‘Speak Marathi or leave’: Mumbai woman confronted, language clash caught on camera | WATCH
Mumbai: Another incident of language-related confrontation has surfaced from Ghatkopar, Mumbai, where a woman was reportedly surrounded and shouted at by a group of men demanding she speak in Marathi. A video of the incident has gone viral, sparking fresh debate over the ongoing language row in Maharashtra.
The woman, identified as Sanjira Devi, was standing near her home when she encountered a group of men blocking her path. Upon asking them to move aside, the men allegedly insisted she speak in Marathi. When she refused, an argument broke out.
“Speak in Marathi. This is Maharashtra,” one of the men is heard saying, "go away from here" in the video, raising his finger at her. Sanjira responded firmly, saying, “No, you talk in Hindi. Aren’t you from Hindustan? No, I will not speak in Marathi, you speak Hindi."
A crowd gathered at the spot, and the police were eventually called. However, by the time officers arrived, the men had already left. No formal complaint has been reported yet.
What is the Maharashtra language row about?
The incident is the latest in a string of confrontations across Maharashtra, particularly in Mumbai, over the use of local versus national languages. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), led by Raj Thackeray, has long pushed for Marathi to be prioritised in public spaces and businesses, often using intimidation tactics.
Recent weeks have seen several such incidents. These events come amid allegations that the state government is imposing Hindi under the National Education Policy’s three-language formula.
On July 5, Raj Thackeray and his cousin Uddhav Thackeray reunited politically after two decades, holding a joint “victory rally” which many see as a show of strength amid the language row.
In contrast, a recent viral video from Haryana offered a more inclusive tone. In the clip, a local man, identified as wildlife photographer Manu Sharma, is seen asking a Nashik native to speak Haryanvi as a prank, only to then comfort him with a pat and say, “This is Bharat. If not here, where will you work? This is your country too. Do as you wish.”