As Maharashtra continues to reel under a fierce debate over linguistic identity, an old video of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray has resurfaced online, drawing renewed attention. In the clip, the late patriarch is heard calling for unity under the banner of Hindutva over regional linguistic divides.
“I may be Marathi in Maharashtra, but I am a Hindu in Bharat. We must embrace Hindutva over linguistic identities,” Thackeray says, offering a stark contrast to today’s linguistic tensions.
"I may be Marathi in Maharashtra but I am Hindu in Bharat. We must embrace Hindutva over linguistic identities"
— Kashmiri Hindu (@BattaKashmiri) July 5, 2025
Balasaheb Thackeray
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Raj Thackeray defends Marathi
In a significant political rally held in Mumbai to celebrate the Maharashtra government’s reversal of its Hindi language mandate in schools, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray addressed party workers with a fiery mix of pride and pragmatism. While asserting the need for all residents in Maharashtra, “be it Gujarati or anyone else,” to learn Marathi, he cautioned against overt violence.
“There’s no need to beat people for not speaking Marathi. But if someone creates unnecessary drama, you must hit below their eardrums,” he said, controversially. He also added, “Don’t record such incidents. Let the person who’s been beaten speak about it.”
Uddhav and Raj reunite
The rally also witnessed a symbolic moment in Maharashtra politics: Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray sharing the stage after nearly two decades. The joint appearance of the estranged cousins signalled a renewed Marathi unity, especially on the language front.
Uddhav Thackeray issued a stern message to both the state and central governments, warning, “We won’t let them impose Hindi on us. We won’t let them separate Mumbai from Maharashtra.”
What is the language controversy?
The controversy erupted after the Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government introduced a three-language policy mandating Hindi as a compulsory third language in primary schools. The decision drew widespread backlash from teachers, political parties, and civil society groups who viewed it as an imposition on the Marathi language and identity. Facing growing public anger, the government reversed the decision last month.
Raj Thackeray credited the reversal to the “unity of the Marathi people,” stating that such collective resistance was the only way to protect the state’s cultural roots.
Raj Thackeray further sharpened the debate, arguing that the issue was not about hating Hindi but resisting cultural imposition. “We are ahead of all Hindi-speaking states the why should we be made to learn Hindi? Did we impose Marathi when the Marathas ruled half of India?” he asked.
“I can learn any language, even Hebrew,” he added, “but my pride in Marathi is non-negotiable.”
Raj also alleged that the language policy was a test case to gauge the response before a larger attempt to detach Mumbai from Maharashtra. “They wanted to see if we’d protest. We did,” he said defiantly.