Latest news with #SanjiraDevi
News18
21-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
'Speak Marathi Or Leave': Mumbai Woman Confronted As Language War Escalates
Last Updated: A video of the altercation showed the woman, identified as Sanjira Devi, standing outside her home when a group of men blocked the passage near her house. A woman in Ghatkopar was allegedly confronted by a group of men for not speaking in Marathi, in another incident highlighting language-related tensions in the city. A video of the altercation showed the woman, identified as Sanjira Devi, standing outside her home when a group of men blocked the passage near her house. When she asked them to make way, they allegedly demanded that she speak in Marathi. She refused, which led to a verbal exchange. 'Speak in Marathi. This is Maharashtra," one of the men is heard saying in the video, pointing his finger at her. The woman responded, 'No, you talk in Hindi. Tell me, aren't you a Hindustani? Aren't you from Hindustan?" Woman confronted In Ghatkopar, Mumbai by group of people for speaking Marathi #MarathiNews #marathilanguage #MarathiHindiControversy #Hindi #hindilanguage #languagedebate #mumbai #ghatkopar #viralvideo — Manchh (@Manchh_Official) July 21, 2025 The confrontation drew a small crowd, and police were called. However, the group had dispersed by the time officers arrived at the scene. This comes amid a renewed focus on the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's (MNS) long-standing campaign promoting the use of Marathi in public spaces. In recent weeks, similar incidents have been reported in Mumbai, including an alleged assault on a shopkeeper and vandalism at the office of investor Sushil Kedia after he reportedly said he would not speak Marathi. These developments coincide with criticism from some quarters over the alleged imposition of Hindi in Maharashtra under the three-language policy of the National Education Policy (NEP). On July 5, MNS chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray held a joint rally after two decades, signalling a rare moment of unity. view comments First Published: July 21, 2025, 13:13 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
NDTV
20-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"Aren't You From Hindustan?" Woman's Retort When Told To Speak In Marathi
Mumbai: Another incident of a group of people forcing individuals to speak in Marathi has been reported from Mumbai's Ghatkopar. This time, a group of men surrounded a woman and shouted at her to speak in Marathi. A video of the incident has surfaced. The woman, identified as Sanjira Devi, was standing in front of her house when she saw that the men had blocked the way. When she asked them to give some space, they told her to speak in Marathi. She refused. Thus began the heated exchange. "Speak in Marathi. This is Maharashtra," one of the men said, raising his finger near her face. The others continued to shout at her. "No, you talk in Hindi. Tell me, aren't you a Hindustani? Aren't you from Hindustan?" she said. "Maharashtra, Maharashtra," the man replied. A crowd began to build up around them and somebody called the police. By the time they arrived, the men had left. Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has been on the forefront of the speak-in-Marathi street campaign that usually involves threatening people, especially those who have come to Maharashtra, to speak in the local language. While this has been something that MNS workers have been doing for a long time, the first attack over not speaking Marathi in recent times happened when MNS workers thrashed a shopkeeper near Mumbai for not speaking Marathi. Earlier this month, the glass door of the office of share market investor Sushil Kedia was vandalised after he declared he wouldn't speak Marathi. All these incidents also came amid allegations of the state government "imposing" Hindi language in Maharashtra under the three-language formula of the National Education Policy (NEP). MNS chief Raj Thackeray and his cousin Uddhav Thackeray held a "victory" rally on July 5 and reunited after 20 years.
