Gujarati Notification in Palghar Sparks Language Row

Mumbai: Amidst the raging language controversy in Maharashtra, a notification in the Gujarati language by Palghar district administration has added fuel to the fire. The opposition parties have condemned the move, calling it an imposition of Gujarati language in the state.

The notification was issued by the district administration due to a Communist Party of India (Marxist) morcha on January 19-20 to protest against the Vadhavan Port, which necessitated restrictions on vehicular movement along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad NH-48 highway.

However, the Gujarati notification ignited a political storm with senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar criticising the state government over it. “This is just the beginning. Gujarati is being imposed starting from Palghar. If the BJP gets the Mumbai mayor’s post, it will be clear on whose instructions the city will be ruled,” he said.

Calling it a serious matter, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut demanded a clarification from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis about the issue. “All parties have to think seriously about it. Is Palghar a part of Maharashtra or has it been attached to the neighbouring state under the pretext of the bullet train or Vadhvan port? The Chief Minister of Maharashtra should publicly release a map of Palghar,” he said.

Senior officials from the Palghar district collectorate, however, dismissed the allegations. “There is no room for confusion or any insult to Marathi. The original order prohibiting vehicular movement on the highway was issued in Marathi,” a senior district official said.

A large number of motorists travelling on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway pass through Gujarat, so it was necessary that they too were made aware of the traffic restrictions, he said.

“For the convenience of motorists coming from Gujarat, the order was translated into Gujarati by authorities on the Gujarat side and displayed in the border villages. This appears to have led to the misunderstanding,” the official said.

However, according to locals, the same favour was not shown to them by the Gujarat authorities. They said, the railway underpass at Bhilad in Gujarat, near the border, is closed since January 18 due to ongoing construction work on a new cement tunnel. However, the local administration has not issued any traffic advisories in Marathi despite Marathi-speaking drivers from Palghar district using this route extensively.

The Marathi vs Gujarati language controversy has been simmering in Maharashtra for a long time. Last year in July, Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers forcibly took down Gujarati signboards from several Gujarati hotels along the highway in Thane and Palghar districts, insisting that signage must be in Marathi.