Dr Sanjay Upadhye Urges Daily Marathi Usage at NMMC Language Week Event

Noted speaker and author Dr Sanjay Upadhye urged citizens to take pride in their mother tongue and speak it daily during an interactive session in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday, October 7, 2026. The event, titled 'Mother Tongue and Mental Peace', was organised by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) to mark Classical Marathi Language Week and launch several civic initiatives to preserve the language.

Addressing the gathering at the NMMC headquarters, Upadhye said that Marathi is an effective medium to connect people and that embracing it within households strengthens both family bonds and society. He noted that people should take personal responsibility for sustaining the language rather than merely observing annual events or blaming others for its decline. Marathi could be naturally preserved through regular forms of expression such as humour, poetry, and conversation, he added.

Navi Mumbai Mayor Sujata Patil addressed the gathering, stating that language preserves cultural soul and historical heritage while making daily life more meaningful. Patil also shared details from her recent visit representing Navi Mumbai at an international water conference in the United States, citing the goodwill the city experienced abroad.

NMMC Commissioner Dr Kailas Shinde emphasised that any language declines when its daily use drops, calling for sustained individual and collective efforts to communicate in Marathi. Additional Municipal Commissioner Sunil Pawar described Marathi as deeply connected to the local soil and noted that the language will remain vibrant as long as traditions like the Wari of Lord Vitthal continue.

The programme was attended by Deputy Mayor Dashrath Bhagat, Additional Municipal Commissioner Dr Rahul Gethe, Deputy Commissioner Dr Sanjay Shinde, Dr Amol Palve, Dr Ajay Gadge, Smita Kale, and Chief Legal Officer Abhay Jadhav, alongside other civic staff and residents.

As part of the ongoing Classical Marathi Language Week, NMMC will hold its next session on Thursday, October 8, at 10:30 am at the Knowledge Centre inside the civic headquarters. Author Vivek Mehetre is scheduled to deliver a free public lecture on the 'Effective Use of AI in Official Marathi Work'. Additionally, the civic body has extended the submission deadline for its Marathi Slogan and Message Competition from October 7 to October 12.