At a time when the Marathi vs non-Maharashtrian debate continues to flare up across the state, with incidents of residents being targeted by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers for not speaking the language, residents of Lodha Palava in Dombivli have chosen to bridge the divide in their own way.

In townships like Casa Rio, Casa Bella Gold and Lakeshore, several non-Maharashtrian residents, particularly senior citizens, are coming forward to learn Marathi. The initiative, which began in May, is being spearheaded by the Senior Citizens Foundation, Palava, which has over 500 members.

Bipin Purohit, president of the Senior Citizens Foundation, Palava, who hails from Gujarat and has lived in Maharashtra for over a decade, said, “I can’t speak Marathi fluently even after staying here for 10 years. But I strongly feel there is no harm in learning the local language, no matter the age. In fact, one should love to learn it if staying in Maharashtra, it’s for our own benefit. This short-term course will continue till we master the basics.”