Bal Thackeray

Bal Keshav Thackeray ( Marathi: बाळ केशव ठाकरे Bal Thakare Kesav [ba ː ɭ ʈ ʰ akəre ]; born January 23, 1926 in Pune, † November 17, 2012 in Mumbai) was an Indian politician. He founded in 1966 the Shiv Sena, a radical Hindu nationalist party which is active mainly in the state of Maharashtra, and led it until his death.

Life

At a young age Thackeray worked as a cartoonist for the English-language daily newspaper Free Press Journal. In 1960 he founded together with his brother, the Journal Marmik. Thackeray was Chairman of Indian party Shiv Sena, which he founded on 19 June 1966. As a Hindu nationalist, he was particularly hostile to any form of Islamic influence in the state of Maharashtra and especially in Mumbai. Thackeray was married to Mina Thackeray and had three children. He lived with his family in Mumbai. Thackeray was an avowed admirer of Adolf Hitler.