Mumbai: An old video of Bal Thackeray, the late founder of Shiv Sena, has resurfaced, where he asserts, "I may be Marathi in Maharashtra but I am Hindu in Hindustan." This clip gained attention during ongoing tensions between his successors, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, and the ruling Mahayuti alliance, led by the BJP, over the primacy of the Marathi language versus the 'imposition' of Hindi. In the video, Bal Thackeray, adorned with a saffron shawl, emphasizes the need to prioritize Hindutva over linguistic identities.
The timing of the video’s reposting coincided with Uddhav and Raj holding a 'victory rally' in Mumbai, celebrating the rollback of state orders that mandated Hindi as the default language for primary school students. Uddhav, seeking to assert his father's legacy amid a split faction led by Eknath Shinde, vowed to oppose the BJP's imposition of Hindi and called for unity among the Marathi populace.
Raj Thackeray, more vocally assertive, warned against any threat to Maharashtra, linking the federal government's three-language policy to a broader agenda to separate Mumbai from the state.
The controversy around the 'speak Marathi' initiative intensified after an April order made Hindi compulsory for early education, sparking protests from pro-Marathi groups. Although the order was revised, it still maintained Hindi as the default third language under stringent conditions.
Tensions escalated into violence when members of Raj Thackeray's MNS attacked individuals for not speaking Marathi, which elicited public outrage and highlighted the ongoing strife as the Maharashtra government navigates the delicate balance between central policies and regional sentiments, especially in an election year.
