Warring cousins have made language a political issue: Shobhaa De jabs Thackerays

Author and columnist Shobhaa De has said that “warring cousins”, referring to Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, have made the language row in Maharashtra a political issue.

Amid growing controversy over the three-language policy in Maharashtra, she lashed out at what she called the “language Dadagiri” being carried out in Mumbai in the name of Marathi pride.

Criticising the recent actions and rhetoric of Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, De added that both parties are weaponising language for electoral survival.

Speaking to Rajdeep Sardesai, De said the renewed row over the imposition of Marathi is a “manufactured distraction” ahead of crucial civic elections. “This is all about political irrelevance. The warring cousins have suddenly discovered their love for Marathi ahead of elections,” she said.

The controversy was triggered after an MNS worker allegedly slapped a sales employee from Jodhpur for not speaking Marathi. De strongly condemned the act, calling it “cowardly” and “a cognisable offence.”

She said that imposing language through violence is not acceptable and goes against the spirit of Mumbai.

“Marathi should be learnt with respect and pride, not thrust upon people aggressively,” she said. Referring to Article 19 of the Constitution, she reminded that every Indian has the right to speak the language of their choice, and no political party can dictate otherwise.

De, who identified herself as a proud Maharashtrian woman, said that while she grew up speaking Marathi and remains deeply connected to her roots, she firmly opposes using language as a political tool. “You cannot do language Dadagiri in the name of Marathi Manus pride,” she said.

Addressing the broader narrative around outsiders versus locals, especially the claim that Maharashtrians are being reduced to a minority in Mumbai, De said that this sense of grievance was not new but had always been rooted in insecurity and narrow-minded politics.

She recalled the time when South Indians were targeted decades ago and called such attacks “unacceptable.”

“Mumbai is a cauldron, a melting pot. It has always been built by people from across India. It’s the migrants who work on building sites, drive the economy, and make the city what it is,” she noted.

Asked about the rising Hindi-Marathi tensions despite Mumbai being the hub of the Hindi film industry, De said this issue has little to do with cinema or culture and everything to do with politics.

“It’s about equating Hindutva with Hindi. That’s dangerous,” she added. She also dismissed MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s statement “I’m Hindu, not Hindi,” calling it theatrics.

De pointed to the backlash the MNS had faced when it tried to push Marathi cinema during prime slots in multiplexes in the past, calling it “another political stunt that backfired.” She argued that if political leaders truly cared about Marathi, they should invest in improving the quality of education and promoting the language with dignity and inclusivity.

Highlighting the example of 100-year-old Marathi grammarian Yasmin Sheikh, De said, “She reminds us that language doesn’t recognise religion. She is the pride of Pune, and we should follow her example to uplift Marathi - not through hooliganism.”

Responding to the view that demographic changes threaten Marathi culture in Mumbai, De said migration was a reality in a country like India, where people move for work.

“Do we stop Maharashtrians from going to other states for jobs?” she asked, adding that language imposition is no solution to economic challenges.

Concluding her remarks, she said that political parties using language to stoke fear and identity crises are doing so because they have little else to offer. “If the cousins have something to give to the people of Mumbai, let them show it. But don’t divide us with language. That won’t work.”

- Ends