Politics of Coercion

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has struck again in Mumbai – and this time more violently than before – exposing many weaknesses in public life and civic personality. It took considerable outcry and pressure from the central government before the state police arrested the MNS chief, Raj Thackeray (only to be subsequently released on bail). By most accounts, Raj has emerged a hero of sorts from this drama.

While the claims made by the MNS are contestable and its strategies reprehensible, one should not lose sight of larger concerns that lurk hidden under the din and the drama that were covered ad nauseam by the hyperactive electronic media. The larger concerns are not just about Mumbai nor are they only about cosmopolitanism.