A Maharashtra government order saying “Hindi will generally be the third language in Marathi and English medium schools for Class 1 to 5” has kicked up a controversy in the state with opposition parties terming it as an indirect attempt for “Hindi imposition” in the state.
The government resolution (GR) issued by the school education department on Tuesday said, “According to the State Curriculum Plan, School Education 2024, Hindi will generally be the third language in Marathi and English medium schools for Class 1 to 5. If a student wants to learn any other Indian language, then he or she will be allowed to do so.”
The order said the students in primary schools who do not want Hindi can opt for other languages provided there are at least 20 students and a dedicated teacher for the same.
“If the number of students is less than 20, then they will be given virtual classes for learning that particular language. Marathi will remain as a mandatory language in all the language schools,” it added.
Opposition parties- Congress and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS)- on Wednesday objected to the order alleging that the government has Hindi as a third mandatory language in the state.
Earlier this year, school education minister Dada Bhuse had said that Hindi would not be mandatory for the primary classes after it faced backlash for a proposal to introduce Hindi from Class 1.
The Opposition parties said the government has now backtracked from this decision and has brought it back, making Hindi compulsory by putting riders for teaching other languages.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Wednesday warned the government over the latest order and appealed to schools not to implement the same.
State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal accused chief minister Devendra Fadnavis of “stabbing in the heart of Maharashtra and Marathi language.”
“By claiming that the imposition of Hindi as a third language has been cancelled, the public was deceived (by the government). But what does the (fresh) government resolution actually say? Hindi will remain the compulsory third language, if any other language is to be learned, there must be a minimum of 20 students, which means this is just a facade of choice – a well-planned imposition of Hindi,” Sapkal said in a post on social media.
Sapkal further alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is implementing an anti-Maharashtra agenda, to erase the Marathi language, its identity, and people.
Raj Thackeray also said that he is sending letters to all school headmasters and principals in the state appealing to them not to enforce Hindi from Class 1.
“I would be thankful if they oppose the decision, but if they help the government by enforcing Hindi then his party workers would come to have a discussion with them and it will be treated as an anti-Maharashtra activity,” he said, also accusing north Indians of wanting to capture Maharashtra by enforcing Hindi from Standard 1.
Thackeray also claimed that textbooks were already being printed for enforcing Hindi from Class 1.
“If Hindi is not being enforced in neighbouring Gujarat, then why is it being enforced in Maharashtra from Class 1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and (Union) home minister Amit Shah are from Gujarat and Hindi is not enforced in Gujarat,” he said, stressing that Hindi is the language of some states and not of the entire country.
Responding to the opposition, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said Hindi has not been made mandatory in the new order.
“It is not mandatory anymore. Students can learn any Indian language. I also want to ask, if English is being accepted, then why is there opposition to Indian languages?” he said.
“Raj Thackeray spoke with me. He said there should be only two compulsory languages for students. The center has brought the three-language policy after extensive research. Tamil Nadu went to court against the same but the court did not accept its argument. What is wrong if children learn a third language?” said Fadnavis.