17 November 2021 marks the ninth death anniversary of Balasaheb Thackeray also known as Bal Keshav Thackeray. Balasaheb Thackeray was an Indian politician from Maharashtra who is known across the country for his contribution to politics. He was one of the most prominent political leaders who lived a long and eventful life of over 4 decades.
Bal Keshav Thackeray was born on 23 January 1926 and took his last breath on 17 November 2012. India lost an influential figure with the death of Bal Keshav Thackeray who died after suffering from cardiac arrest. His father Keshav Sitaram Thackeray was a cartoonist and journalist by profession and the same profession has played a significant role in the lifestyle and career of Balasaheb. Keshav Thackeray was also a social activist who was associated with the Samyukta Maharashtra Campaign which was a movement demanding for separate and distinct state for Marathi.
Balasaheb has worked as a cartoonist in the Free Press Journal after the completion of his education and later left the job to begin his own newspaper. He then started a weekly political cartoon series named 'Marmik' which primarily focused on the issues faced by the Marathi youth. His efforts in the development of the Marathi community was praised and respected by people referring to him as an iconoclast. After gaining popularity by his different initiative, the Marathi-speaking masses then made him a toast that came for their support.
He was the founder of the Shiv Sena political party created in 1966 as an initiative for the betterment of Marathi youth in the country. The Shiv Sena at the beginning gained success for its awareness activities focusing only on Marathi youth but later it started to broaden its ideas and aligned with the Hindutva movement. The Shiv Sena party and Balasaheb have also played a significant role over the issue of the disputed and controversial land in Ayodhya and building a Ram Mandir.
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