Opinion ‘Jai Maharashtra’ in Paris: Do we really need to impose regional pride on unsuspecting people?
One wonders whether those who chanted the slogans appreciate the historical importance of places beyond their homeland, and whether they seek to learn from diverse experiences
As the shouting grows louder, the street performer appears uneasy (Image source: @Delhiite_/X) A group of Maharashtrian tourists visited the Montmartre area in Paris, where a street performer was entertaining the crowd. Suddenly, one tourist placed his arm around the performer and began loudly chanting slogans such as “Jai Maharashtra”, “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ki Jai”, “Jai Shiv Sena” and “Shinde Saheb Aage Badho!” Soon, others in the group joined in, intensifying the chants despite the performer’s visible discomfort.
The first two slogans express pride in the region and reverence for the historical figure Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, emblematic of Maharashtra, while the other two praise Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena. A video of the incident quickly went viral, sparking heated online debates about civic sense, public behaviour abroad, and the appropriateness of raising regional or political slogans in such settings.
This is not an isolated case. Ganesh Visarjan in a river in London or Nagar Kirtan in New Zealand have drawn mixed reactions online. While some praised these as vibrant displays of cultural heritage abroad, others expressed concerns about their potential impact on the environment, public hygiene, and disruption of local life. At a point in history when far-right groups worldwide are pushing anti-immigration politics, and discussions on finding space for Global South immigrants in the Global North are in full swing, it is imperative that Indians — both those living at home and those travelling abroad — introspect about their values and actions.
Expressions of cultural or regional pride are not wrong. However, such acts should always be guided by civic responsibility and empathy for those who are different from us. Incidents like these have become more visible in India’s evolving political and social landscape, where uncivil or disruptive behaviour, cloaked in aggressive religious or regional nationalism, often gains tacit endorsement.
Beyond a mere lack of civic sense, the incident of tourists loudly chanting “Jai Maharashtra” in Paris reveals an undercurrent of insecurity. This sentiment, rooted in historical and socio-political experiences, occasionally manifests in overcompensatory or disruptive displays of regional pride abroad. The episode unfolded in Montmartre, the iconic Parisian neighbourhood that served as the epicentre of artistic life during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. One wonders whether those who chanted the slogans appreciate the historical importance of places beyond their homeland, and whether they seek to learn from diverse experiences rather than impose their ethnocentrism on unsuspecting people around the globe.
On one hand, the world has increasingly become a global village — a vision echoed centuries ago by the Marathi saint Dnyaneshwar in his profound statement, “He vishwachi maze ghar” (“This entire world is my home”), which promotes a sense of universal belonging and interconnectedness. On the other hand, we witness rigid sectarian identities, partisan mindsets, and deepening divisions. We inhabit a deeply paradoxical era. From tightened borders and mass deportation campaigns in the United States to rising far-right mobilisation in Europe, New Zealand, and elsewhere, hyper-nationalistic fervour is palpable across continents. Seemingly small incidents like disruptive chants abroad offer micro-level glimpses into larger macro processes — the tension between globalisation’s promise of openness and the resurgence of exclusionary nationalism in our interconnected yet fractured world.
The renowned Jnanpith Award–winning Marathi poet G V Karandikar captured this timeless truth in his poem: Raktaraktatil koslot bhinti/Manvache anti ek gotra (Let the walls between blood and blood crumble/ ultimately, all humanity belongs to one lineage.)
The poem affirms that beneath divisions of caste, creed, or origin, all human beings are fundamentally one. True acceptance of cultural diversity would render such loud, disruptive displays of narrow pride unnecessary — replacing false superiority with genuine humility and mutual respect.
Urdu poet Nida Fazli, in his ghazal, asks: “Awazon ke bazaaron mein khamoshi pehchaane kaun?” (Who understands the value of silence in the marketplace of noise?) Recognising and embracing this khamoshi — the quiet space beyond clamour — is both a philosophical and spiritual endeavour. It calls us to prioritise inner awareness over outward noise. Above all, let us begin with the basics: Cultivating genuine civic sense — respect for shared spaces, empathy for others, and restraint in expression — so that we may understand “Jai Maharashtra, Jai Paris” without having to chant it.
The writer teaches at Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, Bangkok
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