Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Dec 4: What has long been a daily struggle for space inside Mumbai’s packed suburban trains has now turned into a sensitive flashpoint over language identity. The tragic death of a 19-year-old commuter has brought the simmering Hindi–Marathi divide back into public and political focus.

Arnav Khaire, a first-year BSc student from Kalyan, reportedly took his own life on November 18, days after he was allegedly assaulted inside a local train for speaking in Hindi instead of Marathi. His family claims the humiliation and trauma drove him to suicide. Ironically, the youngster himself was a Marathi speaker who chose to communicate in Hindi during his commute.

The incident has triggered severe outrage, with political parties clashing over who is responsible for the growing intolerance on Mumbai’s lifeline — a network relied upon by nearly 70 lakh people every day.

BJP workers have staged protests, accusing Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) of instigating hatred against non-Marathi speakers. The opposition, meanwhile, has argued that the matter should not be mixed with their recent agitation against the “imposition of Hindi” in schools.

For decades, language-related tensions have surfaced periodically in the state — often finding political expression through campaigns championing the ‘Marathi manoos’. With the recent controversy over introducing Hindi as a compulsory language from Class 1, the issue has once again returned to centre stage ahead of the ongoing local body polls.

Adding fuel to the fire is the rising stress of travel itself. Post-pandemic ridership on both Central and Western Railway lines has surged, and crowd congestion in fast-growing suburbs like Kalyan, Dombivli, Badlapur and Virar has made commuting more exhausting and emotionally charged.

Regular commuters say that confrontations rooted in language are slowly becoming common, especially during peak hours. Many prefer to ignore taunts and avoid filing complaints due to the urgency of their daily schedule. But arguments occasionally escalate into physical scuffles, creating a sense of vulnerability among passengers.

Government Railway Police officials state that cases are registered only when serious offences occur. However, a spike in video recordings of heated exchanges, rapidly circulated on social media, has amplified public concern, making such incidents appear more frequent.

Activists and political leaders have issued conflicting statements — while one camp accuses rivals of fanning anti-migrant sentiment, the other alleges attempts to exploit the tragedy for electoral gains. Both Shiv Sena factions insist that assaults in the name of language must be condemned, even as they assert the cultural significance of Marathi.

As trains continue to run overcrowded, the delicate balance between Mumbai’s cosmopolitan character and linguistic pride ¬appears increasingly under strain. And with a young life lost, the city is once again left questioning how a routine journey turned into a battleground of identity.