Mr Raj Thackeray (ChangBhala Interview Mi Marathi 17-04-2009)

Raj Shrikant Thackeray (born 14 June 1968 as Swararaj Shrikant Thackeray) is and Indian politician and the founder and president of the right-wing Marathi ethnocentric regional political party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena ("Maharashtra Reformation Army") in the state of Maharashtra, India. He is the nephew of Bal Thackeray, and a cousin of Uddhav Thackeray the current Leader and Chairperson of the Shiv Sena Raj was born on 14 June 1968. His commonly-used name is a contraction of Swawaraj. His parents were Shrikant Thackeray (younger brother of Bal Thackeray) and Kunda Thackeray (younger sister of Bal Thackeray's wife Meena Thackeray). As a child he learnt the tabla, the guitar and the violin. He had a keen sense of music. He also loved drawing which later turned into a passion for drawing cartoons. He used to contribute cartoons to Marmik, the weekly magazine of his school