The difference between mofat (meaning free) and mafak (meaning reasonable) in Marathi is becoming a point of debate. At a political rally of the Shiv Sena-BJP on Thursday, Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray suddenly demanded that all the mill workers who have lost their jobs (or descendants) be given “mofat” houses.
The next day, in the assembly, all the opposition leaders raised the demand again, insisting that mill workers, who truly represent the Marathi manoos (man) , be given free houses, though leader of the opposition, Eknath Khadse of the BJP, said that at the minimum they be given houses “mafak”.
The demand for free housing is a result of inter-union rivalry. Today, there are nine unions representing the mill workers.
According to a mill workers’ leader, the demand for free housing was raised suddenly during the rally because one of the unions earlier made a demand for it.
“We workers have never asked for free housing. We had only said give us our share of the mill land for free so that we may build our houses, ”said the leader.
But, the Sena-BJP latched on to the demand for free housing, seeing it as a golden opportunity to win over the mill workers ahead of the municipal corporation polls.
Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said it was not possible to give free houses all the mill workers or their families, but promised to provide them at “reasonable” rates.
Another union leader who is backing the demand for free housing, pointed out that mill workers have been unemployed for decades and are hardly in a position to build their own houses.
“Today, on selling the mill land, the government earns crores of rupees thanks to the prevailing land rates. Surely they can build houses for poor mill workers now,” he said.
