A battle over language and identity has been ongoing in India’s richest state, Maharashtra. The row began in April after the Maharashtra government made it compulsory for state-run primary schools to teach Hindi as a third language, apart from English and Marathi. This decision faced fierce opposition from civil society groups, language activists, and opposition leaders who accused the government of trying to impose Hindi in the state. Language is a sensitive issue in India where many states, including Maharashtra, were formed on linguistic lines after independence. Any change to the status quo can be perceived as a threat.
The issue seems to have increased societal divisions, but it has also brought together two political rivals, as Uddhav Thackeray, chief of the local opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) party, and Raj Thackeray, leader of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), set aside their political differences to protest against the alleged imposition of the Hindi language. However, there have been reports of violence against non-Marathi speakers in the state, including assaults and harassment incidents.
Experts say that the issue of the Marathi language and culture is close to people’s hearts, and the optics of the political rivals putting aside differences to “protect Marathi pride” could help their prospects in the upcoming municipal elections. Migration patterns and the aspirational value of certain languages have also contributed to the issue of language identity.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93kwqvw3jxo
