Bal Thackeray (1926-2012)
Nov 17, 2012
The pipe-smoking, beer-loving, self-styled Hindu hriday samrat (‘emperor of Hindu hearts’), could bring Mumbai and the entire State of Maharashtra to a standstill by a single command. Compiled by Deepalakshmi K
Related:Unprecedented crowds bid adieu to Thackeray Related:Leader who brought ethnic politics to Mumbai melting pot Related:Thackeray’s stature was unique: Manmohan Related:Vaidya, Chhattisgarh CM pay tributes to Thackeray Related:The cartoonist and the campaigner
![The Shiv Sena launched its newspaper, Saamna, in 1989. Bal Thackeray used the Saamna to voice his views on various issues. Sometimes, Thackeray's views published in Saamna kicked-off new controversies such as this. In 2002, he said Hindus should form suicide squads to "take on perpetrators of mindless violence [Islamic terrorists]."](http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/01269/saamna_editorials__1269418g.jpg)
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Slideshow
Maha Kumbh Mela, held in Allahabad every 12 years and billed as the biggest religious gathering in the world, has seen a growing number of pilgrims and visitors for a holy bath at the confluence of the three holy rivers, Sangam, where water levels are at the lowest in many years.
