Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad denies adoption of 3-language policy under previous MVA govt

Mumbai: Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad on Sunday accused the BJP-led Maharashtra government of launching a false propaganda campaign to undermine public resistance against its alleged "anti-Marathi" agenda and push for the imposition of Hindi.

The former state school education minister also refuted claims that the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, in which Congress was an ally, had accepted the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

"We are not against the Hindi language, but we will not tolerate its forced imposition on Maharashtra," Gaikwad said.

The government's move to introduce Hindi from Class 1 has faced stiff resistance from opposition parties.

The row erupted after the government recently issued an amended order stating Hindi will "generally" be taught as the third language to students in Marathi and English medium schools from Classes 1 to 5.

According to the order, if 20 students per grade in a school wish to study any other Indian language, they can opt out of Hindi. If such a demand arises, either a teacher will be appointed, or the language will be taught online.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has asked his party workers to burn the government resolution (GR) on Hindi language in state schools on Sunday, a day before the Maharashtra legislature's monsoon session is set to begin.

Maharashtra minister Uday Samant on Friday said the policy of making Hindi compulsory from Class 1 in the state schools was approved during Uddhav Thackeray’s tenure as the chief minister under the MVA government.

"As Maharashtra unites against the BJP's Hindi agenda, the ruling party and its allies are spreading deliberate misinformation and citing false references to break this unity and suppress the rising voices," Gaikwad alleged in a statement.

She refuted claims that the previous MVA government had accepted the three-language formula under the NEP 2020.

"The Dr Raghunath Mashelkar Committee being cited was not appointed by the School Education Department. It was meant to examine NEP provisions related to the Higher and Technical Education Department, not school education," Gaikwad said.

"It is unfortunate that the then Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant is now contributing to this confusion," she added.

Gaikwad said during her tenure as school education minister, several aspects of the NEP were found to be against Maharashtra's interests.

"Accordingly, various study groups were formed under the Commissioner of Education to assess policy impacts on school education. A government resolution (GR) to this effect was issued on June 24, 2022," she said.

Rejecting allegations that the MVA government accepted the three-language formula, Gaikwad said, "This is completely untrue. This government is resorting to falsehoods to deflect from its own decisions." Gaikwad, who was the school education minister in the MVA government, said, "We passed the legislation making Marathi compulsory in all schools, across all mediums, boards and managements, at least up to Class 8." A GR was issued on June 1, 2020, and a committee was formed for its implementation on September 30, 2020, she said.

Gaikwad also said the school education department had allotted land at Charni Road in Mumbai for a proposed Marathi Bhavan, a cultural centre for the promotion of Marathi.

"That project too has been stalled by this government," the Mumbai Congress chief claimed.

"There's a limit to how fast and far one can lie. The BJP is working systematically to weaken the Marathi language in its own homeland," she alleged.

Gaikwad further criticised the state's unconditional acceptance of the NEP.

"Despite our warnings, the Shinde government (previous Mahayuti dispensation) bowed to Delhi and signed a written agreement accepting the NEP as it is, just to receive funds under the PM-Shri scheme. The state is now facing the consequences," she claimed.

She held former school education minister Deepak Kesarkar, current minister Dada Bhuse, and both the past and present Mahayuti chief ministers responsible for it.

"To cover up their (BJP-led Mahayuti government's) fabrications, this rumor is now being deliberately spread that the school education department had adopted the trilingual formula during the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. However, this is clearly false," Gaikwad claimed.

The Dr Raghunath Mashelkar Committee, that is being referred to, was not appointed by the school education department, so where does the question of accepting it arise, she asked.