Memoir: When Smitha Thackeray called the shots in Shiv Sena…

Recently, Smitha Thackeray set the political circle of Maharashtra abuzz by appearing at Eknath Shinde’s Dashera rally on the BKC grounds. It has led to guesswork that she might begin the second inning in politics. This reminds me of an incident twenty-five years ago when she called the shots in the Shiv Sena.

The year was 1997, and I was a tenderfoot in journalism. I studied at Wilson College in the first year B.A. By that time; I had decided to pursue my career in journalism and hence took a part-time job with Shiv Sena’s Hindi mouthpiece Dopahar Ka Saamana. Being appointed as the stringer of south Mumbai, I had to file local stories about crime, civic issues, politics, etc. My remuneration was per story basis. I regularly took the BEST bus, no.105 from Pydhonie to reach Wilson College at Chowpatty. Once while the bus was passing through the Grant Road area, I noticed that there was a huge traffic jam on the road. A brief look out of the window revealed that the jam was caused by a famous garment showroom, which had parked a new hatchback on the footpath outside his store. This car was positioned there as a part of the promotional campaign. A placard was put on the windscreen, telling that the winner of a lucky draw would get the car. Customers who shopped above a particular amount were eligible to participate in the contest. The car was causing inconvenience to the pedestrians. As the pavement was blocked, all pedestrians had to walk on the road, which affected vehicular traffic. The car was to be kept on the footpath till a week when the lucky draw was to be held. I decided to do a story exposing how a garment dealer was promoting his shop at the cost of public convenience.

That afternoon, after college got over, I dashed to the showroom. I spoke to a few pedestrians who said that the parked car was causing inconvenience to them and demanded that it should be removed. Noting down their quotes, I then decided to take the version of the store owner. A journalist needs to get both sides of the story. It would be unfair to the store owner if I had published just the pedestrian’s views. When I approached the store manager with my queries, he dialled the owner on the landline and told him about me. The owner asked him to hand over the receiver to me. In a tone laced with arrogance, he asked me  -

 “Is Smitha madam aware that you are doing this story?”

“Who Smitha madam?” I asked innocently.

“Oh! Do you really work for Saamna? How come you don’t know Smitha Thackeray, madam?”

Smitha Thackeray’s name and picture appeared almost every day in newspapers. She was Bal Thackeray’s daughter-in-law and the wife of his second son, Jaidev. Although Jaidev was disinterested in politics, Smitha had political ambitions. In the late 1990s, three power centres evolved within the Shiv Sena. Apart from Uddhav and Raj, Smitha too had her loyalists in the party. Cousins Uddhav & Raj had cabins in the Saamana office, which they often visited. Although Smitha didn’t interfere with the editorial content of the newspaper, her participation in social and political events was prominently published. Her importance was no less than Uddhav & Raj.  

“I know Smitha Thackeray madam is a leader of Shiv Sena and daughter-in-law of my chief editor Balasaheb, but my boss is Sanjay Nirupam,” I replied to the store owner firmly. Bal Thackeray was editor-in-chief of the newspaper and Sanjay Nirupam acted as its executive editor.

“Okay. No need to do this story. I am in Smitha madam’s team.”

“So what? Your car is causing so much inconvenience to the public. I need your version, otherwise, the story will go one-sided.”

“That story will not go, but your job will go.”

The owner rudely disconnected the phone.

I left the showroom for the Grant Road station to catch a train for Elphinstone Road, where Saamana’s office was located. Full of rage, I penned a bitter story, mentioning that the owner was approached for his version, but he refused to comment. “This man needs to be taught a lesson,” I told myself. Apart from his refusal to give his version, the store owner’s arrogance hurt me.

I reached the first floor of Saamana’s building, where Hindi Saamana was given a room, with raging thoughts and holding the copy in my hand. Sub-editor Akhilendra Alankar (Name changed) who was in charge of stringers, looked at me and asked  -

“Is that copy of the story on Grant Road’s showroom in your hand?”

“Yes, Sir,” I was surprised.

“Tear it into as many pieces as you can and throw it there,” Alankar pointed towards the dustbin without bothering to read the story.

“… but Sir… please read it. I tried to get the version of the store owner also, but he refused.”

“This story can’t go. That’s it.”

“Sir, that man was dropping Smitha Thackeray’s name and spoke rudely to me.”

“Hmm! See, you have a very long career. I like your enthusiasm, but no arguments about this. We want you to continue working for Saamana.”

He took the copy from my hand and asked me to work on some other story.

The story wasn’t published, but the next day when my bus passed in front of the showroom, I was shocked. The “lucky draw car” wasn’t there. Traffic was moving swiftly. I was disappointed that my story was dropped, but was happy to know that it made an impact without getting published.

Smitha Thackeray was active in the Shiv Sena till 2004, but when Uddhav Thackeray officially took over the party’s mantle, many stalwarts left the party, including her. She disappeared from the political scene, only to reappear eighteen years later on Eknath Shinde’s stage.