Written by Pallavi SmartMumbai | December 18, 2025 12:21 AM IST 3 min readEven though the police have denied permission for the march, the Marathi Abhyas Kendra has announced that it remains firm on carrying it out and will continue staging protest until the BMC chief meets their delegation.Alleging that Brihanmumbai Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is deliberately shutting down Marathi medium schools, Marathi Abhyas Kendra (Marathi Study Centre) along with several other supporters have decided to continue its scheduled protest march on Thursday, even as police have denied permission for the same.ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEOProtesters have complained that citing purposes of redevelopment, Marathi medium civic schools with low student enrolment are being shut down by BMC without any assurance that they will reopen at the same location.This, according to them, has led many to fear that the land belonging to such Marathi schools is going to be handed over to builders for commercial purposes because the civic body is not taking any efforts to increase enrolment.“There is no assurance that these schools will reopen at those particular locations,”said Anand Bhandare, general secretary of Marathi Abhyas Kendra.As reported by The Indian Express in February 2025, a comparison of the number of Marathi medium schools run by the BMC over the last decade shows a steep drop – from 368 schools in academic year 2014-15 to only 262 schools in academic year 2023-34.But protesters said that this is only a gradual decline in the number of Marathi medium schools of BMC over the years due to low enrolment.Whereas in the past two years alone, 28 BMC schools have been shut down citing redevelopment, out of which 17 are Marathi medium schools.Story continues below this adFollowing a meeting with supporters on Sunday, Marathi Abhyas Kendra had announced a protest march to the BMC office seeking resolution.Even though the police have denied permission for the march, the Marathi Abhyas Kendra has announced that it remains firm on carrying it out and will continue staging protest until the BMC chief meets their delegation.The protesters allegation that the shutting down of these schools are “systematic dismantling” of the city’s Marathi ecosystem may lead to the Marathi language issue taking the centre-stage ahead of the civic polls, as the organisers have sought support from various political parties.Among the demands by the Marathi Abhyas Kendra are assurance from BMC that no school will be closed down citing redevelopment, preparation of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for really dangerous structures to ensure that upon redevelopment the school reopens, detailed structural audit of all schools which should be made available in public domain.Story continues below this adThe study also urged the BMC to propose an Act to safeguard Marathi schools.“We are demanding that BMC should propose such an act to the state government so that it does not become the cause of death of Marathi in a cosmopolitan city like Mumbai where decline in number of Marathi medium schools is clear indication of gradual disappearance of Marathi,” said Bhandare.Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra. Expertise Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting. Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive: Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes. 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