Amidst an ongoing 'language war' in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, speaking at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi on Thursday, asserted that language should not be a source of conflict and that Marathi individuals are not narrow-minded on such issues
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. File Photo.
Amidst an ongoing 'language war' in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis asserted on Thursday that language should never be a source of conflict and that a Marathi individual could never be narrow-minded on such matters, reported news agency PTI.
Addressing a function at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi, Chief Minister Fadnavis stated that his government’s policy advocates for Marathi alongside other Indian languages. This comes even as parts of Mumbai experienced violent protests against the perceived “imposition of Hindi” in Maharashtra.
"Language is a means of communication, but never of discord. Mother tongue is important. Every Marathi person is proud of the Marathi language. Insistence on Marathi is natural and justified, but we should also respect other Indian languages," he remarked.
Fadnavis was speaking at an event to inaugurate the Kusumagraj Special Centre for Marathi Language, Literature and Culture, and the Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Special Centre for Security and Strategic Studies at JNU.
"The debate is not Marathi versus Hindi. There is no alternative to Marathi. A Marathi person has to accept Marathi. But our policy is Marathi along with other Indian languages. We should learn Marathi and also know other languages," he clarified.
The Chief Minister further added, "I say time and again, a Marathi person can never be narrow-minded. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj never taught us to be narrow-minded. Sant Dnyaneshwar prayed for the welfare of the entire world and not just his followers."
Furthermore, CM Fadnavis announced that a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj would also be installed on the JNU campus, with Vice Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit having agreed to his government’s proposal in this regard. The Maharashtra government’s earlier decision to introduce a three-language formula in primary schools had sparked protests from Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) over the alleged “imposition of Hindi.”
Although the state government subsequently rolled back its decision, the issue notably united the estranged Thackeray cousins, who claimed to have joined forces for the cause of Marathi, PTI reported.
Earlier on the JNU campus, Fadnavis had faced protests from a group of Students’ Federation of India (SFI) activists.
The newly inaugurated Kusumagraj Special Centre is dedicated to Marathi language, literature, and cultural traditions, named after the renowned Marathi poet and Jnanpith awardee. According to PTI, it will offer postgraduate and certificate-level programmes aimed at promoting multilingualism and cultural understanding.
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Special Centre for Security and Strategic Studies will focus on exploring indigenous strategic traditions, drawing inspiration from the Maratha Empire. This centre is envisioned to become a pivotal hub for military history, strategy, and future policy development, rooted in India’s historical wisdom.
(With inputs from PTI)
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