For instance, both thrive on inciting passion and making use of resentment against the government regarding jobs, education and health. Both have their own nuisance value. While the Sena has succeeded in coming to power by invoking the sons of the soil and throw out the non-Marathas slogan, the BNP is talking about stopping non-white immigration and against changing the colour of the people of Britain. Both want to thrive on anti-Islam platform. Both target the youth and both are struggling to find a political space.

In the past few days, there has been a raging controversy in England after the BBC invited the BNP chief Nick Griffin to their popular Question Time programme. The BBC came in for criticism as many were apprehensive of giving that kind of legitimacy to a party which is described as a “racist party” in the United Kingdom. The BBC argued that since the BNP got almost a million votes in the recent European Union elections and it is a national party, there was nothing wrong.

Most of us in India know about Shiv Sena and its roots in Maharashtra but what is BNP? It is often described as an “anti-immigration”, or nationalist or right wing party. It is against “racial integration.” Its influence is slowly growing.

The BNP constitution makes it clear that “The BNP stands for preservation of the national and ethnic character of the British people and is wholly opposed to any form of racial integration between British and non-European people. It is therefore committed to stemming and reversing the tide of non-white immigration.” Does it sound like the sons of the soil theory of the Shiv Sena?

The BNP is a far-right “whites only” party, formed as a splinter group from the British national Front founded by John Tyndall in 1982. The BNP's current chairman Nick Griffin, is trying to promote the party on an emotive theme of more immigrants and less jobs for the Whites. Its critics say that the only difference between the BNP and its earlier avatar is its presentation as the BNP knows that to become successful in elections it has to change its image. Did not Shiv Sena attempt some cosmetic changes whenever it was required? The BNP has gone to the extent of even opening up its membership to non-whites.

Unlike Shiv Sena, which not only ruled Maharashtra from 1995 to 2000 but was also part of the NDA at the Centre from 1998 to 2004 holding ministerial berths, the BNP has so far not got a single member in Parliament. Although the BNP received 0.7 per cent of the popular vote in the 2005 General elections, the party is yet to open an account. In the 2008 Mayoral elections in London, the BNP finished fifth. The June 4, 2009 elections brought cheers to the party as it won its first country seats (2) and also two seats to European Parliament. The three mainline parties - the Labour Party, Conservative Party and Liberal Democrat Party - have refused to do business with the BNP and are critical of its principles. The reason is simple as they do not want to annoy non-white voters.

Interestingly Nick Griffin joined the BNP in 1995 and replaced Tyndall as its chief in 1999. He may not have the kind of charisma Balasaheb Thackeray, had. But since then he has been trying to modernise its image by talking of voluntary repatriation. The BNP has also positioned itself against Islam just as Sena has done. After the 2005 London bomb blasts, the BNP became active. The statistics show that the BNP made some progress in 2006 local elections It gained about 53 seats in local councils and also came second in about 70. Getting two members to European Parliament brought more cheers to the BNP. This was why Griffin could go to the BBC

The BNP is also opposed to allowing the British Army Gurkhas the right to settlement in Britain. Griffin would like them to go back home and live on their pension. The BNP is on record that it does not consider the Jews, Hindus and Sikhs to have a threatening effect and had even worked earlier with extremist Sikh and Hindu groups opposing Islam.

The Sena is on the decline in India going by the recent Lok Sabha elections and the Assembly polls. Sena has split and the splinter group Maharashtra Nav Nirman Samithi has damaged the Sena in a big way in the recent polls. In the case of BNP, there are some in the country who think that it has some support because of the economic situation where jobs are getting scarce and the government has not been able to provide satisfaction to the jobless. The entire country does not support the BNP policies just as the entire Maharashtra does not support the Sena.

However, both will exist as long as the government is not able to meet the aspirations of the people. The other option is the emergence of far right parties which would make them look irrelevant. Either way, a small group will continue to support this kind of extreme ideas. The two parties certainly make noise but that is all they can do as it is very doubtful whether they can sustain. (IPA Service)