Mumbai: Governor CP Radhakrishnan has appealed to the people to avoid spreading hatred on linguistic issues. He was speaking while releasing a coffee table book at Raj Bhavan on Tuesday.
Governor’s appeal comes amid rising tensions over Marathi language enforcement
“The governor’s statement assumes significance at a time when the state is witnessing clashes over the language issue, in which people were beaten up over their refusal to speak Marathi. Such attitudes could harm the state in the long run,” Radhakrishnan said.
Hatred could deter investment and harm Maharashtra’s image, warns Radhakrishnan
“If we were to spread such hatred, nobody would come here to invest,” the governor warned, saying, “In the long run, we are only harming Maharashtra. While we should learn as many languages, we must also be proud of our mother tongue.”
Minister Girish Mahajan echoes concerns over language-based violence
Minister Girish Mahajan, who was present for the function, said, “Marathi is our mother tongue. But it is not correct if someone is beaten up for their inability to speak in Marathi. We also visit other parts of the nation, and what will happen if someone asks us to speak in their language,” asked the minister.
Three-language formula stirs controversy; State forced to roll back plan
Remarks by both the governor and the minister assume significance in the wake of the controversy over the three-language formula adopted by the state. The government had to retract following large-scale opposition with allegations of imposition of Hindi on Maharashtra.
