Raj Thackeray calls for July 5 Marathi unity march against Hindi imposition

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has called for a large-scale protest march on July 5 at Girgaon Chowpatty in Mumbai to oppose what he termed as the "imposition of Hindi."

The march, initially planned for July 6, was rescheduled, but the location and all other details remain unchanged.

The announcement was made through a statement on the social media platform X, where Thackeray asserted that the event will be a display of Marathi unity and cultural pride.

Thackeray said, "We will not allow Hindi imposition from the beginning, and we have decided to organise a march from Girgaum Chowpatty on July 6 to oppose it. There will be no flags in that march. The entire march will belong to the Marathi people. The Marathi agenda will be the only focus. The leadership of that march will be by a Marathi person."

He stressed that the rally will feature no political flags and will be rooted solely in Marathi identity. "The sole agenda will be Marathi. The leadership of this march will also be by a Marathi person," Thackeray said, making it clear that the initiative transcends political lines.

The MNS chief further noted that students, parents, educationists, and language experts would be invited to participate, and the party will reach out to all political parties in the state.

Raj Thackeray asserted that the July 6 march at Girgaum Chowpatty will reflect the true sentiments and unity of Maharashtra, adding that it will also reveal who stands with the cause and who stays away.

He added that all political parties would be approached and stressed that Maharashtra stands above all disputes.

"We will speak with educationists and linguists. We will invite all students and parents to the march. Let the government understand once and for all what is in the hearts of the people of Maharashtra. Everyone will participate in the anti-Hindi march. We will speak with all political parties in Maharashtra. Maharashtra is bigger than any dispute or quarrel, and you will realise this on July 6."

The call for protest comes amid the ongoing debate over the Maharashtra government's alleged move to make Hindi compulsory across all classes.

On June 24, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that the final decision regarding the three-language formula will be taken only after discussions with literateurs, language experts, political leaders, and all other concerned parties.

A meeting on the issue of the three-language formula was held at the Chief Minister's official residence, Varsha, on Sunday night. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, School Education Minister Dada Bhuse, Minister of State Dr Pankaj Bhoyar, and officials from the education department were present.

After an in-depth discussion on the subject, it was decided to present the status of all states, ensure that Marathi students are not disadvantaged under the Academic Bank of Credit in the context of the new education policy, and explore other possible options. A comprehensive presentation will be made for all stakeholders. It was resolved in the meeting that this presentation and consultation process should be conducted with Marathi language scholars, litterateurs, political leaders, and all relevant parties.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis further stated that a final decision will be made only after this consultation process is completed. Hence, School Education Minister Dada Bhuse will now initiate the next phase of the consultation process.