Govt panel opposes three-language policy, asks CM to roll back decision on Hindi in primary classes

Mumbai: With the opposition against the "imposition" of Hindi gaining momentum in Maharashtra, a government-appointed advisory committee has urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to roll back the decision to introduce the language in primary classes.

The Language Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to the government on matters related to the Marathi language, passed a resolution on Friday demanding that no third language, including Hindi, be taught before Class 5.

The resolution was passed during a meeting held in Pune, attended by 20 out of 27 committee members. Kiran Kulkarni, secretary of the Marathi language department, was also present during the meeting.

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

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.

Speaking to reporters, the committee's chairman, Laxmikant Deshmukh, said that it was the first time a government-backed body has taken such a stand against a government decision.

"We are not against Hindi or any other language, but imposing it in early schooling is neither educationally sound nor culturally appropriate. Language learning in the early years must focus on the mother tongue for strong foundational skills," he said.

Deshmukh said the committee had previously flagged concerns after the government's decision to make Hindi a part of the primary school curriculum, but its objections were brushed aside.

"The government attempted to bypass this by presenting misleading interpretations. We want the government resolution on this matter to be cancelled outright," he said.

Committee members, including renowned language expert Prakash Parab and senior Marathi writer Shripad Bhalchandra Joshi, raised the issue during the meeting and received unanimous support.

Joshi, a scholar and educationist, warned of consequences.

"English was introduced as a compulsory subject for primary classes in Marathi-medium schools in 1999. It is worth noting that Marathi was made compulsory in English-medium schools seven years later, and as a result, children could not learn either language properly. Now, by adding Hindi or any other third language early on, children's linguistic abilities will only weaken," he said.

He claimed the move was a systematic attempt to dilute Maharashtra's intellectual strength.

The main functions of the committee are to advise the government on the development and preservation of the Marathi language, and this includes preparing new dictionaries, selecting standardised words, setting guidelines for the use of the language and determining policies, among other things.

The committee's resolution also states that the idea of introducing a third language should only be considered after Class 5, and even then, it should remain optional.

"As an advisory committee, we strongly recommend that the government avoid introducing a third language in primary schools," Deshmukh said.

Doing so could negatively affect students' psychological development and undermine the cultural identity of the state, he said, adding that the committee has also decided to participate in the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS morcha on July 5.