In a move eerily similar to Maharashtra in the 1960s, party workers associated with a right-wing party went around different parts of the state this month, intimidating people for not speaking in Marathi which in some cases, took a violent turn.

The party in question was not either of the Shiv Senas this time, but that of another Thackeray — Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). In a provocative speech at a Gudi Padwa rally on 30 March, he announced a “Mi Marathi” campaign, asking his supporters to not hesitate in slapping those who refused to speak Marathi in Maharashtra.

What followed was chaos and fear. After a public warning from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on 3 April, Thackeray has now backtracked, asking his supporters to halt the movement. But the psychological impact on those affected remains, and the episode raises several questions and theories on MNS’s political motive. 

“This is a desperate attempt by Raj Thackeray to revive his party," veteran journalist and political analyst Girish Kuber told The Quint.

The incidents of violence include MNS workers allegedly beating up bank workers in Lonavala and Mumbai for not speaking in Marathi and/or having non-Marathi posters in the branch. In another incident, the video of which was widely circulated online, MNS workers can be seen allegedly slapping a watchman in Powai for not speaking in Marathi.

In the light of these instances, bank unions across Maharashtra have written to the government over the last week, seeking intervention and protection. 

Devidas Tuljapurkar, convenor of the Union Forum of Bank Unions, an umbrella body for bank unions in the state, told The Quint that while majority of the sub-staffers and clerks are recruited locally and are fluent in Marathi, most bank officers come from other states due to the nature of the all-India recruitment.

Tuljapurkar said he received complaints from banks across the state of intimidation by MNS workers, following which he wrote to the administration. He emphasised that it was impractical to expect every officer to know all 22 officially recognised languages of India.

While the campaign has stopped now, the trauma remains. A 30-year-old bank officer from a Punjab National Bank branch in Mumbai, who did not want to be identified by his name fearing backlash, told The Quint that while the agitation may have paused, bank officers were still working in constant fear.

He said that the onus was on the Union Finance Ministry and Department of Financial Services who should ask bank management to implement local transfer policy as much as possible, to mitigate the issues. 

Rajeev Tamhane, chairman of Bank of Maharashtra’s officers’ association, agreed that the instances had left the employees with a sense of fear.

“The psychological effect of what has happened will not simply go away. Many of them are officers who have travelled 2,500 kilometers away from their families and hometowns to do this job,” he said. “Recruitment happens on a national level and posting is decided by the top management.”

He also pointed out that all official documents, forms, and stationery in banks are centrally issued—typically in Hindi, English, and sometimes Marathi.

So, why did the MNS revive its language plank now?

Raj Thackeray has had an inconsistent political trajectory—once seen as a firebrand regionalist, later warming up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and even sharing a stage with him during the Lok Sabha 2024 elections, then again contesting separately in state elections barely six months later and performing badly.

Suhas Palshikar, a political analyst, told The Quint this was a classic move by a party struggling for relevance.

Palshikar said the MNS had earlier attempted to occupy a Hindutva space, but with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) already dominating that ground, it found no traction.

“Looking at the quietness with which [Eknath] Shinde was taking forward the Marathi issue, they must have thought this could be a good opportunity for them right now. But this government works differently from the earlier ones. Instead of negotiating, they directly suppress the protest, which is what happened with Fadnavis’ warning.”

While Thackeray asked his “soldiers” to stop the agitation for now, he also asked them not to let the focus on such issues go away. Commenting on Fadnavis’ warning, he said that the MNS did not want to take laws into their hands but if they would enforce Reserve Bank of India’s rules and make banks “respect” Marathi, they would not take laws into their hands.

“We have paused the agitation for now. But if the government doesn't do its job, we have to step in,” said MNS leader Yashwant Killedar.

“Our objective with this campaign was to enforce the rules and for Marathi to be given priority. But we went to dozens of banks and saw that English and Hindi is prioritised, not Marathi. We humbly requested employees when we went to places but they reacted badly in some cases.”

Asked about the violent incidents, Killedar said: “If you underestimate the language, there will be a reaction. The cases you’re referring to happened at only 2-3 branches. The security guard said marathi gaya tel lagane (To hell with Marathi). These are service industry people; their business won’t work well if they do not speak to their customers in their language.”

Last month, Thackeray had surprised people by criticising Kumbh Mela. He refused to drink water brought from Kumbh, saying, “In social media I am seeing that people are scrubbing themselves and bathing. The COVID pandemic has just passed... Only a couple of years ago, people were roaming around with masks on their faces for two years. Now, they are going there and taking a bath. Who will drink that water?"

Girish Kuber said this was part of his strategy.

“No one dared touch Kumbh Mela—it was an attack on Hindutva’s precious events. But then followed it up with Marathi manoos, quickly shifting the goal post,” he said.  According to Kuber, while Fadnavis later issued a warning, it was with the states blessing that MNS workers did the campaign for days.

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against Raj Thackeray and the MNS for allegedly promoting hate speech and violence. Filed by Sunil Shukla, president of the Uttar Bharatiya Vikas Sena, the plea cites repeated threats to North Indian communities in the state.

“What right do they have to intimidate and hit people who are just doing their job and trying to make a living?” he asked. “They are dividing Hindus on the basis of language. How can anyone take the law into their own hands? I filed this case and raised my voice because the state failed to control the situation.”

Lawyer Abid Abbas Sayyed has also issued a legal notice to the CMO and the DGP for action to be taken against the party.

On Tuesday, 9 April, two women – one with a baby in her arms – were beaten up in Mumbai's Dombivli, for allegedly saying "excuse me" in English instead of Marathi. Thackeray may have paused the movement, but the language war has also been reignited.