* Raj Thackeray takes a dig at every party in the poll fray
* The MNS Chief claims his vision for Maharashtra is 100 % feasible and possible if only people give a chance
Nagpur.
When the fire crackers stop bursting, I’ll start my fire-crackers, said Raj Thackeray. He was addressing a election campaign meeting in support of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) candidates. Some party enthusiasts had started off a huge number of fire-crackers after Raj Thackeray took over the mike to address the masses. The way the fire-crackers went on and on irked him and he asked the local leaders to extinguish them.
Raj Thackeray addressed the masses which numbered around 5000 with his inimitable style and charisma with which he holds the attention of the masses. He took a dig at almost all the political parties.
Raj started his speech by talking about the way our cities have grown in leaps and bounds without any fore-planning and discipline. Buildings keep springing up everywhere, parking is done on the road and roads are made in a haphazard manner.
Nobody is bothered about the future and about the discipline. Even the local leaders are not bothered. Raj claimed that the feeling should start from within. They should envisage about how should our state be, how should our city be, how should our region be? They should consider every aspect before constructing roads, buildings, parks, grounds, Schools and Colleges etc. The very place we live should become pleasure giving whether it is our house, our locality with parks and grounds, the schools and colleges where our children study etc.
Raj claimed that he saw an ideal place like that. It is none other than Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He said that the way the entire city was planned is exemplary. Almost every construction is well envisioned keeping the future growth in population, vehicular and other needs in mind, this in-spite of the fact that both the cities were destroyed in World War II by Atom bombs.
Raj claimed that he is an artist who studied from J J School of Arts, so he looks at everything from an artist’s point of view.
He claimed that just like India, where many politicians have purchased 10s and 20,000 acres of land for private bungalows and farms houses, America too had people who had once purchased the entire hill where the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls are situated. When the artists went there, they were prevented from entering there. So these artists painted these valleys and hills and waterfalls and presented to the people in various painting exhibitions. This created an interest in the people and news of the restrictedness of these places created unrest. The news reached Abraham Lincoln and he passed an ordinance through the parliament that such wonderful scenic places and hills are National property and every American should be able to see and enjoy the beauty.
Lacuna in our education system:
Raj claimed that none of our youth get jobs for the courses which they qualify in here. After becoming frustrated, they go abroad and provide our talents and education to foreign countries. In fact we export our talents and education. This is because our education is not job or career oriented.
Lack of encouragement for our talented sportsmen:
He said that is it impossible to start sports institutions in various districts which can identify really talented youth and provide training to them to win gold in Olympics, claimed a visibly annoyed Raj Thackeray. No, we have to play politics even there. Some friend of some minister promotes his not so talented sportsmen for Olympics. He said, look at Mary Kom, a mother a two who won gold recently. There are very talented tribal children. He added that our children have the same heart-beat rate as that of Olympics runner. So just imagine what they can do if we train them and send them to compete in Olympics.
Lack of exploration of employment opportunities
Raj claimed that the youth often demand factories in their region so that they can get jobs. Why only factories, we have forests. Why can’t we explore possibility of Tourism as an employment opportunity? He claimed that in Africa, entire country depends on the forest. We have a gateway to the jungle, why are we not using it to the optimum. He claimed that a small Union territory called Goa gets 12000 private chartered flights landing there per year. Why, only because of the way the locals provide what tourists require. They money in the process and have an employment too. He claimed that we can go to our neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh where, temples, scenic places are developed by their tourism ministry and thereby creating employment opportunities for many.
Farmer and the apathy of our leaders
Raj Thackeray while taking a dig at the present government said, when someone comes, we welcome them saying “Welcome to Orange city”. But where are the oranges, he asked. He claimed that the world over, there are more than 700 crores of people who consume orange juice instead of tea or coffee for breakfast every day. Why can’t our government put bottling or processing plants, tetra packing units, other juice making plants which can help sustain our farmers? Why can’t our government provide proper irrigation facilities to farmers?
Give “Raj a Chance”!
Raj Thackeray said that he has developed a vision statement after a lot of consultancy, study and research. If these are put into action, development of the whole Maharashtra is possible. He claimed that these are very feasible and practically implementable plans.
While explaining that with an example, Raj said that when we talk of women’s safety and security, he intends to exempt every man who has purchased or has transferred the house in the name of his wife. He opined that after marriage when she comes to the in-laws house, she needs the feeling of safety and security that no one can throw her out. That is the first step to her secure feeling. On the roads and place of work, effective policing would certainly control crimes against women.
He claimed that the state has been ravaged by all earlier governments. He pleaded the citizens of Nagpur to give one chance to him to see a definite change in all spheres of development.
While taking a dig at other political parties especially the BJP, he said that there are still posters and billboards with Modi appealing to vote for BJP candidates. Why can’t the pictures or images of the local leaders to be put up with the appeal posters. He asked if they are afraid of their tarnished image may cause the citizens not to vote for BJP. Why do they have to use the image of Modi and his charisma to win Vidhan Sabha polls.
Raj dead against outsiders coming to Maharashtra to earn a living
While explaining how outsiders come to Maharashtra and get jobs within a week of their arrival, while our youth keep hunting for jobs. He blamed the various Security Companies that have recently come up which provides jobs to outsiders just because they have gun licenses. If other states can issue Gun licenses for occupation, why can’t out state do the same he asked getting visibly angry. He said that just for the fun of it go to any police department and ask for a gun license and thousands of questions are asked deterring one form even trying. These Security companies get youth from other states and employ them as security guards across Maharashtra which includes Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur etc. He claimed that if he comes to power, he will make it a law ensuring only Maharashtrian youth only to get jobs in our state.
He went on to explain how the police department does their enrollment. He claimed that he recently saw thousands of young boys standing on the road. When asked why and what are they standing for, he was told that the boys have come from every district in Maharashtra. These boys, who were probably hungry and without any proper shelter were made to run five kilometers on Tar road. This resulted in 5 boys dying of heart attack. Raj wanted to know why can’t these recruitment be done in every district, instead of in Mumbai. All these recruitment personnel do is as ask for the height, weight, chest width etc. He took a dig at the present Home Minister R R Patil and asked if anyone took his measurements? He is such a tiny fellow moving here and there.
Blames a poor opposition party for lack of development
While blaming the poor opposition party for lack of development, he said that he taken upon himself to remove the illegal toll booths and even succeeded in doing so. He said where was the opposition then? He alleged that many big leaders of both the national political parties are business partners or have secret alliances. So in front of everybody else, they decry their works, while secretly they make pacts and agreements. He alleged that the breaking of both the alliance was done in connivance with one another.
