‘Hindu in Bharat’: Bal Thackeray Video Heats Up Marathi-Hindi War
Bal Thackeray's resurfaced video amplifies Uddhav and Raj Thackeray’s stand against Hindi 'imposition' in Maharashtra.
GG News Bureau
Mumbai, 7th July: In the midst of escalating tensions over language politics in Maharashtra, a decades-old video of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray has re-emerged online, reigniting a fierce ideological clash. In the viral clip, Thackeray declares, “I may be Marathi in Maharashtra, but I am Hindu in Bharat,” reinforcing his core Hindutva philosophy over linguistic identity. Draped in saffron, the late firebrand leader asserts, “We must embrace Hindutva over linguistic identities.”
"I may be Marathi in Maharashtra but I am Hindu in Bharat. We must embrace Hindutva over linguistic identities"
Balasaheb Thackeray
pic.twitter.com/KRrMVkGpYc— Kashmiri Hindu (@BattaKashmiri) July 5, 2025
The video surfaced just hours after Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, held a joint ‘victory rally’ in Mumbai. The event, marking the Maharashtra government’s rollback of its controversial order to make Hindi mandatory in primary education, was seen as a political comeback moment for the estranged Thackeray cousins.
The cousins — who hadn’t shared a stage in two decades — declared war on the “Hindi imposition” agenda, vowing to contest the upcoming Mumbai civic polls together. Uddhav echoed his father’s ideological legacy, saying, “We won’t let the BJP impose Hindi on the people of Maharashtra.” Raj went a step further, warning, “Try to touch Maharashtra and see what happens.”
The row began after the Maharashtra government made Hindi compulsory from Classes I to V under the three-language formula of the 2020 National Education Policy. Following backlash from pro-Marathi groups, the order was tweaked — Hindi became the default third language unless 20 students opted out, a clause termed “impractical” by education experts.
Despite the rollback, protests escalated into violence. MNS workers were caught on video attacking a shopkeeper in Mumbai and a man in Pune for not speaking Marathi. Another video showed staff in the office of an Uddhav Sena MP slapping employees of a mobile store. While FIRs were filed, all seven accused were granted immediate bail, fuelling outrage.
The BJP-led Mahayuti government, caught between Delhi’s language policy and regional sentiments, condemned the attacks. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis demanded strict action but reiterated, “Marathi must be respected in Maharashtra.”
Meanwhile, the political temperature continues to rise. Uddhav Thackeray, still locked in a battle with CM Eknath Shinde over Shiv Sena’s legacy, aims to reclaim the party’s Marathi identity plank. Raj Thackeray, seeking renewed relevance after electoral setbacks, is amplifying his sons-of-the-soil rhetoric. Both cousins, now aligned against the BJP, are banking on Bal Thackeray’s legacy and linguistic pride to rally voters.
