प्रबोधनकार.कॉम

Prabodhankar Thackeray

Living over a hundred different lives in a span of a single lifetime, spread over various professions like the limitless sky, was a single man, Prabodhan Keshav Sitaram Thackeray. Known for his indulgence and contribution to the fields of politics, socio-economic building and reformation of Maharashtra, and art, he is known as a prominent thinker, leader, writer, journalist, editor, publisher, fire brand orator, socio-religious reformer, historian, script writer, actor, teacher, photographer, and a painter. Apart from these famous attributes given to the dynamic persona of Thackeray, he is also known for his interest in music and encouragement of cottage and small-scale industries. 

Thackeray’s struggle against injustice and efforts to reform socio-religious traditions also helped vastly in shaping the 20th century Maharashtra.  He empowered the common and suppressed with his revolutionary thoughts thus helping many to stand against injustice and create a niche for themselves in the society, living a life of respect. 

His thoughts have been considered to be the beacon of a new, reformed socio-political culture of Maharashtra and has left his imprints, knowingly-unknowingly to himself and sometimes known and unknown to the people, on almost every sphere of life and social and political life in Maharashtra.  Fighting against all forms of injustice and slavery, be it to a religion, custom or a person, and reforming the religion and society, being his identity, Prabodhankar cannot be bound in the chains of isms and ideology. The man is an ideology by himself. He was a ‘Bahujanwadi’, at the same time advocating ‘Hindutva’, which again he sought to reform, thus as one may say, simplifying life and empowering the common and the suppressed.

His contribution to Maharashtra and its people has been vast, and for those amongst who have given Maharashtra its historical, cultural, social and political identity in the 20th century, his name may well be amongst the foremost. However political controversies and conspiracies against him being a ‘Thackeray’ hasn’t let his selfless vast contribution to the people come to the limelight.