Is the Marathi Population in Mumbai Declining? The Real Reasons Behind the Growing Unrest

 Is the Marathi Population in Mumbai Declining? The Real Reasons Behind the Growing Unrest

Today, there is a deep sense of unrest in the minds of Marathi people in Mumbai—at some places, this unrest has turned into anger. This discomfort cannot be explained simply by saying “the number of people from other states has increased.” Migration existed decades ago as well, yet the tension was not this intense. So what has really changed?

This question is less connected to political slogans and far more linked to failures in social, economic, and urban governance.

1) Historical and Social Background

From the era of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Maharashtra has shown strong traditions of public participation, village systems, the saint movement, civic discipline, and social order. Like parts of South India, Maharashtra developed a stable middle-class culture relatively early.

The Marathi person values housing, education, law, cleanliness, and civic rules—and is willing to pay the price for them.

2) Migration: The Problem Is Not People, but Governance

Mumbai is India’s financial capital, so migration for employment is natural. The issue is not migration itself, but uncontrolled migration combined with the failure of urban systems to manage it.

Today’s reality is that:

Illegal businesses operate on footpaths, roadsides, and open spaces

Slums expand under political protection

The law-abiding Marathi middle class is crushed under high housing prices, rent, taxes, electricity, and water bills

This creates unequal competition.

3) Pressure on Jobs and Businesses

The Marathi youth gets educated, follows rules, and expects minimum wages. On the other hand, many migrants work for extremely low wages. As a result:

Marathi youth fall behind in employment

Small Marathi businesses cannot survive due to rent, licenses, and taxes

Footpath businesses, illegal stalls, and temporary setups are not viable options for Marathi people

This resentment is not linguistic—it is a sense of economic injustice.

4) Housing: The Displacement of Marathi People from Mumbai

Housing prices in Mumbai have moved far beyond the reach of the Marathi middle class.

A Marathi youth born in Mumbai:

Is pushed to Virar, Kalyan, Badlapur, or even Karjat

Spends 3–4 hours commuting daily

Gradually loses their identity as a “Mumbaikar”

This is not an emotional issue—it is a failure of urban planning.

Local Trains and Women Passengers: A Daily Struggle Nobody Acknowledges

Mumbai’s local trains are the city’s lifeline, yet for women they often become daily battlefields. Marathi middle-class women—who manage jobs, household responsibilities, and caregiving—face persistent neglect from authorities regarding their travel difficulties.

Even with reserved ladies’ compartments, during peak hours women face:

Pushing and shoving while boarding

Pressure from groups standing near doors

Obstruction while alighting

Lewd comments and inappropriate physical contact

All this is treated as “normal.” Though complaint mechanisms exist, they are seen as time-consuming and ineffective, so most women remain silent.

Another harsh reality is the informal control over ladies’ compartments. Certain groups, daily commuters, and local dominance result in:

New women passengers being denied space

Marathi women being told to “adjust”

Conflicts that women must fight alone

This daily mental exhaustion and insecurity affects work performance, health, and self-confidence. Yet it is never addressed seriously as a women’s safety issue—it is dismissed as a “Mumbai habit.”

Safe and dignified travel is not a privilege—it is a citizen’s right. But that right is crushed daily in local trains, without political debate or concrete solutions.

5) Thackeray Leadership: Emotional Politics, Lack of Solutions

Many believe Uddhav Thackeray or Raj Thackeray are solutions to these problems. Reality suggests otherwise.

Were BMC’s reserved lands used for Marathi entrepreneurs? No

Were affordable housing schemes implemented specifically for Marathi youth? No

Were equal rules enforced for footpath businesses? No

Emotional speeches were delivered, but structural solutions were missing.

Uddhav Thackeray speaks about the Coastal Road, but leadership demands clarity on:

Environmental clearances

Project costs

Contracting processes

Long-term urban benefits

This clarity is absent. In contrast, leaders like Devendra Fadnavis articulate projects with detailed explanations—highlighting a clear difference in leadership capacity.

6) What Do the Numbers Say?

Census data makes the picture clear:

In 1961, Marathi speakers formed around 60% of Mumbai’s population

By 2011, this fell to below 40%

This change did not occur overnight—it resulted from decades of unplanned development.

Earlier:

Jobs were industrial

Housing was relatively affordable

Rules were applied more uniformly

Today, all three have collapsed.

7) Why Does the Rule-Following Citizen Lose in Mumbai?

The biggest “mistake” of the Marathi middle class is that it follows the rules.

It does not run footpath businesses

It does not build illegal slums

It invests in education, safety, and dignity

Meanwhile, large migrant populations:

Occupy illegal spaces

Work at extremely low wages

Break rules with political protection

This has created a dual urban economy:

One for rule-followers

One for rule-breakers

The direct casualty of this system is the Marathi citizen.

8) Business and Employment: The Reality of Unequal Competition

Marathi people are rapidly losing ground in small industries, retail, and services due to:

Extremely high rents

Expensive licenses

Taxes, GST, and municipal charges

While others operate via:

Footpath businesses

Illegal stalls

Cash transactions with zero tax

This is not a free market—it is institutionalized injustice.

9) What Is the Answer to Marathi Unrest?

The answer does not lie in hatred. It lies in:

Equal laws for everyone

Firm action against illegal businesses

Affordable housing for the Marathi middle class

Skill development and enterprise support for local youth

Practical, scientific urban policies—not emotional politics

Marathi people are not against anyone.

They are simply demanding justice, equal opportunity, and the right to live with dignity in their own city.

Today’s unrest is a warning. If it is ignored, it will intensify. And when that happens, the blame will not lie with any community—but with our failed system.

— Kedar Kulkarni