Usage of Marathi rules the Civic House

Mumbai, Jul 8 (UNI) The demand for the usage of Marathi language in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) once again dominated the civic House today, with ruling and Opposition disrupting the proceedings momentarily.

The Opposition members opposed the total use of Marathi, saying that the circulars should be circulated in Marathi and English as well for the benefit of the non-Maharashtrian corporators.

Niyaz Ahmed Vanu, the group leader of the NCP, said ''Marathi should be used along with English or Hindi in the corporation, as Mumbai is an international city. We should also use the international language.'' ''Instead of globalisation, we are going towards 'villagisation','' said the NCP group leader.

Raj Hans Singh, the Opposition leader in the corporation, said the whole issue has been blown out of proportion and the use of only Marathi will create a lot of complications for the non-Marathi corporators.

The House was disrupted many times, as the Opposition and the ruling party corporators shouted slogans against each other.

Bhalchandra Shirsat of BJP said the use of Marathi should start from the Municipal Commissioner and he should ask all his staff to prepare the circulars in Marathi.

Standing Committee chairman Ravindra Waikar said Marathi should be used as in the State assembly.

''When the MLAs of Maharashtra can use Marathi in the assembly, why not the corporators do the same in the BMC?'' he asked.

It may be recalled that the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP combine in the corporation has passed a circular saying that only Marathi language should be used in the corporation and the Opposition, led by Congress, is opposing the move tooth and nail. They have also demanded the reopening of the proposal.

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