Mumbai: A video lasting 1 minute and 40 seconds has gone viral on social media, showing a booking clerk at Central Railway’s Nahur station allegedly refusing to communicate in Marathi. The video, shared on X (formerly Twitter) on November 25 at 6:49 PM, had garnered 56,700 views by Tuesday.
In the video, a Marathi-speaking commuter asking for a ticket in Marathi. The booking clerk, however, replies, “I don’t know Marathi.” This response has sparked outrage among Marathi speakers, who see it as a disregard for the local language. The video was reportedly recorded by a commuter who found the clerk’s behavior unacceptable.
एकतर महाराष्ट्रात राहून मराठी येत नाही आणि दादागिरी बघा…
महाराष्ट्रात पोट भरणाऱ्या प्रत्येकाला मराठी आलीच पाहिजे!
रेल्वे कर्मचाऱ्याचा जाहीर निषेध! pic.twitter.com/kAyFznU641
— Subhash Shelke – सुभाष शेळके (@suvishelke) November 25, 2024
After the video went viral, the clerk had been sensitized and instructed to communicate in Marathi when dealing with local passengers. A senior railway official stated, “The staff member has been reprimanded and guided to use Marathi, the local language, in interactions with commuters.”
The incident has led to widespread dissatisfaction, particularly among ‘Marathi Manush’ who advocate for the preservation of Marathi culture and language in public services.
The video was posted of Shubhash Shelke at 6.49 pm on 25th November. Replying to the video several Marathi speaking net users have demanded stricter measures to ensure that railway employees are proficient in Marathi and respect the linguistic preferences of commuters.
