Amid Marathi row, startup founder’s advice: ‘Move to Dubai or Singapore. No one expects you to learn local language’

Amid calls to learn Marathi while living in Maharashtra, finance expert and startup founder Akshat Shrivastava on Monday urged people to consider relocating to countries like Dubai or Singapore – where, he said, one is not expected to learn the local language to live in peace.

“Folks: just move to Dubai or Singapore. No one expects you to learn local language. It is a plus, if you know – but you would NOT be thrashed by goons if you don’t. Just follow the law. Be a good resident. Add to their economy. And, get good facilities in return. Better future for your kids. And, good career opportunities. Live and let live,” Shrivastava wrote in a post on X.

Akshat’s remarks come amid continuing public outrage over incidents involving Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers, who assaulted a shopkeeper in Mumbai last week for not speaking in Marathi. In a separate incident, MNS supporters vandalised a businessman’s office in Worli after he publicly criticised Raj Thackeray and said he would not learn Marathi.

Responding to the ongoing discourse, Gaurav Sabnis, an associate professor, earlier wrote, “No one in Maharashtra expects visitors to speak Marathi. But if you make Maharashtra your home, we expect you to at least try to speak Marathi. Same in Bangalore. If you’re making Bangalore your home, refusing to even try to speak Kannada is both lazy and disrespectful.”

A social media user named Prayag offered a different account of ground reality in Maharashtra. “Met so many Marathis today, no one talked to me in Marathi after knowing I’m not from Maharashtra, no one abused, no one forced anything…One cab wale bhaiya said ‘Arey ye sab netaon ki rajneeti hai bas’. So this is the ground reality.”

Meanwhile, MNS chief Raj Thackeray, during a joint rally with Uddhav Thackeray, said: “Be it Gujarati or anyone else, they must know Marathi. But there is no need to beat people for not speaking Marathi. [But] if someone creates unnecessary drama, you must hit below their eardrums.” He also instructed party workers not to record videos of such assaults.

Uddhav Thackeray defended the party’s stance, stating, “Yes, we are goons if we have to do hooliganism for justice…If a Marathi manus is asking for justice, and if you are calling us goons, Yes, we are goons; if we have to be goons to get justice, we will do goondagiri.”

The party has refused to apologise or take action against those involved in the attacks. Sandeep Deshpande, MNS Mumbai unit chief, said the slapping of the shopkeeper was justified: “If there is an attempt to insult Marathi, we will respond. It will not be tolerated.”