The Maharashtra government’s language consultation committee unanimously rejected the state’s decision to make Hindi compulsory from Class 1 on Sunday. The committee’s chairperson, Laxmikant Deshmukh, wrote a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and urged him to roll back the decision.
State Adds Hindi as Third Language Under NEP
Earlier, on April 17, the state government had announced that Hindi would become a compulsory third language in all state board schools. This decision came as part of the National Education Policy (NEP) implementation.
Rahul Ashok Rekhawar, Director of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), stated that the School Education Department had made this decision on April 16. He said the policy aimed to benefit students’ growth and overall development. According to Rekhawar, “On behalf of the Maharashtra Government, the School Education Department has taken a decision in which teaching Hindi language along with Marathi and English has been made compulsory from class 1 in all the schools of the state board. This decision has been made with all the appointments and their development in view, and the students will definitely benefit from it.”
Fadnavis Responds to Criticism
After the announcement faced opposition, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis defended the move. He emphasized that learning Marathi remained mandatory and added that there should be no issue with students learning Hindi as an additional language. He expressed surprise at those who opposed Hindi but encouraged English. He remarked, “Marathi language is compulsory in Maharashtra; everyone should learn it. Additionally, if you wish to learn other languages, you can do so. Opposition to Hindi and promotion of English is surprising. If someone opposes Marathi, then it will not be tolerated.”
Opposition Leaders Voice Strong Objections
Meanwhile, leaders from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance criticized the ruling Mahayuti government’s decision. Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) MP Supriya Sule raised concerns about the government’s priorities. She pointed out that the state should first address its basic education infrastructure before making such language-related decisions. She stated, “I was first to oppose the education minister’s statement about making the CBSE board compulsory in Maharashtra. What is the need to replace the existing state board with CBSE? Before discussing the language issue, we must talk about the basic education infrastructure in the state.”
Uddhav Thackeray Warns Against Imposition
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray also criticized the decision. He said that people might cooperate if the government acted with respect, but forcing a language would face resistance. He questioned the need to impose Hindi on the state. He stated, “We will do everything if you ask (us) with affection, but if you impose anything, we will oppose it. Why this force for (learning) Hindi?”
Congress Condemns Forced Hindi Learning
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar strongly opposed making Hindi compulsory. He urged the government not to impose a language and suggested keeping it optional. He demanded to know who was behind this decision. He told ANI, “You can keep it optional, but you cannot impose it. At whose behest are you trying to impose this language on the state?”
“We consider Marathi our mother tongue, and this third language that is being introduced should not be brought in. There should be no coercion against the rights of the Marathi people — this is our demand.”
