Meenatai Thackeray

Some Lesser Known Facts About Meenatai Thackeray

• Meenatai Thackeray or Meena Thackeray ^[5]Google books-Bal Thackeray & The Rise of the Shiv Sena was the wife of well-known Indian politician Bal Thackeray, who founded the right-wing pro-Marathi and Hindu nationalist political party Shiv Sena, which is mainly active in the state of Maharashtra.

• Meena never took on active politics, but she actively aided her husband in the formation of Shiv Sena. She also worked towards the establishment of the women’s wing of the Shiv Sena The Mahila Aghadi, formed by Bal Thackeray in 1985.

• In 1990, Balasaheb and Meenatai laid the foundation of Ramadham Old Age Home near Khopoli, Maharashtra. The couple were inspired to establish the old age home after watching a black and white film based on the life of Gadge Maharaj, an Indian mendicant-saint and social reformer who developed residential centres for homeless people to take shelter and spent the rest of their lives in there.

• In an interview, while recounting Meena’s death in an interview, Bal Thackeray revealed she had forgotten to carry her emergency bottle of medicines along with her while visiting Karjat. The event led to Bal Thackeray renouncing his religious faith and turning into an agnostic after which he discarded the rudraksh malas given to him by Swami Gagangiri Maharaj and removed all pictures of Lord Ganesha from his house. He said,
  

  When she needed it, the medicine was not there and we lost her. If the gods do not come to your help when you need them, then what’s the use. I have removed all pictures of Ganesh from my house. But her picture will be there.”

• In 2019, Indian actress Amrita Rao portrayed the role of Meena Thackeray in the Bollywood biographical film ‘Thackeray.’