The Shiv Sena, led by Uddhav Thackeray and represented by the likes of Sanjay Raut, has, since November last year, heavily compromised on its core ideology, to the extent that the erstwhile Hindutva party is now not more than a secular parrot for the Congress and the NCP. One would have expected the Shiv Sena to stand with the nation, and with the Modi government at a time when there is an imminent Chinese threat hovering over us, however, the Shiv Sena is now beyond redemption.
In its mouthpiece Saamana, Shiv Sena has made an outrageous claim, accusing PM Modi of doing Donald Trump’s bidding, which has resulted in the border clash with China. Further, in absolute contestation of actual facts, the propaganda piece went on to opine that most of the countries were standing with China. It also said that India would lose the US’ support as soon as Donald Trump loses the elections in November, in what comes as the Shiv Sena now wearing the hat of American psephology. A major reason behind China’s increased aggression is PM Modi’s seemingly warm relations with US President Donald Trump, Sena argued. Events like Namaste Trump only solidified such perceptions, the backstabbing party suggested.
Earlier, the Shiv Sena had said that while India was capable of only threatening Pakistan, it was unable to give a befitting reply to China. Sena said that in 1962, the Army lacked equipment but “today, they have everything but still the Chinese killed our soldiers brutally. India was insulted in 1962 and we still blame Nehru for that but it looks like our Defence and Foreign policies have not learned anything from it and we are doing the same mistake.”
As a matter of fact, ever since the Shiv Sena has joined the hippie club of secular parties and formed the government using their support, a marked departure from nationalism has been witnessed. However, if its latest propaganda pieces published in Saamana are anything to go by, it is more than evident that the party has shifted from an ideology of national and Hindutva to secularism, and is now sprinting towards anti-nationalism at a menacing pace. In January this year, the party had questioned the effect of surgical strikes, and said that there was no marked difference in Pakistan’s behaviour, and that the terrorists had not been demoralized.
A party, which until only recently was considered a highly nationalistic party, is today suggesting that India is isolated in the world, and that all countries are rallying behind China. What motivations drive such inane opinions to be published in its mouthpiece is something which must be looked into. The Shiv Sena, for all its attempt to woo secular parties, should not be allowed to transform into a seditious anti-national party.
