What's In The Name? Row Over Penguin Names At Mumbai Zoo, BJP Demands Preference To Marathi

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The BJP leaders are arguing that the baby Pengiuns are domiciled in Maharashtra by birth, and therefore, should be given Marathi names.
The penguins at the Byculla Zoo have again grabbed the headlines after a massive row erupted in the political circles of Mumbai over their names. Intensifying the push for the Marathi language, BJP leaders are demanding that Penguin chicks born in a city zoo should be given Marathi names.
Expanding their son or daughter-of-the-soil debate, so far restricted to humans, the BJP leaders are arguing that the flightless birds are domiciled in Maharashtra by birth, and therefore, should be given Marathi names so that Maharashtra's cultural identity and Marathi language are respected.
The controversy erupted at a time when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections are round the corner in Mumbai, and debate over language and identify are growing in political parties.
How It All Began?
In March 2025, eight penguins kept in Ranibagh gave birth to three chicks. Following which, the zoological museum administration named the chicks — Noddy, Tom and Pingu.
Soon after the baby penguins were named, an objection was raised by the BJP leaders, saying Marathi names should have been given priority while naming the penguins. BJP leader from Byculla constituency Nilesh Bankar objected to this and sent two letters to the zoo administration.
'Giving English names to these penguins is injustice to the Marathi language. Isn't this hatred towards Marathi language?" he said.
According to NDTV, the BJP leaders said the penguins were born in Mumbai and described the newborn penguins as 'native residents'/'sons of the soil' i.e., bhumiputra from birth. However, there was no official response from the zoo administration to the BJP leaders.The BJP leaders have also protested in front of the zoo.
First Published:
June 04, 2025, 12:23 IST

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