Premium

‘Marathinama for civic body’: Group urges voters to back Marathi candidates ahead of BMC polls

The document appeals for support to leaders who promote Marathi schools, language and culture, and insists that political parties conduct their campaigns in Marathi.

2 min readMumbaiDec 31, 2025 09:31 PM IST

the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said on Wednesday that 2,516 nomination papers were filed by candidates vying to contest for 227 electoral wards across the city. (File Photo)

Ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, the Marathi Abhyas Kendra (Marathi Studies Centre) has released a document titled ‘Marathinama for the Municipal Corporation’, urging voters to prioritise Marathi candidates irrespective of party affiliation. The document appeals for support to leaders who promote Marathi schools, language and culture, and insists that political parties conduct their campaigns in Marathi.

The document calls for special efforts to ensure that Mumbai’s “Marathi identity” is visibly reflected in public spaces. “Marathi must be prominently and preferentially used on roads, in public hospitals, transport systems, gardens, theatres, cinema halls, auditoriums, and similar places,” it states, while also insisting that the mayor should be Marathi.

Demanding that all official work be conducted in Marathi, the document seeks enforcement of Marathi signage on shops and greater representation of Marathi people in contracts, jobs and business licences. It also appeals to the administration that civic corporations should not provide infrastructure for festivals and celebrations of migrants from other states on a par with Marathi festivals.

The document was released at a public meeting held at the Rajarshi Shahu Auditorium in Dadar on Wednesday, where representatives of several organisations working for the Marathi language, culture and community gathered to deliberate on electoral issues.

Criticising the Congress for releasing a separate manifesto aimed at North Indian voters for the BMC elections, Dr Deepak Pawar, president of the Marathi Abhyas Kendra, said the move was “dangerous and divisive” and could have long-term consequences for Maharashtra. He also accused political parties of failing to protect Marathi interests despite frequently invoking Marathi identity during election campaigns. Pawar said the document was not limited to the BMC polls but was intended for all municipal body elections across Maharashtra.

As the Marathi Abhyas Kendra has been campaigning for the survival of Marathi-medium schools in Mumbai, the document also includes demands related to civic schools. It calls on the municipal corporation not to open new schools in any regional language other than Marathi and states that if unsafe buildings housing Marathi schools are demolished, a new Marathi school must be rebuilt at the same location with full capacity.

Pallavi Smart

Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra. Expertise Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting. Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive: Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses). Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers. Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis). Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students. Credentials & Trustworthiness Dedicated Beat: Her consistent focus on the "KG to PG" education beat allows her to develop unparalleled subject matter knowledge, ensuring her reports are accurate, detailed, and contextualized. Proactive Reporting: Her articles frequently break news on policy and institutional planning, providing the public with timely, essential information about a sector that directly impacts millions of families. She tweets @Pallavi_Smart ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Loading Taboola...