'Sena has signed an MoU with you for our Mumbai dreams'

The first sign of Make In India's success, Uddhav Thackeray felt, would emerge when Maharashtra halted the outflow of Mumbaikars to foreign countries, by building schools, colleges and universities of repute.
Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com reports.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, who are often at each other's political throats, patted each other on the back on Monday evening as they agreed that Make In India can happen only if Make In Maharashtra and Make In Mumbai succeeds.

Thackeray, who delivered his speech in Marathi to an audience of mostly Shiv Sena cadres, state government officials, Mumbaikars and others who attended the Make In India seminar in this order of their numerical strength, credited Fadnavis for the successful organisation of the Make In India Week.

The Maharashtra chief minister, in his speech earlier in the day at the Make In Mumbai programme, profusely praised the Shiv Sena-dominated BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation and city Mayor Snehal Ambekar for their contributions in helping make Mumbai a city of everybody's dreams.

Fadnavis singularly praised his Industries minister Subhash Desai for providing leadership to the state's industries and putting up an exemplary show by ratcheting up investment proposals worth Rs 6.11 lakh crore in the first two days of the Make In India Week.

Both Thackeray and Fadnavis were seen having convivial conversations, keeping aside their political differences, that many observers feel will manifest itself as the countdown to next year's election for the richest municipal corporation in India draws close.

"Whatever good plans you have in mind for the development of Maharashtra and Mumbai you will find that I and my Shiv Sainiks will stand shoulder to shoulder with you in your efforts," Thackeray told Fadnavis at the end of his 15-minute speech.

Thackeray said he felt claustrophobic inside the hall "as politicians like us (pointing towards Fadnavis) prefer engaging with people out in the open."

In the very next sentence, he remarked, "I am a simple man who likes to mingle with the masses. Thank god I am not wearing suits like these (again pointing towards Fadnavis and other dignitaries including the Shiv Sena's Subhash Desai, the state industries minister) or else I would have never been able to deliver this speech."

He made it a point to espouse the cause of the Marathi manoos amid the din and hype of an event where Maharashtra signed MoUs that will create 1.7 million new jobs in the state.

The Sena chief warned the state government that Make In India would be of no use if the state failed to meet the aspirations of its young citizens who, he said, were migrating out of Maharashtra for higher studies and job opportunities.

The first sign of Make In India's success, Thackeray felt, would emerge the day Maharashtra halted this outflow to foreign countries by building schools, colleges and universities of repute and set standards so high that international students came to India to study.

Putting the BJP-Shiv Sena government on notice, the Sena chief, who dreams of beautifying and developing Mumbai's eastern waterfront, said, "just like you have signed investment MoUs with investors, the Shiv Sena has signed an MoU with you to make my dreams about Mumbai come true."