Balasaheb Thackeray
You know two major issues Gen‑Zs face - one, we're apologetic, ashamed & hesitant to openly call ourselves Hindus, and two, we lack direction on how to actively fight our Dharma.
But one legend reignited Hindu pride and gave us a playbook for building a modern Hindu nation: Sri Balasaheb Thackeray.
Born in 1926 in Pune, he was profoundly influenced by his father, Prabodhankar -who championed Marathi rights and inclusivity.
That shaped his belief that India is for its inhabitants, Hindus first. He was not against each & every minority - he only hated the ones who put their religious ideology above national unity and incite violence.
He just wanted Marathi Hindus to get more career opportunities & political say in their own land, while urging immigrants to integrate into the larger system - not plainly leave.
To spread his ideas, he first began as a satirical cartoonist challenging power with his wit & satire, and then he co‑founded the newspapers Marmik, and later Saamna, to hold power accountable and mobilize Hindu and Marathi identity.
In 1966, he institutionalised his vision by launching Shiv Sena, invoking the spirit of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to fight cultural and economic marginalization.
By 1995, Shiv Sena allied with BJP to govern Maharashtra. Though Balasaheb himself never held office, he was the “remote control” - running the state from his residence Matoshree.
His 1999 arrest - under accusations by the "secular left" - only reinforced his image as a martyr fighting for his own people.
He’s the reason British-influenced “Bombay” was renamed Mumbai, rooting the city back to its indigenous identity.
Thackeray’s big genius & major contribution was creating a huge momentum of grassroots Hindu participation in all aspects of the society & economy. Culturally, too, he built on Tilak’s model to leverage festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Shiv Jayanti & Dahi Handi to unite Hindus, turning them into surge-like globally famous grand celebrations.
He also funded temple restoration, inspired tirth yatras, and believed in spiritually strengthening people to take the nation forward.
Above all, Thackeray was a charismatic speaker who spoke plainly to the frustrations of ordinary people - he was not afraid to speak up.
Yes, some may say his brute force tactics & views were extreme, but in a city that was drowning without a direction, he was the strict teacher Maharashtra & Mumbai needed - given how worse off everything is, we are sorely missing his leadership today.
His legacy? A renewed Hindu confidence, and a politics that no longer ignores Marathi Hindus. Generations after him, mainstream parties in Maharashtra and beyond cannot sideline Hindu identity or regional pride.