Muslims had launched marches with vengeance throughout the country against the ‘Citizenship Amendment Act’ (CAA) and ‘National Register of Citizens’ (NRC). If Marches were drawn out nationwide from anger about Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir Nirman (construction at the birthplace of Ram Temple in Ayodhya), and Abrogation of Article 370, it was necessary to respond to them with countermarch. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena did that on 9 February 2020 with a Grand March.

According to the ‘Citizenship Amendment Act’ and ‘National Register of Citizens’, no one residing for over the years in India as per law will not be driven out, but at the same time, the infiltrators from Pakistan and Bangladesh will be shown no mercy while deporting them, quite aptly. Similarly, if the minorities in countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan (prominently being Hindus) are facing religious atrocities and are demanding Indian citizenship, it will be given conforming to the international law. The law prevails since 1955 and has nothing debatable in it. Therefore, in order to support the two acts we had drawn the Warning Mega March.

The civil systems in Maharashtra face tremendous stress due to loads of migrants hitting its megacities every day. Its adverse effects are seen primarily on the commodity services here like water supply, power supply, employment, the standard of living, and transportation. The epitome of this is the lifeline of the cities – the local trains. Citizens were already suffering hellfire due to tightly crowded trains, daily accidents, and an inadequate number of trains. To top it up, commuters on the foot-over-bridge at the Elphinstone Road railway station in Mumbai (renamed as ‘Prabhadevi’) got crushed in a commotion arising from a rumour and a whole 30 Mumbaikars succumbed to death in it.

The mind-numbing incident occurring on the eve of Dussehra (Hindu festival) uncovered chaos in the management garishly. Causes emerging after the incident made it obvious that the crowd management usually fails due to the tremendously surmounting stress on railway systems, as well as the unauthorised hawkers in the premises and at the entrance gates of rail stations. To hold the nonchalant management answerable, and to vent the anger of Mumbaikars, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena took a ‘Wrath March’ on 5 October 2017 to the Railway Head Quarters.

Citizens expressed their ire through this march. Raj saheb gave a warning to the Railway administration to clear all station premises off hawkers and vendors within 15 days, or else MNS will do it in its way. Even after the 15 day period, the status was still the same. Then Maharashtra Navnirman Sena undertook an action and showed all the station areas around Mumbai, Thane, Pune free of hawkers within 48 hours! Maharashtra (Navnirman Sena) warriors had accomplished what the administration could not. Citizens praised this movement wholeheartedly and expressed their pleasure on having seen the roads so clean for the first time, and the railway stations breathing fresh air.

On 11 August 2012, at the Azad Maidan ground in Mumbai, after a rally by Raza Academy, some radical Muslims started creating mayhem. They attacked the police and media representatives. In the ensuing chaos, a total of 58 police staff got seriously injured. Public property worth some tens of millions were destroyed. Above all, a rogue named Abdul Qadir damaged the ‘Amar Jawan Jyoti’ memorial. This entire radical lunacy caused a wave of anger not only in Mumbai but also throughout the country. It was necessary to vent this anger.

This juggernaut of a march gave a slapping answer to the radical Muslims. As the march reached the Azad Maidan ground, it turned into a rally. Raj saheb addressed the participants present. The march was organised to show support to the media and police force. Raj saheb explained where the rioters came from. He also proved how the reaction of unrest following the demolition of Babri Masjid or the Assam radicals’ insurgences always gets demonstrated in Mumbai in the form of riots. In addition, he showed a passport of a Bangladeshi infiltrator found in the middle of the rally and explained where the source of the threat of intrusion exactly comes from.

The rally also demanded the resignation of the Police Commissioner who acted irresponsibly throughout the riot. And Raj saheb warned the radicals that if anyone took a chance against our police brothers and sisters again, their fate lies with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.

This humongous Resentment March by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena allowed the public choler an expression. Leaders from all parties and social organisations praised the march liberally. The rising pressure of social awakening from all around resulted in the sacking of the irresponsible Police Commissioner.

Transport Service is one of the institutions and services that rose up immediately after India’s independence and that are still providing service. The transport service connecting every town and every tehsil in the state soon started playing a crucial role in the development of Maharashtra. The bus transport service (State Transport or ST) that was once compared to the Grey-hound of USA is now facing dire fate. Watching the workers in this undertaking to be performing duty in the most pitiable and sad condition, MNS President Shri. Raj Thackeray established ‘Maharashtra Navnirman Transport Workers’ Front’ in 2008, and handed over its headship to the party leader and spokesperson Shri. Avinash Abhyankar.

Studying the transport service for the first 4 years, opening dialogues with working staff, and learning about management, the ‘Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Transport Workers’ Front’ launched a state-wide march in 2012 for the rightful demands of ST’s labour class. Workers were sent notices in order to demoralise them from supporting the march, they were threatened to be fired from jobs, and the government denied permission to the march on the pretext of technical challenges. The government was employing pressure tactics on workers to prohibit the march from realizing. Overcoming all such hurdles, 40 thousand workers executed a grand march under the slogan ‘equal work, equal pay. Maharashtra discovered the strength of unity of the transport workers due to the initiative by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. The problems of transport workers became the central issue since then thanks to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.

Maharashtra faced the heat of drought between 2013 and 2018. Marathwada was especially being scorched by the dearth. During this period, an average of 4 farmers were committing suicide daily. The agronomist had become listless against this tormenting situation. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena brought out a ‘staff march’ (Danduka Morcha) for heartening farmers to fight for their just and lawful rights.

The MNS appeal to the government included demands like unconditional loan waiver for farmers, free education for their children, deployment of Swaminathan Commission recommendations, dispersal of crop insurance on the previous year’s winter harvest, Rs 50 thousand per hectare to farmers in rain-fed zones, a grant of 100 thousand for plantation owners, fodder camps in each village, announcing the entire Marathwada as drought-stricken zone, waver on power bills for agrarians, immediate allowance of cotton worm grant, urgent water tanker delivery looking at the drought condition, 50 lit water per person, immediate resumption of wages guarantee works, fair price for sugarcane, etc.

Cotton mills were once the identity of Mumbai. The textile industry had flourished due to the hard work and sweat of the local mill workers. The labour class was working with integrity, but the mill owners were touched by a different air after a period. That created conflict between mill owners and workers. The labour class declared strikes under the leadership of labour frontrunners, and the undesirable happened. Mills shut down and the worker was rendered outlandish. Their existence in Mumbai was jeopardised and their families and homes were ruined.

Today, the mill factories are replaced by high-rise malls and skyscraper buildings. But the labour class that toiled along for this industry has lost their shelter. An all-party march was drawn in Mumbai to demand a worthy home in the city. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena participated in that march with full force. Raj Saheb Thackeray himself had joined the march.