Mumbai: A video showing a group of Shiv Sena (UBT) workers protesting at a book exhibition in Phoenix Palladium Mall, Lower Parel for not displaying a single Marathi book is going viral on social media. Visuals showed protesters confronting the organisers for ignoring the Marathi language.
The video of the incident was shared by UBT’s official mouthpiece, Saamana, where it stated that "activists of Sena UBT taught the organisers a proper lesson." The exhibition was organised by a company named 'Bookchor' in the mall's premises. The video showed party workers toppling and tearing paper boards placed near the stall.
According to a Saamana report, the activists also demanded the removal of English and Hindi signboards and warned that any insult to the Marathi language, literature, or culture would not be tolerated. A party worker is also heard saying in Hindi, “Kidhar bhi stall lagaoge Mumbai mein, Marathi book hona chahiye. Sirf yeh stall nahi, koi bhi stall lagao kahi bhi.”
Social Media Reaction
The video sparked several reactions on social media, with some users supporting the protest while others suggested alternative solutions instead of vandalising the stall. "Marathi literature will unite the nation. Be sure to keep Iravati Karve's books. The locks will break open. The commentary expressed through the thoughts and reflections of undivided India, through research—something the nation needs today—and only Marathi literature can provide that," one user wrote.
One wrote, "All Marathis are with you... Such a movement should also take place at the railway station."
Another added, "First in Maharashtra, give place to the Marathi language, then to the second foreign language"
Calling out a different approach that could be used, a user said, "In a diff approach they could have just contributed a few books in Marathi and asked to showcase them also"
Another user who also shared a same opinion, a user added, "But how can they seriously not consider keeping even one Marathi book? Although connecting with the organisers and maybe promoting to add Marathi book shelf would have done more good than these goons trying to earn some credits from their followers."
Earlier in the day, Actor Riteish Deshmukh also called for some important changes in the way Maharashtra sees its cinema. The actor attended a special event organised by the Samajwadi Party, and said that Marathi cinema in Maharashtra is diminishing because of the demand for Hindi cinema. The actor said that it was a Marathi-speaking man, Dadasaheb Phalke, who laid the foundation of Indian cinema, but after a century, the theatrical system has become skewed, favouring Hindi cinema over Marathi in theatres of Maharashtra.
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