Hindi in NEP row: Undermining Marathi will not be tolerated, says Supriya Sule

Pune: NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule on Saturday said that undermining Marathi in the forceful implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in Maharashtra would not be tolerated.

Sule's statement comes amid the opposition's outcry over the Maharashtra government's decision to make Hindi a mandatory third language for students of Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English-medium schools across the state, in a departure from the practice of studying two languages.

Speaking to reporters in Pune, the Baramati MP said, "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." Citing the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) released by the NGO Pratham Foundation, referred to by the Centre, she stressed the need to evaluate students' performance in mathematics, science and languages.

She said the government should not rush into implementing the NEP, as it would adversely affect students, and teachers were not prepared for the change.

"If the implementation of the NEP in Maharashtra causes any loss to the Marathi language, it will not be tolerated. Marathi will be the priority," Sule asserted.

She said if other languages are being introduced, parents must have the option to choose.

"Making anything mandatory is not appropriate. Marathi is the mother tongue of residents of the state and should remain the first language," she added.

Sule also went on to criticise the Sassoon General Hospital's report on the death of a pregnant woman who was allegedly denied admission at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital over non-payment of a deposit of Rs 10 lakh.

The report was soft on the hospital and the gynaecologist, she alleged, and said such a report "should be burnt".

The NCP (SP) leader further questioned the appointment of retired bureaucrat Pravin Pardeshi as the chief economic advisor to the chief minister, saying why only one advisor was appointed when there were several noted economists in Pune and Mumbai.

She said Maharashtra was facing challenges in fiscal deficit and debt management while other states were performing better.

"With regards to implementing the Jal Jeevan Mission, investment and budget management, Maharashtra does not figure in the top five or 10 states. The report released on Friday shows that the top-performing states are not governed by double-engine governments," Sule said.

"After receiving a huge mandate, a stable and progressive government was expected. Unfortunately, in the last 100 days, there has been no remarkable progress," she added.