Bal Thakerey

 16.11.2014

Tribute to a departed leader

K. Sachithananthan

on behalf of the Tamil Hindu community of Sri Lanka

A roaring lion, a tiger on its prowl, an elephant in musk, a warrior in life, Baba Saheb Bal Thakerey leaves a legacy of Hindu renaissance. With a heavy heart and a silent prayer we, the Sri Lankan Tamil Hindus, mourn the death of this valorous leader par excellence.

His association with Tamils of Sri Lanka earnestly began with a cartoonist fellow student at College in Mumbai. Late Mr. Sivagnanasundaram, the cartoonist of Sirithiran fame in Sri Lanka studied in the same class at Mumbai with Mr. Bal Thakerey at College. Mr. Bal Thakerey helped Mr. Sivagnanasundaram to find a cartoonist job in Mumbai after leaving College. That association remained steadfastly strong for a long time, even though Mr. Sivagnanasundaram returned to Sri Lanka after a short stint at Mumbai.

However, Mr. Bal Thakerey extended his association with Mr. Sivagnanasundarm to the entire Tamil community of Sri Lanka. He always supported the Tamil Hindu community in Sri Lanka at times of its distress.

Once I had the opportunity of bringing to his notice the misery of a temple priest at the hands of a merciless policeman in Colombo. He immediately reacted by writing a strongly worded letter to the Indian Government to take up the matter with Colombo. Whenever I made distress calls to him, his voice strode high, high enough to frighten our detractors and strengthen our weakened brothers and sisters.

Whenever I went to Mumbai, Mr. Sanjay Raut, editor of the Shiva Sena daily, Samana will find time to see me. Now he is a member of Parliament and has spoken about the plight of the Hindus in Sri Lanka apart from joining in agitations and protests in Mumbai and Delhi on the issue.

Sri Lankan Tamils owe deep gratitude to this mega-leader of our times whose courage and determination in spearheading Hindu nationalistic renaissance in Maharashtra, India, and the world is without parallel. We stand in silent prayer and in renewed determination and awed commitment to continue the movement with added momentum from where he left.