort us until we reach the room. And since we travel with our team in a big group, there is always safety in numbers,” says Sayed, who sings in 10 languages. Her peers have faced instances of audience members being rowdy. “Once in Delhi, a group of drunk men followed my colleague to her room and kept banging on her door late into the night. But I have been fortunate,” she says.

Work assignments have taken to varied places, from the most luxurious international destinations to far-off venues in the hinterland of India where she’s travelled through dark, dense forested areas. “I have driven through areas where the only light is that of your car’s headlights. Turn around and you see pitch darkness,” says Sayed. She’s always got a little prayer on her lips when travelling through these remote areas for miles together. She recalls a show in Chattisgarh where she had to travel for nine hours at a stretch through remote and forested areas. “No place in our country is as safe as Mumbai,” she stresses. She would know, considering her extensive travels. She advises women to travel in groups while in places that are unfamiliar or unknown and never to venture out at night alone. “Keep your family informed of your whereabouts,” she says.

While her agreements state that proper security at all times, Sayed says that she drives her own car if she’s out at night for parties or personal work but insists that the people of Mumbai are largely helpful and cooperative. A rickshaw driver who once drove to home in the wee hours of the night, after a recording, waited at her gate until the watchman let her in. Friends and colleagues have dropped her home several times.

Mumbai, she feels, has changed—and it’s for the better, in the past two decades. “Earlier, on buses and trains, men would use the crowd as an excuse to touch women inappropriately. That has gone down. There is a generational change that I see,” says Sayed. She used to take the BEST buses and trains to her training classes and for recordings in the early days of her career.

Her timings are inconsistent and her shows take her to various cities and towns. But the Mumbai-bred girl emphasizes that her city is very safe for women, despite the various incidents of violence. “Mumbai is the only place where a woman can wear what she wants, wear bright red lipstick, leave her hair open and look glamorous and still be safe.”

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