Netas' aggression amplified by social media jolts city
They fear that they or their employees could be targeted because they do not speak Marathi fluently. Political aggression manifesting in acts of violence like the Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad who slapped a canteen staff at the MLA hostel on Tuesday has also become a cause of concern. Some say the so-called "language war" needs to be curbed urgently.
Puran Singh Rajput, whose family is from Nathdwara in Rajasthan, runs a grocery shop in Mira Road.
"I was born here and know Marathi, but my father who has been in the city for three decades cannot speak Marathi. I fear that tomorrow any activist can confront my father and humiliate him just because he does not speak Marathi," said Rajput.
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A taxi driver from UP, who did not want to be named, said his grasp of Marathi is "30%". "I've been working in Mumbai for 25 years and picked it up on the job. I can answer basic questions, if someone wants to test me," he said, adding that this inadequacy has now led to a sense of insecurity.
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He said Indians should be free to work anywhere in the country, and not be constrained by language. "Maharashtrians live and work in different states and no one demands that they learn Bhojpuri in Bihar or Oriya in Odisha. Then why do we, in Maharashtra, learn Marathi? This is nothing but politics," he said.
Many say learning the language is an advantage but forcing someone to speak it is akin to fuelling linguistic chauvinism, and using violence to "punish" those who cannot speak this language is simply lawlessness.
They blame misuse of social media to amplify acts of violence perpetrated in the name of linguistic supremacy. Shaikh Abdullah, whose Kurla-based bakery employs around 200 workers from different states, said, to win voters ahead of BMC polls, political workers are coining bigoted slogans and creating a climate of fear.
"We've people from different states working for us. It does not matter if someone is a Bihari or Maharashtrian or from Kerala as long as he or she works efficiently.
But there is a fear that someone might hurt them if they fail the language test," said Abdullah.
Captain Nalin Bilochan Pandey, originally from Bihar, runs a shipping company in Navi Mumbai. "There are 25 employees, including seafarers and 90% of them are Maharashtrians. It is worrying that, for political gain, some leaders encourage their cadre to resort to violence against those who can't speak Marathi. One of my Maharashtrian employees failed in Marathi in matriculation exam while my daughter who has a Bihari origin topped in Marathi in her school at the same Board exam," said Pandey.
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