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Tension flared up in Maharashtra’s Palghar district when, after a viral video surfaced, workers of Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) tracked down a migrant auto-rickshaw driver and publicly assaulted him. In the video, the driver was seen saying that he doesn’t speak Marathi, only Hindi or Bhojpuri. Taking this statement as an insult to Marathi identity, political workers openly attacked him and beat him up severely.
The video, recorded near Virar station, clearly shows the driver refusing to speak in Marathi when approached by a local youth. In this viral video, you can see him saying, “I will speak Hindi; I will speak Bhojpuri; I don’t know Marathi.”
A few days later, in the same area, Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS workers publicly slapped the driver and surrounded him. In the video, women are also seen beating him. The driver was compelled to apologise to the young man and his sister, whom he had allegedly misbehaved with. He was also compelled to issue a public apology to the people of Maharashtra for allegedly disrespecting the state and the Marathi language.
Defending the incident, Shiv Sena (UBT) Virar city chief Uday Jadhav stated, “Anyone who disrespects the Marathi language, the state of Maharashtra, or its people will face a response in Shiv Sena’s own manner.” Similar reactions also came from the MNS side. The workers said that this action was necessary to protect Marathi identity.
Although this incident has gone viral on social media, the police have not yet registered a case. A senior police officer stated that they are verifying the authenticity of the video, but no formal complaint has been filed so far.
This incident is not limited to Palghar alone. On 1 July, in Bhayandar, MNS members slapped a food stall owner for not speaking in Marathi. The incident sparked protests from local traders, prompting MNS and other groups to organise a counter-march on July 8 in defence of ‘Marathi identity’.
The Palghar incident once again raises the question – is violence in the name of language justified? On one hand, protecting local languages and cultures is important, but on the other, beating or insulting someone over their language is against both the law and democracy. This incident has once again intensified the “Marathi versus migrant” debate in Maharashtra. Political and social reactions to this issue may increase further in the coming days.
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