Maharashtra: Congress to host "We are Marathi, We are Indian" language workshop on July 15
Mira-Bhayandar
region. These circumstances have prompted extensive protests and marches, fostering a climate of stress and animosity in the area, according to an official press release.
The emergence of such unrest is indeed regrettable and underscores the necessity for constructive dialogue and conflict resolution, the Maharastra Congress stated in the press release.
In an effort to reduce this tension and promote dialogue, the Congress Party has taken the initiative and is organising a
language workshop
titled "We are Marathi, We are Indian", to be held in the presence of State Congress President Harshavardhan Sapkal, according to the release.
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The release additionally mentioned that the workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, July 15, at the Asmita Club in Naya Nagar, Mira Road. It will be attended by Marathi and Hindi-speaking residents from the Mira-Bhayandar area, as well as Congress office-bearers and workers.
The program aimed at fostering peace and harmony among people of different languages is called "We are Marathi, We are Indian..."
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In Mira Road, a Hindi-Marathi language dispute has led to separate protest rallies by Traders and MNS workers. Meanwhile, the Congress is also holding a programme in Mira Road.
The party asserts that the principle of unity in diversity is a defining characteristic of India. Individuals from various castes, religions, and linguistic backgrounds coexist harmoniously within the nation, the press release stated.
Notably, Mumbai and the state of Maharashtra serve as exemplars of this diversity, being particularly renowned for their multicultural population, which comprises individuals from all regions of India who have relocated for employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.
According to the party, recent disputes over the issue of language have been deliberately created, with the state government exacerbating these tensions. BJP leaders from outside the state, such as MP Nishikant Dubey, are making provocative statements that further inflame the situation. It is unfortunate that these conflicts are being stirred for political gain ahead of local body elections, the Maharastra Congress stated in the press release.
The party further added that ultimately, it is the common people who suffer, and this is not in the interest of society or Maharashtra. Therefore, it is essential that this conflict comes to an end.
To promote harmony and brotherhood, the Mira-Bhayandar District Congress Committee is organising this event under the leadership of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee Working President and former MLA Muzaffar Hussain.
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'That is a very strange position to take, that you have given the voter identity card, which is given to a person who is enrolled as a voter, and that voter's list was prepared under the law and the Constitution. What question remains after that? What is the value of this document?' he remarked. Besides, the petitions filed by the top court point to several issues that emerge from each of the 11 documents. For instance, Rajya Sabha MP Jha's petition cites various government surveys and data to highlight that a negligible part of Bihar's population holds several of these documents, including birth certificate, passport, permanent residence certificate, and identity card/pension payment order issued to regular government employees. It also points out that at least two in this list—NRC and family register—do not apply to Bihar. How have revisions been done before? Intensive revisions have taken place ever since the first general elections in the country. For instance, the preparation of first electoral rolls began in 1947, well before the 1950 Act, or the establishment of the ECI. However, it was noticed that in the rolls used for the first elections, several names of women electors had to be deleted because they were enrolled as 'mother of' or 'wife of', instead of their proper names. To fix this, after the first election in 1952, the ECI had directed revision of electoral rolls in 1/5th of each state annually from 1952 to 1956 to finish the exercise before the Lok Sabha polls in 1957, and 1/3rd of each state annually from 1957 to 1961 to complete the exercise before the 1962 polls. Post this, the commission had said that summary revisions should be sufficient in 1962 and 1964, while intensive revision was conducted once again in 1965 in 40 percent of the country, and in 1966 in the remaining 60 percent areas. Lavasa explained that the approach in earlier intensive revision exercises was 'very simple'. 'In case of intensive revision, it was done as a fresh exercise. During house-to-house verification, the head of the family gave the names of the people who lived in the same house. The ERO would then put out a draft roll, and the expectation was that if a person had given false information, somebody would object to it,' he said. In the normal course also, if someone objects to a person's eligibility as a voter, it is on the objector to prove the claim that a voter is not eligible, unlike the current exercise in Bihar, where the burden of proof of citizenship has been placed on the already-enrolled voters. However, Lavasa asserted, the old 2003 order directing intensive revision should be made available to check how that exercise had been undertaken. 'Till that notification is available, it is difficult to say with certainty how it was done in 2003.' (Edited by Mannat Chugh) Also Read: 'Arbitrary, to be replicated in Bengal.' 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