Meenatai Thackeray or Meena Thackeray (1932–1995) was the wife of Bal Thackeray, an Indian politician best known for founding the Shiv Sena, a right-wing pro-Marathi and Hindu nationalist political party, primarily active in the state of Maharashtra.
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Wiki/Biography
Meenatai Thackeray was born as Sarla Vaidya on Wednesday, 6 January 1932 (aged 63 at the time of her death), and hailed from Mumbai, Maharashtra. His zodiac sign is Capricorn. She was a housewife. Although Meena never ventured into active politics, she played an important role behind the scenes in the formation of the Shiv Sena.
Family
parents and siblings
There is not much information about his parents. His younger sister, Kunda Thackeray (alias Madhuvanti) is married to Shrikant Thackeray, brother of Bal Thackeray.
Kunda Thackeray
husband and children
On 13 June 1948, she was married to Balasaheb Thackeray.
Bal Thackeray and Meena Thackeray
Together, they had three sons, the eldest son Bindumadhav Thackeray, the middle son Jaidev Thackeray and the youngest son Uddhav Thackeray. Bindumadhav was a film producer, best known for producing the Bollywood film Agni Sakshi starring Jackie Shroff, Nana Patekar and Manisha Koirala. Bindumadhav died in a car accident on 20 April 1996. Following his father’s footsteps, Uddhav Thackeray ventured into politics and became the leader of the Shiv Sena.
Uddhav Thackeray (extreme left) with Bal Thackeray (centre) at the funeral of his elder brother Bindumadhav Thackeray.
Uddhav Thackeray with his elder brother Jaidev Thackeray (right)
religious point of view
In an interview, Bal Thackeray while talking about his wife Meena revealed that she was an extremely pious woman. They said,
My wife was so pious, so devoted, so religious. But nothing came of the result. When she went to a Ganesh Chaturthi celebration in Bombay, we forgot her emergency bottle of medicine and went to Karjat. Here the deities were tested. It was God’s duty to remind him of the emergency bottle. If not, you and your faith are lost.”
Address
Matoshree, Bandra-East, Mumbai
Death
He died of a heart attack on 6 September 1995 in Karjat, Maharashtra. After attending Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Mumbai, she forgot to take her emergency bottle of medicines with her when she went to Karjat.
legacy
- Maasaheb Meenatai Thackeray Memorial, outside Shivaji Park, Mumbai
- Minatai Thackeray Stadium in Nashik, Maharashtra
- Maasaheb Meenatai Thackeray Hospital, Nerul, Navi Mumbai
- Meenatai Thackeray Blood Bank – Siddharth Hospital, Siddharth Nagar, Prabodhan Kridabhavan Marg, Goregaon (West) Mumbai
- Meenatai Balasaheb Thackeray Banquet Hall, Mira-Bhayander, Maharashtra
- Maasaheb Minatai Thackeray Maternity Home, Sion Chunabhatti, Mumbai
facts/common sense
- She was also called Maa-saheb by Shiv Sainiks (staunch followers of Shiv Sena). , All the members of the Thackeray family including Bal Thackeray fondly called her Maa.
- Indian actress Amrita Rao played the role of Meena Thackeray in the 2019 Indian biographical film Thackeray.
Amrita Rao as Meena Thackeray in the movie Thackeray (2019)
- In the 1980s, Balasaheb and Meenatai watched a black-and-white film based on the life of Gadge Maharaj, an Indian sage-saint and social reformer. The film showed how Gadge Maharaj developed residential centers to shelter people and spent the rest of his life there. Impressed by the film, Meena Tai decided to start a similar initiative. Balasaheb agreed with the idea and in 1990 laid the foundation of Ramdham old age home near Khopoli, Maharashtra.
- She played a major role in setting up the Mahila Aghadi, the women’s wing of the Shiv Sena, formed by Bal Thackeray in 1985.
- After the death of his wife, Balasaheb became an agnostic and gave up his Rudraksha Mala given to him by Swami Gagangiri Maharaj. Remembering his wife, Balasaheb had said in an interview,
When he needed it, the medicine wasn’t there and we lost him. What is the use if the gods do not come to your aid when you need it. I have removed all the pictures of Ganesha from my house. But his picture will be there.”
See more: Anjali Tendulkar Wiki
Anjali Arora Wiki
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn