As the language politics in Maharashtra heats up, an old video of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray has gone viral, reigniting debate over linguistic identity and Hindutva. In the resurfaced clip, Thackeray is seen declaring, “I may be Marathi in Maharashtra but I am Hindu in Bharat,” underscoring his long-held belief that one must “embrace Hindutva over linguistic identities”.
The video began circulating on X (formerly Twitter) late Saturday, just hours after Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray — estranged for over two decades — came together at a rally in Mumbai. The rare show of unity was aimed at celebrating what they called a victory in forcing the Maharashtra government to withdraw a controversial move making Hindi the default language for Classes I to V.
The timing of the viral video has added fuel to the already raging controversy around the state’s education policy and what many see as the ‘imposition’ of Hindi.
Thackeray Cousins Unite Against Hindi ‘Imposition’
Uddhav, still vying to position himself as the rightful heir to his father’s ideological legacy, told supporters that both he and Raj would “not let the BJP impose Hindi on the people,” calling for unity across the Marathi-speaking population.
aj Thackeray, meanwhile, issued a more direct warning: “Try to touch Maharashtra and see what happens.” He further alleged that the Union government’s three-language formula under the National Education Policy was “a precursor to the plan of separating Mumbai from Maharashtra.”
Tensions first erupted in April when the state mandated Hindi in primary school curricula. A revised version of the order came in June, setting Hindi as the default third language unless 20 students opted out—a threshold experts called unrealistic. Pro-Marathi protests persisted.
MNS Workers Attack Non-Marathi Speakers
The situation also took a violent turn. Members of Raj’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena reportedly attacked individuals in Mumbai and Pune for not speaking Marathi, while a video from an Uddhav Thackeray MP’s office showed store staff being assaulted. Despite outrage, the accused were briefly questioned and released on bail.
Caught between Delhi’s push for Hindi and growing Marathi assertiveness ahead of elections, the Maharashtra government is in a tight spot. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has condemned the violence, calling for legal action against MNS workers, but also emphasised that “the Marathi language should be respected in the state”.
Published by Pranav Shailesh Lade
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