- By Tanya Garg
- Wed, 09 Jul 2025 11:04 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Janhvi Kapoor's boyfriend Shikhar Pahariya has spoken out about the growing Hindi-Marathi language clash in Maharashtra. He wrote a lengthy message on his Instagram account, stating that fear is not a viable way to preserve a language. Shikhar Pahariya emphasised that regardless of one's language or place of origin in India, 'Marathi Asmita' should not be divided.
Janhvi Kapoor's boyfriend maintained that while it is necessary to protect any language, including Marathi, doing so cannot come at the expense of another person's dignity. "Asmita, a sense of self and identity, should uplift, not divide. It should give us pride, not prejudice, no matter where in India we are from or what language we speak. Marathi Asmita is real. It is deep, emotional, and rooted in our way of life," he shared.
He continued, "As someone from Solapur, I understand this deeply. Language shapes who we are, it has shaped our states, our stories, given us poets, songs, and revolutions. Marathi is no exception. It must be preserved, protected, and passed on, just like all of our languages. But that pride cannot come at the cost of others’ dignity. Especially others who are making an honest, hard living."
Shikhar Pahariya observed that even Marathi-speaking people are relocating to cities like Delhi or Chennai in the same way that migrants are traveling to places like Mumbai and Pune in pursuit of employment. "Imagine if they were made to feel unwelcome there, humiliated for the language they spoke. What would we say then? When people are struggling and working hard, away from their families, this imposition through violent action is unacceptable. It is not a tragedy that people speak Hindi, Tamil, or Gujarati in Mumbai. The real tragedy is believing this is a threat to Marathi. We cannot keep a language alive through fear," he wrote in the lengthy post.
View this post on Instagram
The note on the concluding slide read, "Let our Marathi Asmita shine through inclusion, not intimidation. Let us protect Marathi by celebrating it, not weaponising it." Shikhar Pahariya's post coincides with MNS employees in Pune and Mumbai using violent tactics against those who do not speak Marathi.
Netizens lauded Shikhar Pahariya for his powerful words on the ongoing language row. They dropped heart emoticons in the comment section. One of the users wrote, "Exactly, we should rather be thankful that we have one common language that unites us with all diverse languages we speak… and thats why we say India is about Unity in Diversity…. Some political parties have always followed politics of divide and rule… can’t fall in that trap again…" Another user wrote, "Well Said! This is how one should explain & make people understand rather than creating fear among each other! Sharing it right away!"
Marathi Language Row
Following the Maharashtra government's April decision to make Hindi a third language required in schools, the initiative is currently gaining traction in the state's major cities. In the state School Curriculum Framework-2024, this clause was included by the State Council of Educational Research and Training. The Maharashtra government has already reversed its decision, and School Education Minister Dada Bhuse declared that English and Marathi would now be the primary languages and Hindi would become an elective.
In response, there have been protests from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and the Shiv Sena, some of which have become violent. Panelists debate whether this is political scheming in the run-up to elections or the preservation of Marathi culture. The discussion also discusses more general topics including Gujarat's influx of investment in place of Maharashtra and the evolving cosmopolitan character of Mumbai.
