Over the dispute of whether the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction or Chief Minister Eknath Shinde¡¯s faction could hold rallies on Dussehra in Mumbai¡¯s Shivaji Park, the Bombay High Court ruled in favor of the Thackeray faction. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had earlier denied permission to both factions citing a probable law and order issue.
However, the dispute over which faction is the ¡°real Shiv Sena¡± is pending before the apex court.?
In June, the Shiv Sena faction helmed by Eknath Shinde staged a rebellion in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party and unseated the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Later, the former also approached the court to claim the party symbol ¨C the bow and the arrow.
While historically, Shivaji Park has been a powerful center for carrying out several political and social movements, it holds deep significance for the Shiv Sena. It witnessed one of the landmark events of Maharashtra¡¯s political history - the Samyukta Maharashtra movement, which led to the state¡¯s birth in 1960.
Going back 56 years ago, in 1966, on the occasion of Dussehra, the party¡¯s founder and chief, Late Balasaheb Thackeray, conducted his maiden political rally at the contested park in Mumbai¡¯s Dadar suburb. The rally took place after the formation of the Shiv Sena party, which happened in 1966 itself. However, the Dussehra celebration that had become a recurring event for the Shiv Sena for years to come met with a counter from Eknath Shinde and his party faction.
In 1995, in alliance with the BJP, the Bal Thackeray-headed Shiv Sena came to power in the state for the first time. During that time, the to-be Chief Minister Manohar Joshi did not take his oath at the Raj Bhavan but at a grand ceremony at Shivaji Park. Years later, in 2019, when Bal Thackeray¡¯s son Uddhav Thackeray became the state¡¯s Chief Minister, he was also sworn in at the same venue.
The Shivaji Park is also the ground that Thackeray used to elucidate the party¡¯s agenda, ranging from the topics of Marathi manoos to the Hindutva ideology. Even when Thackeray breathed his last in 2012, he was cremated on the same ground. The park is also referred to as a sacred Shiva-tirtha that houses a memorial to Bal Thackeray.
Shanta Gokhale is a noted author who has written a book that deals with the historical aspects of the park. It is titled Shivaji Park: Dadar 28: History, Places, People. As per Gokhale, in 1925, during British rule, the park was first opened to the public. It was then called ¡®Mahim Park.¡¯?
Two years later, in 1927, it was the tercentenary year of the infamous Maratha warrior king Shivaji¡¯s birth. Hence, on the demand of the people, it was renamed, Shivaji Park. Gandhian freedom fighter Avantikabai Gokhale powered people¡¯s demand to rename the park, and that¡¯s how the name came about.
Before the court ruling, both sides were in a deadlock to claim their right over the ground and the party¡¯s legacy, to hold Dussehra rallies.
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