Feb.07 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appears to have made quite an impression during his four-hour sojourn in Mumbai on Friday as he politically challenged the Maharashtra chauvinists in their own den. For the moment at least this has put the Shiv Sena on the back foot.

They had been using vile language against Mr Gandhi and his family for asserting the broad proposition in Patna and Puducherry that all parts of India were for all Indians, and for suggesting that fringe groups were best ignored — that they merely took advantage of the freedom of expression available in a democracy to make their case in an exaggerated manner. These points are well taken. For its part, the Sena cannot afford to appear contrite and forsake its bluster if it must retain its base which has been reared on street actions intended to create a fear psychosis among Muslims and the non-Maharashtrian “outsider”, an expression reserved these days for people of Bihar and UP origin in Mumbai’s sprawling unorganised sector. Militancy of style to defend the “Marathi manoos” — who are meant to be under siege in the Sena narrative — is part of the party’s carefully cultivated persona. However, for now, the chauvinists appear duly chastened. They have even hinted that they will not disturb the screening of Shah Rukh Khan’s new film, a threat they had made earlier. Mr Khan deserves to be fully backed for the refreshingly bold stand he took against the Sena’s brand of politics when leading cine stars have capitulated in the past.While these developments are all to the good, a democracy cannot afford to be lulled into complacency in dealing with hoodlum-style politics. The Sena-types look somewhat subdued and foolish on account of the clear-cut, no-nonsense, stand taken by a famous young politician and an extremely popular film personality. Their stance reinforced the unambiguous pan-Indian positions advertised without fear of consequences by high-profile individuals such as Sachin Tendulkar and Mukesh Ambani earlier. These voices have collectively had an impact on the popular mind even among ordinary Maharashtrians. Sadly, however, the Congress-NCP coalition government in Maharashtra has not given a brilliant account of itself in dealing with the antics of the chauvinists in recent weeks and months, and upholding the rule of law, which is any government’s primary duty.On Friday, the CWC made the appropriate political points against the brand of politics that chauvinists of all stripes stand for. It was important to do so. There has been an impression abroad that the Congress counts too many ifs and buts, and tends to take shelter behind considerations of politicking, instead of standing up for the principles it stands for. The recent flip-flop in Mumbai concerning the qualifications needed to be a taxi-driver in the city do not redound to the credit of the Ashok Chavan government. In view of this, and the way the Sena was going about threatening the peace in the context of Mr Khan’s observations on the IPL and Pakistani cricketers, a nudge to the state government from the CWC to live up to its responsibility would have done no harm. As matters stand, the ruling coalition partners in Maharashtra have developed a habit of looking over their shoulders to see if they are hurting chauvinist sentiments. Needless to say, this is an entirely faulty and non-political way of going about things. A government that seeks to appease chauvinists usually ends up reaping the worst of both worlds. The message for Congress governments: stand up for what you say you are.