Hindi row: Withdrawal of govt order sparks political tug-of-war in Maharashtra

Mumbai, June 30 (IANS) Amid intense public backlash and Opposition protests, the Maharashtra government has scrapped two government resolutions (GRs) that sought to impose Hindi as a compulsory third language in Marathi and English-medium schools for Classes 1 to 5. However, the ruling Mahayuti coalition insists the decision has only been suspended temporarily and will be revisited after an expert committee submits its report.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the formation of a committee headed by former Planning Commission member Narendra Jadhav to examine the trilingual policy and recommend a course of action with the interests of Marathi-speaking students at the centre.

The committee has been given a three-month deadline to submit its findings.

Addressing the media, Fadnavis said the two GRs -- dated April 16 and June 17 -- have been scrapped. He clarified that while the state government has made Marathi mandatory in schools, Hindi would remain optional.

The move triggered widespread protests, forcing the government to review the policy.

Speaking to IANS, Minister Uday Samant said, "You must have realised by now that this is a battle for dominance. If you look at the recent trolling of Marathi people, it clearly says, 'M doesn't stand for Marathi, it stands for Municipal Corporation.' Now, the public understands that this was all a political issue. MNS, under the leadership of Raj Saheb, had already indicated a protest. Later, the UBT Shiv Sena joined in. Now, sidelining MNS, they are celebrating a so-called victory."

He also claimed that the original three-language policy came from the Dr Raghunath Mashelkar committee, set up during the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government, adding that the Thackeray administration had endorsed the idea of implementing the policy from Class 1 to 12.

Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule echoed this view, stating, "Our Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has decided to review the matter once again, keeping in mind the sentiments of the people. No decision should go against public sentiment. Even if one person objects to a government move, the government considers it seriously."

Minister Ashish Shelar claimed credit for the BJP-led Mahayuti, saying, "Maharashtra has won -- the Marathi people have won, and the BJP has emerged victorious. We had always maintained a clear stance. Our respected Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Mahayuti made this decision firmly in favour of Marathi identity -- no one else made this decision."

Minister Chhagan Bhujbal added a personal anecdote to his support for Hindi: "I am not against the Hindi language. When I was in the 4th standard, my teacher asked me to join the Bombay Hindi Prachar Sabha. I joined it and participated actively. And today, after almost 40 years, I am now the President of Mumbai Hindi Prachar Sabha."

Minister Pankaja Munde also welcomed the decision.

"Learning and understanding in one's mother tongue is always easier for people and children. This is a win for the Marathi language," she told IANS, while maintaining that Marathi was never intended to be sidelined.

Speaking to IANS, Shiv Sena leader Manisha Kayande clarified, "The three-language formula was formed by the Mashelkar committee, which was established during the Uddhav Thackeray government. But there was opposition regarding which class to teach it to. To avoid confusion in the minds of students, the government has postponed it. An expert committee has been formed."

However, former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh countered, and told IANS, "No one has any objection to the Hindi language. However, the directive issued by the state government to make Hindi compulsory at the primary school level was opposed across Maharashtra. Such imposition should not be there in primary schools."

Deshmukh further stated that public pressure played a key role in the rollback.

"A grand rally was going to be held on July 5. Due to this fear, the state government cancelled this GR. We speak Hindi, but there should not be a dominance of the Hindi language in primary schools. This is the demand of the common people, and it is getting good support from all over Maharashtra," he said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey told IANS, "There was widespread opposition across Maharashtra to the forced imposition of Hindi from Classes 1 to 5. Leaders like Uddhav Thackeray, Raj Thackeray, and many other parties opposed it. Small children, just 5-6 years old, cannot handle the burden of learning three languages."

"We will also oppose this committee. We will not let Hindi imposition happen in the state. Now, they (Mahayuti) will face a defeat in the BMC elections because the Marathi people have been awakened," he added.

Congress leader Pawan Khera also weighed in, stating, "Our party's clear opinion is that it is not right to put so much burden on a first-grade child that he has to learn three languages. It is a different matter after fifth grade, but it is not right at such a young age."

--IANS

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