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Hindustan Times
14-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Woman schools 'language warrior' threatening her to speak in Marathi: 'Mera zabaan, meri marzi'
Incidents of heated arguments over people not knowing the regional language have been cropping up at several places across the country. A similar incident took place in a city in Maharashtra where a woman was threatened by a man to speak in Marathi instead of Hindi. (Also Read | Mumbai couple harasses pizza delivery man for not speaking Marathi. Video sparks outrage) A video of the incident was shared on X (formerly Twitter). The clip began with a man recording a video of a woman who said, "Kya bolun (what should I say)?" The man repeatedly threatened her to speak in Marathi. She kept on saying, "Nahi aata hai mujhe Marathi. Bhasha hai woh (I don't know how to speak Marathi. It's a language)." The man next asked her how she was staying in Maharashtra without knowing the language. The shocked woman replied several times, "Meri marzi se rehti hoon. Mera khud ka ghar hai (I stay as per my wish. I've my own house here)." Next, he asked where her village is. To this she replied, "Mera gaon kahi ka bhi rahe (Let wherever my village be)." The person again told her, "Marathi mein baat karne ka (You have to speak in Marathi)." The woman screamed at him, "Nahi karungi. Kya karloge? Main koi bhi bhasha se baat karun, mera zabaan meri marzi (I won't speak. What will you do? I'll speak whatever language I want, my mouth my wish)." The caption read, "Kalesh (Fight) b/w a Marathi guy and lady over not speaking Marathi in Maharashtra." Reacting to the post, a person wrote, "Language is important, but you can't harass like this. Both of them should be polite!" A comment read, "If we continue down this path of linguistic intolerance, we risk creating invisible borders within our own country. And honestly, do we really need more division in a country that already struggles with religious, caste, and political divides? Words should unite, not divide." "Brave woman," said another person. A tweet read, "If you come across any language warriors, just say 'Okay, I'll learn soon,' and walk away. No need to waste your energy." "There is no law mandating anyone to speak a specific language in India anywhere. In fact, Article 351 instructs the Union to advance and enhance Hindi as a cultural medium and way to allow more regions to mingle. This is so weird and awkward," tweeted a person. "Great Indians, great! I can bet if the East India Company came to India again, it could rule for 1000s of years here! Just "Divide and Rule" again! From the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, whose love and respect for his mother is known worldwide! Where is the respect now?" asked an X user. "@MumbaiPolice @DGPMaharashtra, please take action against this guy for forcing someone to speak in Marathi. This is India, and we can live anywhere," wrote a person. "There's no such thing as a native language in any place. It keeps changing with time. Before Marathi was spoken, there were many dialects among the tribal people there. Marathi might not be the original language of that region," shared an X user. This video has emerged amid another similar incident where a pizza delivery person was harassed by a couple for not speaking in Marathi. As per an NDTV report, the incident took place at the Sai Radhe building in Mumbai's Bhandup on Monday.
Indian Express
14-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Pizza delivery agent alleges harassment by Mumbai couple for not speaking Marathi, video sparks outrage: ‘Shame'
A video circulating widely on social media has sparked outrage, showing a couple in Mumbai allegedly harassing a pizza delivery agent for not speaking Marathi. The incident reportedly occurred on Monday in a city suburb, and has reignited debates over regional language imposition. According to an NDTV report, the delivery agent, Rohit Lavare, had arrived to deliver a pizza when the couple began pressuring him to speak in Marathi. Despite Lavare's repeated attempts to explain that he did not speak the language, the couple insisted. However, they threatened no payment if Lavare did not converse in Marathi. 'Zabardasti hai Marathi bolne ka? Par kyun?' (You can't force me to speak Marathi. But why?) Lavare is heard asking in the video. To this, the woman responds, 'Hai yahan pe aise hi hai' (That's how it is here), prompting Lavare to challenge her, asking: 'Kaun bola aise hi hai?' (Who says this?) Frustrated, Lavare is later heard saying, 'Nahi aata toh phir nahi order karne ka na. Nahi dena hai na paisa, haan theek hai, theek hai' (If this was your condition, then you shouldn't have ordered. You don't want to pay? Fine, fine). The altercation escalated when the couple reportedly claimed the food was spoiled and refused to pay. At one point, the woman is also seen asserting that the delivery agent could not film them, while she had the right to record him. In the end, Lavare had to leave without receiving payment for the delivery The video quickly gained traction, triggering outrage over the imposition of regional languages. 'I'm a marathi and I'm ashamed to see such people,' a user wrote. 'Well said! This is the biggest weakness of India. So many are obsessed with denigrating and undermining other Indians. You cannot be patriotic unless you are respectful of other citizens of the country,' another user commented. 'I am from Maharashtra and I am proud of our state language Marathi. But this is not correct at all,' a third user reacted. 'Shame,' a fourth user chimed in.
