Sena (UBT) urges Marathi inclusion in restaurant menus, bills

Shiv Sena (UBT) writes letter to collector, BMC chief stating restaurants, stores must have bills in Marathi to show respect to martyrs

The Shiv Sena (UBT) has submitted a request letter dated March 7 to the Mumbai collector and the municipal commissioner, urging them to instruct shopkeepers, hotel and restaurant owners to include Marathi in their bills and menu cards. This letter states that there is no opposition to any language, but Marathi must also be used, as it is the mother tongue of Maharashtra.  The page-long letter wraps up that failure to do so would be considered disrespectful to the Marathi-speaking community, the language itself and the 106 martyrs who sacrificed their lives for a united Maharashtra.

The letter is signed by Sena (UBT) leader Krishna Pawle. The leader told mid-day, “The important word is request. This also applies to shopkeepers and showrooms, too, who should have their bills in Marathi, besides English. If I go into a showroom and buy a shirt, they can give me an English bill but they should have one in Marathi too.”

Tourist influx

The Sena (UBT) leader added, “We understand that many tourists come in to Mumbai, so English is necessary. Yet, we must have Marathi, too. I have not specified that one particular language be printed bigger than the other or some such thing, only said that Marathi must be alongside.”
When asked, Pawle clarified there is no “timeframe specified as such, but a fortnight is reasonable for people to get menus and the bill printed in Marathi too.”
Pawle added, “We can have meetings with stakeholders explaining the reasoning. The hospitality establishments referred to are across the spectrum, from small places to five-star hotels.”

Pawle claimed that people have forgotten the contribution of Marathi martyrs. So many people just come to Mumbai to earn money, enjoy themselves and return home. “We are not against any religion or caste but respect the mother tongue of Maharashtra, we say. In South India, people speak in their mother tongue as they respect it,” the Sena (UBT) leader said.

Pawle stated that the request was very reasonable and that nobody was being forced, but the request was designed to create awareness about the sacrifices. “There are instances when patrons or shoppers do not know English but are forced to talk/shop in English. Certain shop owners and restaurant proprietors, too, struggle with English but are compelled to communicate in that lingo. This is not about division, it is about recognition and respect. Jai Maharashtra,” he signed off.

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