Mumbai:
With the State Government’s move to introduce Hindi as an essential third language for the primary section in Marathi and English-Meritual schools, the “Hindi” line has spread from South to Maharashtra. Opposition Congress and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navneman Sena had voiced strong objections.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray slammed the three language policy of the Center along with today’s order in a post on X.
Sri Thackeray – whose party “Marathi first” policy wants – had earlier talked about the resistance of South against Hindi, saying that Maharashtra should follow his example.
Today’s post from the MNS chief, however, was very fast and directly targeted the center.
“Whatever you have a three -lingual formula, limit it to government affairs, do not bring it into education,” he wrote. MNS, he said, “Everything will not allow the current efforts of the central government to be successful in this state.
“We are Hindus, but not Hindi! If you try to portray Maharashtra as Hindi, it is bound to struggle in Maharashtra. If you see all this, you will realize that the government is deliberately creating this struggle. Is it all an attempt to create a struggle between Marithy and Non-Marathi and try to take advantage of IT and take advantage of IT?” He said.
Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadatiwar demanded that the state government should immediately withdraw notification on the introduction of Hindi as a mandatory third language. He said, “Maharashtra’s mother tongue is Marathi, but Marathi and English are used in education and administration. In such a situation, forcibly implementing Hindi as a third language is an injustice for Marathi and an attack on the identity of Marathi speakers,” he said.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has defended the state’s move and praised the language policy of the Center.
“If someone wants to learn English, they can learn English. If anyone wants to learn another language, there is no prohibition on anyone from learning other languages.
“Marathi is our primary language, but being Hindi, national language, should also be respected. In Maharashtra, we will naturally speak Marathi, but Hindi should also be included in education,” said the state’s chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule.
The resistance of Hindi in classes in the south is being taken by Tamil Nadu, which has two language policy and is under central pressure to introduce one third.
The state’s decision DMK has alleged that the National Education Policy is to implement a cultural symmetry that will rob India to the southern states of its diversity and their separate cultural identity.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin claimed that 25 Indian languages including Marathi were suffering as many states had adopted Hindi. His son Udhayanidhi Stalin also gave a list of languages that are on the verge of dying for lack of use.
