Wedding Invitation in Marathi Ignites Violent Clash at Navi Mumbai College

Navi Mumbai: A dispute over a wedding invitation written in Marathi escalated into violence at a college in Navi Mumbai’s Vashi area on Tuesday, intensifying Maharashtra’s ongoing language debate. A student who spoke in Marathi during a discussion about the invitation was attacked by a group of youths, marking a surprising twist in the state’s linguistic tensions.
The incident unfolded when a conversation about the Marathi invitation turned heated, leading to a physical assault on the student. This event stands in contrast to earlier reports of aggression against non-Marathi speakers, highlighting the complex nature of the language controversy in Maharashtra. Local police have launched an investigation, but no arrests have been reported as of yet.
The clash comes amid heightened linguistic friction in the state, sparked by the Maharashtra government’s April directive to include Hindi as a third language in state-run primary schools, alongside Marathi and English, in line with the national three-language policy. The decision has fueled tensions, with videos circulating on social media showing alleged attacks by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers on individuals not speaking Marathi. These incidents have reignited debates over linguistic and regional identity.
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Public figures have weighed in on the controversy. At the trailer launch of Son of Sardaar 2, actor Ajay Devgn briefly addressed the issue, delivering his iconic Singham line, “Aata Majhi Satakli,” which drew attention to the debate. Actor R. Madhavan, shared that language has never been a barrier in his career or personal life, citing his fluency in Tamil, Hindi, and Marathi from his upbringing in Jamshedpur and studies in Kolhapur. Similarly, singer Udit Narayan emphasized the importance of respecting all Indian languages, calling Maharashtra his “Karma bhoomi” (workplace) in an interview with IANS.
The violence at the Navi Mumbai college underscores the growing divide over language use in Maharashtra, as the state grapples with balancing regional pride and national linguistic policies.