"Speak Marathi or Get Slapped": Bank of Maharashtra Officers Protest Language Threats

Bank of Maharashtra Officers' Association has started agitations against so-called threats and directives requiring staff to conduct all transactions in Marathi only. The issue concerns the Marathi Language Policy of the Maharashtra government directing all government and half-government offices, including banks, to communicate, put up notices, and write in Marathi. Non-compliant employees will be punished and complaints may be made with the departmental heads or the Marathi Language Committee.

The union was demonstrating against intimidation measures, i.e., threats of physical harm like "being slapped" in case they don't comply. These actions have shaken bank workers, who claim that such enforcement is an intrusion into professional discretion and a source of workplace harassment.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has also agitated for greater utilization of Marathi in banks, insisting that application forms and customer contact must be in Marathi. They have also complained about the under-representation of Marathi-speaking staff in management.

Though the state justifies the policy as a measure to protect Marathi language and cultural heritage, its opponents say coercive enforcement disregards workplace harmony and accommodation. The protests are signs of tensions between labor rights and language promotion policies in Maharashtra.