"Manhandling Will Not Be Tolerated": Devendra Fadnavis Amid Maharashtra Language Row
Weighing in on the language row in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said there is nothing wrong with requesting someone to speak in Marathi. However, he added that his government will not tolerate manhandling anyone in the name of language.
"It is natural that the Marathi language will be requested to be spoken in Maharashtra. This is not wrong," Mr Fadnavis told reporters in Delhi on Thursday.
"But any controversy over language, or manhandling anyone over the language, will not be tolerated. We have taken strict action when any such incident has taken place. If anyone attempts to do any such thing, we will take action," he added.
These remarks come amid heated debates in Maharashtra over the alleged "imposition" of Hindi and the chfadoice of medium of instruction in schools.
The controversy in the State began with a government resolution issued on April 16, mandating the introduction of Hindi as a third language from Classes 1 to 5. The move drew sharp criticism, with many accusing the state government of attempting to impose Hindi.
Earlier this week, Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan urged people to refrain from spreading hatred based on linguistic differences, warning that such attitudes could harm the state in the long run.
Sharing a personal experience from his time as an MP in Tamil Nadu, the Maharashtra Governor had said, "...one day I saw some people beating someone. When I asked them about the problem, they were speaking in Hindi. Then, the hotel owner told me that they don't speak Tamil, and people were beating them to speak Tamil."
He added, "If we spread this kind of hatred, then who will come and invest...? In the long run, we are only harming Maharashtra. I'm unable to understand Hindi, and that is an obstacle for me. We must learn the maximum number of languages, and we should be proud of our mother tongue."
The language row has resulted in sporadic violence in the state, including assaults on Hindi-speaking individuals by political workers.
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Hindustan Times
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Taste of Life: Issues of Marathi and Marathisation ‘alive in letter and spirit'
Language serves as a crucial link to one's past, culture, and identity. It becomes a symbol of identity when different ethnic groups compete for power and resources. For Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, the assimilation of English, Persian, and Urdu words into Marathi was a symbol of the domination of foreign powers and the defeat of Indians. (Hindustan Times Archives) Language domination is a 'symbolic domination' that enables certain social and ethnic groups to maintain control over others by establishing their cultural practices and views as the norm. It creates a hierarchy where dominant languages and forms of communication are valued more highly than others, leading to unequal access to resources and opportunities. Policies that promote a single universal language serve to protect power structures. The imposition of a single language can be identified as a form of internal colonialism that serves to support the state's ideology of a homogeneous culture. On July 18, 1937, a unique ceremony was organised at the Gokhale Smarak Mandir in Pune under the chairmanship of professor Wamanrao Kale. An educational institution cum publishing house named 'Maratha Centre' had been established in Pune in the late 1920s. It offered courses on subjects such as shorthand, typewriting, bookkeeping, and accountancy. It had also published some books on the same. A sizeable crowd had assembled that day to witness the changing of the English name of this organisation to 'Marathi Kendra' in Marathi. This was one of the first attempts to 'purify' Marathi in Maharashtra. Espousing the 'purification' of Marathi was the 'Marathikaran Mandal' that was founded barely a week ago by Prahlad Keshav Atre, the celebrated writer, educationist, and editor; and Kakasaheb Limaye, the editor of Marathi newspaper 'Dnyanaprakash'. Lakshmanrao Bhopatkar was the president of the Mandal while its members comprised dignitaries like professor SM Mate, and professor SK Kanetkar, popularly known as Poet Girish. The objective of the Mandal was to replace Urdu, Persian, and English words that had been assimilated into Marathi. Atre and Limaye, both once critics of the 'purification' of the Marathi movement, had changed their stance after spending a few days with Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. 'Bhasha Shuddhi' (purification of language) was the most vociferous and effective movement set in motion by Savarkar. He used Marathi to further the cause of nationalism and ethnic and racial identity. On June 26, 1937, Savarkar addressed a large crowd at the Minerva Theatre in Pune, where he laid down his agenda for the 'purification' of Marathi. 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The task of weeding out those from Marathi could be done from the confines of one's home, and was essential in awakening the pride of our homeland and our language, he said while addressing the inaugural meeting of the Mandal. He also invoked Shridhar Venkatesh Ketkar, who, in 1924, had famously said, 'Marathi language is dead, its corpse lies before us'. The first mission of 'Marathikaran Mandal' was to change the names of shops and establishments in Pune to Marathi. Most of them were in English, even though many of the owners could not speak or understand the language and words like 'Saloon', 'Tailors', 'Hotel', and 'Restaurant' were used out of false pride, Atre said. Language defines the socio-economic class divide. The rapidly growing educated class in Maharashtra had normalised the use of English in personal communication and public exchanges, and discourses since the late nineteenth century. English was associated with the upper and upper-middle classes. It was seen as the carrier of western, liberal values and a symbol of sophistication. The promotion of the language of the ruling class can mask underlying racist ideologies. The dominance of English perpetuated social, political, and economic inequalities. But many, like Savarkar, opposed Persian and Urdu more than English. The 'Marathikaran Mandal' did not object to the use of certain words like college, doctor, advocate, professor, and of course, barrister, as Savarkar himself used it till his very end, but wanted the words guest house, boarding house, restaurant, hotel, and teahouse changed. Atre suggested using 'Poona Atithighar' instead of 'Poona Guest House' and 'Gundi Chahaghar' instead of 'Gundi Tea House'. He was referring to the teahouse owned by Subarao Devrao Gundi that was near the Jogeshwari Temple. He also wanted 'Maharashtra Hotel' changed to 'Maharashtra Faralghar'. Much before the 'Marathikaran Mandal', Narhar Ramchandra Parasnis had started the Marathisation campaign in Pune in 1931. He wrote a couple of articles in 'Dnyanprakash' and advocated Marathi equivalents for many English words that were in daily use. He proposed 'chaha bhavan' for a teahouse. According to him, Barve Brothers' Tea House was to be renamed as 'Barve Bandhu Chaha Bhavan'. The list contained 'bhojanalaya' or 'bhojangriha' for a boarding house; 'kshudhashantigriha', 'vishrantigriha', 'upahargriha' for refreshment houses and restaurants, and 'sheetapeyagriha' for a cold-drink house. Narayanrao Gundi's 'Rajbhuvan Tea House' and Giriappa Mijar's 'Santosh Bhuvan' were famous eateries in Pune at the time. Parasnis recommended using Rajbhuvan, Santoshbhuvan or Anandvilas as common nouns for all eateries. Atre thought that owners used English names and nouns to display grandeur. 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