Mumbai: Forward of the Mumbai civic polls, that are anticipated to be held this yr, the Maharashtra authorities, comprising the Bharatiya Janata Get together (BJP) and Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena, Wednesday inaugurated a first-of-its-kind worldwide Marathi convention. The meet noticed leaders of each events vowing to protect Marathi in Maharashtra’s capital metropolis.
Addressing the convention, Deepak Kesarkar, minister in control of the Marathi language division, stated, “The purpose is that Mumbai is the capital of Marathi language and the language ought to be preserved right here. Right this moment, our personal youngsters have began speaking to us in Hindi. That should cease…We determined to have the occasion in Mumbai as a result of Mumbai’s spirit is Marathi and we are going to by no means let Marathi be pushed out of Mumbai. That is the agency perception of this authorities.”
The state authorities has invited folks from numerous Indian states and overseas who’ve been engaged on the Marathi language to attend this three-day convention.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stated the convention was a step ahead in direction of the ideology of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray, whose main political agenda revolved round Mumbai’s ‘Marathi manus’ (Marathi-speaking inhabitants).
CM Shinde, who broke away from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena final yr and has claimed to be the true protector of Bal Thackeray’s legacy, stated, “Hinduhruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray continuously labored in direction of making certain that Marathi folks dwell with respect in Mumbai. The Marathi manus shouldn’t exit of Mumbai.”
Leaders from the BJP and Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena additionally emphasised how Prime Minister Narendra Modi was dedicated to preserving Marathi by encouraging schooling in mom tongues.
Mumbai is taken into account to be the bastion of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) faction) and the town’s Marathi inhabitants has historically been the get together’s strongest vote financial institution.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) dominated the Mumbai civic physique for 25 years, till March final yr when the time period of the final physique ended and an administrator took over its functioning. The BJP has been aggressively trying to unseat the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena from its house turf and had organised occasions akin to ‘Marathi dandiya’ through the Navratri pageant final yr, and campaigns akin to ‘Marathi katta,’ a platform to focus on the woes of Mumbai’s Marathi-speaking inhabitants.
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‘Marathi ought to be preserved in Mumbai’
The Shinde-led authorities is internet hosting 508 Marathi-speaking friends from international locations such because the US, Canada, Japan, Brazil, UAE, Mauritius and Australia.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, whereas addressing the convention, stated the invitees, representing every of the seven continents, are all individuals who have been working in direction of selling the Marathi language of their respective nations, in addition to Marathi-speaking industrialists who the state authorities is encouraging to spend money on Maharashtra.
Fadnavis additionally stated that PM Modi has at all times promoted regional languages by encouraging schooling in college students’ mom tongues. “Maharashtra has taken this initiative and we are attempting to offer all types of schooling, whether or not it’s engineering or medical, in Marathi,” he added.
Apart from the overseas delegates, over 800 folks from totally different components of India are attending the convention, whereas 1,500 residents of Maharashtra have additionally registered for it, Kesarkar stated.
He additionally stated, “Let folks say no matter they need, however this isn’t a political stage…we need to preserve the Marathi and Hindu tradition in Maharashtra.”
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has, nonetheless, criticised the state authorities’s efforts, saying it’s organising a convention for Marathi language on one hand and however, continuously bowing earlier than the Centre.
Chatting with reporters Tuesday, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray, who represents the Worli constituency the place the Maharashtra authorities has organised the convention, stated, “They (the federal government) have organised a programme on Marathi language, however I’ve been continuously saying that it is a traitor authorities that makes Maharashtra bend in entrance of Delhi. Many scams have come out. The governor is continually insulting nice personalities (of the state), however nonetheless there is no such thing as a motion.”
The Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece, Saamana, in an article has additionally slammed the state authorities for maintaining registrations for the Marathi occasion within the English language.
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