The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) on the 67th Foundation Day of Maharashtra on Friday claimed that the Marathi people were being cornered by "Maharashtra-haters" and "subservient" local rulers.
As Mumbai heads into another Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation election, the contest is being read not merely as a civic poll but as a referendum on the city’s changing social contract.
Shiv Sena (UBT) alleged that the Fadnavis-Shinde government is undermining Marathi interests in Mumbai, calling recent housing announcements political and aimed at influencing civic polls.
Some fans praised her confidence and multilingual skills, saying she handled the situation like a pro. Others felt she could have simply answered in Hindi.
A shopkeeper was attacked by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers for not speaking Marathi. And this episode is not isolated as similar attacks have been reported across Maharashtra and India.
In a big and polyglossic country like India, language policy and language education are important and sensitive issues.
The recent uproar in Maharashtra over the mandatory inclusion of Hindi as a third language in state-run primary schools has revealed more than just pedagogical discontent.
Amid raging controversy over the introduction of Hindi as a compulsory language in Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English schools in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has clarified that it is wrong to say that there is an attempt to impose the language.
Reacting to Hindi’s imposition across schools in Maharashtra, Supriya Sule said that Marathi is the soul of Maharashtra, adding the move is “a conspiracy to finish our SSC board.”
Fadnavis spoke up after Thackeray-led Shiv Sena MLA Bhaskar Jadhav raised the issue in the assembly on Thursday, seeking an explanation from the government.
