While a protest by BJP workers appeared to be about identity politics ahead of elections to the Mumbai civic body, it highlighted the classical language status of the Marathi language to justify naming Penguin chicks
BJP leader from the Byculla Assembly constituency, Nitin Bankar, led the demonstration. File Pic
The son or daughter-of-the-soil politics in Mumbai, so far restricted to humans, has taken an interesting turn with BJP leaders demanding that Penguin chicks born in a city zoo be given Marathi names, arguing that the flightless birds are domiciled in Maharashtra by birth.
While a protest by BJP workers appeared to be about identity politics ahead of elections to the Mumbai civic body, it highlighted the classical language status of the Marathi language to justify naming Penguin chicks, according to news agency PTI.
BJP leader from the Byculla Assembly constituency, Nitin Bankar, led the demonstration.
"When Penguins were brought from abroad to the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Udyan and Zoo (commonly known as Rani Baug), we accepted that their names would be in English. However, chicks born here, on the soil of Maharashtra, should be given Marathi names," he said, reported PTI.
Bankar claimed that repeated appeals to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had gone unheard.
"We stood firm on our demand, but it was ignored. I had even written to the BMC administration, but no one responded," he claimed, reported PTI.
Bankar said if Marathi has received classical language status, why can't some of the penguin chicks be given Marathi names?
BMC clears Rs 70-crore aquarium project for Byculla zoo in Mumbai
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has approved a proposal for the construction of an aquarium at the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Garden and Zoo. The BMC will allocate Rs 70 crore for this project.
According to the proposal passed last week, the aquarium will include facilities such as a dome aquarium, a walking tunnel and pop-up windows. In addition to rectangular and circular tanks and a tunnel aquarium, the facility will feature four rectangular tanks, five circular tanks, and two hemispherical tanks made of acrylic panels, where various types of fish will be displayed. Dr Sanjay Tripathi, director, Byculla zoo, said, “We will try to complete the construction of the aquarium in a year. It will showcase Indian marine life.”
“Artificial rock work will be arranged to create a natural environment for marine life. The facility includes two themed tunnel aquariums made of acrylic panels. One will be a 14-metre-long coral fish tunnel aquarium and the other a 36-metre-long deep ocean tunnel aquarium,” said a zoo official. A BMC official stated, “The aquarium is part of the expansion of the Byculla zoo. The expansion was planned in 2009 in a phased manner.”
(With PTI inputs)
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