Raj Thackeray says Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings on questioning authority remain relevant in democracy

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday marked Mahatma Gandhirsquos birth anniversary by saying that Gandhirsquos teachings on questioning authority and standing up for onersquos conscience remain particularly relevant in the current political climateIn a post on X Thackeray criticised what he described as the increasingly ceremonial nature of tributes to national leaders arguing that remembering Gandhi should extend beyond garlanding statues and commemorating his birth and death anniversariesToday marks the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi Unfortunately our remembrance of great figures is often limited to their birth and death anniversaries garlanding their statues and taking photographs We tend to equate memorials solely with statues and posing for photoshellip pictwittercomvFudgCZfeCmdash Raj Thackeray RajThackeray October 2 2026Thackeray questions the way Gandhi is rememberedldquoToday marks the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi Unfortunately our remembrance of great figures is often limited to their birth and death anniversaries garlanding their statues and taking photographsrdquo Thackeray saidHe said public remembrance had increasingly become associated with statues and photographs rather than with the principles associated with the individuals being commemoratedldquoWe tend to equate memorials solely with statues and posing for photos with those statues has become our new form of paying tribute Be that as it mayrdquo he addedThackeray then linked Gandhirsquos teachings to contemporary political debates saying the Mahatmarsquos emphasis on questioning authority was particularly important at a time when criticism of those in power can attract strong reactionsSays questioning authority is central to Gandhirsquos teachingsldquoHowever under the current regime remembering Gandhiji is more crucial than ever He taught us to question authority something the powersthatbe do not appreciaterdquo Thackeray saidHe alleged that people who raise questions against those in power can face accusations of being ldquoantinationalrdquo and said this was contrary to the democratic space for dissentldquoThe moment questions are raised they and their army of lsquotrollsrsquo are eager to brand you an antinationalrdquo he saidThackeray also referred to protests the use of force against demonstrators and concerns surrounding the independence of constitutional institutionsldquoToday protests are viewed with suspicion force is used against demonstrators and the autonomy of constitutional bodies like the Election Commission is under question In times like these Gandhiji is needed mostrdquo he saidThackeray highlights right to dissentThe MNS chief said he believed one of Gandhirsquos most significant contributions was demonstrating that ordinary citizens could resist authority through reason and conscienceldquoWhat is the greatest gift Gandhiji gave to this nationI believe it is the common personrsquos power to say lsquonorsquo to authorityrdquo he saidThackeray argued that while governments have legal authority and control over state institutions they cannot control an individualrsquos ability to think independentlyldquoThe government possesses the law the brute force of power and the ability to alter laws to suit its convenience and the exclusive power to label individuals as criminals based on those lawsrdquo he saidHe added that Gandhi had demonstrated the limits of state power when confronted with an individualrsquos conscience and capacity for rational thoughtRaises concerns over social media and misinformationThackeray also criticised what he described as efforts to undermine independent thinking through social media and the spread of information onlineldquoYet Gandhiji demonstrated that despite all this the government cannot claim ownership over the common personrsquos capacity for rational thought or over their consciencerdquo he saidldquoIn the current era of social media and lsquoWhatsApp Universitiesrsquo there is a concerted effort to undermine this very capacity Therefore everyone must remain vigilantrdquo he addedHe further said that those in power needed to be reminded that democratic authority ultimately rests with citizensldquoThose in power need to be reminded from time to time that in a democracy the people are sovereignrdquo Thackeray saidHe also defended the role of political protests and public participation saying agitations and marches could serve as a means of communicating public concerns to governmentsldquoOne must not forget that agitations and marches organized by political parties and the public participation within them serve to make those in power aware of the situation Indeed this lies at the very heart of Gandhijirsquos teachingsrdquo he saidThackeray concluded by saying that while those in power may commemorate Gandhi through ceremonial tributes his broader principles may be less convenient for themldquoThat is why those in power need Gandhiji only for ceremonial tributes the rest of his principles do not suit their convenience Yet we must never forget that democracy always needs Gandhijirdquo he saidMNS chief Raj Thackeray ended his post by paying tribute to Gandhi on his birth anniversary