Is the Battle for Marathi Identity Now Only Against Hindi Speakers?

Maharashtra: Why is Linguistic Machismo Directed Only at Hindi Speakers?

Mumbai, April 9 – The echo of the ‘Marathi Manus’ (Marathi person) in Maharashtra’s politics is nothing new. But when this fight for identity turns into hostility specifically and solely against Hindi speakers, a question arises — is this truly a defense of language, or merely an aggressive show of strength against poor, helpless, and voiceless Hindi speakers?

Whether it’s fare disputes with auto-rickshaw drivers on Mumbai’s streets, personal issues among Hindi-speaking employees in call centers or other workplaces being given a linguistic spin, or now even minor disputes between neighbors over shifting belongings being turned into a Marathi vs Hindi issue — such incidents have become common.

Why this ‘Targeted Tension’ against Hindi Speakers?
Millions of unemployed people from states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar today form the backbone of the economy in Mumbai and Pune. But for the political benefit of a few, why is the presence of North Indians being painted as a ‘cultural threat’ to Maharashtra?

Why do political parties find Hindi speakers the easiest target when raising the issue of ‘outsiders’? Has such linguistic machismo ever been displayed towards Bengali, Gujarati, Malayali, or Tamil-speaking people?