The recent joyous occasion of penguin chicks being born at Mumbai’s Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Udyan and Zoo, popularly known as Rani Baug, has taken an unexpected political turn. A local BJP leader has sparked debate by publicly demanding that the newborn feathered residents be given traditional Marathi names.
Nitin Bankar, a prominent BJP leader from the Byculla Assembly constituency, led a demonstration today, articulating the demand for Marathi nomenclature for the chicks. Bankar’s argument hinges on a sense of local pride and cultural identity.
“When penguins were initially brought from abroad to Rani Baug, we understood and accepted that their names would be in English,” stated Bankar during the demonstration. “However, chicks born here, on the soil of Maharashtra, should unequivocally be given Marathi names.”
The demand highlights a unique intersection of wildlife conservation, cultural sentiment, and local politics. While the zoo authorities have yet to issue an official response to the demand, the call for Marathi names for the “Maharashtra-born” penguin chicks has certainly garnered attention and sparked discussion across the city.
