Mumbai: A video showing a Marathi-speaking passenger arguing with a staff member of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai has reignited the language row debate on social media. In the video, a passenger is seen asking the staff member to speak in Marathi, however, the staff member responds, “Mala Marathi yet nahi” (I do not know Marathi).
During the exchange, the staff member asks the passenger in Hindi, “Aapka flight hai kya?” (Do you have a flight?), but the passenger replies in Marathi saying, "Kay bolas tu ata? (What did you say now?)"
The staff replies and asks, "Kya hua kya bola maine?" on which the passenger tells him, "Marathi Madhe Bolna"
The conversation later escalates as the airport staff asks, "Hindi Mein Baat Karo." However, the passenger again asks him to speak in Marathi, to which the staff replies, "Marathi nahi yet mala (I don't know Marathi)."
The passenger later asks him, “Airport madhe kaam kartos na?” (You work at the airport, right?). Though in the later part of the conversation, the staff member is heard replying to him in Marathi, but he objects to being forced to use the language.
Social media reaction
The video has drawn varied reactions on social media. While several users supported the airport staff member and opposed forcing him to speak a particular language, others criticised him, calling him arrogant and claiming that he knew Marathi but chose not to use it.
One user wrote, "More power to the airport staff"
A Marathi-speaking user commented, saying, "As a Marathi person myself, I feel the guy is trying to speak Marathi… I guess he’s learning it.. he’s making an effort to speak.. but such compulsion is not in good spirit …"
Another user commented, "A Marathi youth himself standing against language-based hate. That’s the India I want to see."
"Language is mean of communication, but when people use it politically, it should be a choice, not a force"
Another added, "I wonder in the coming days such people will start asking pilots to speak Marathi, or leave.. can't assure such people will say if pilots speak Marathi then only are they allowed to fly or we will fly our own"
Some other users slammed the airport staff for their arrogance. One user commented saying, "So he's speaking in Marathi, saying that he doesn't know Marathi, but he's doing it on purpose; he could've just replied to them straight in Marathi, but he doesn't want to seem arrogant because he knows Hindi."
One user pointed out, saying, "Airport staff shouldn't have ordered him to speak in Hindi. If he didn't know Marathi, he could have excused himself and called another staff member instead. Here, both the language warrior and the staff are wrong."
