A 19-year-old student was thrashed by a mob in Thane. The reason? The Maharashtrian boy chose to speak in Hindi, and not Marathi. Hurt and humiliated, he soon died by suicide.
Anti-Hindi sentiment is not new in Maharashtra. For decades, clashes and arguments have broken out between hardliners and language agnostics.
Videos of Marathi chauvinists thrashing those who don’t know the language have often evoked strong reactions.
But the death of Arnav Laxman Khaire marks a tragic escalation.
Hindi language row
Arnav’s body was found hanging in his flat in Thane’s Kalyan East on Tuesday evening. He died hours after being beaten up in a local train he usually takes to reach his college in Mulund.
According to the teenager's father, Jeetendra Khaire, Arnav had asked a fellow passenger to make space in a crowded carriage. The request, made in Hindi, led to the confrontation.
At least five people reportedly got together and beat him up.
Arnav then returned home, without attending college. He called his father on the phone to narrate the incident.
Outrage over Arnva's death
Sensing tension in Arnav's voice, the father rushed home, only to find him hanging. The incident has sparked massive outrage online, with many demanding the strictest punishment for the accused.
The police have filed an FIR, marking it as an accidental death. An investigation is underway.
