'Generally' 3rd language status to Hindi flares up row in Maharashtra, Oppn says 'conspiracy to eliminate Marathi'

Mumbai: In what triggered a political issue yet again in Maharashtra on the New Education Policy (NEP) amid the raging North vs South debate, the state government has issued a fresh order stating that Hindi will be taught as a third language to students in Marathi and English medium schools from Classes 1 to 5.

The amended order pointed out that Hindi will "generally" be the third language, instead of being “mandatory”, but gave an option to opt out if 20 students per grade in a school express the desire to study any Indian language other than Hindi.

As soon as the order came out, the opposition parties slammed the Devendra Fadnavis-led MahaYuti-NDA government.

Maharashtra Congress President Harshavarshan Sapkal said the move is BJP's anti-Maharashtra agenda and a conspiracy to eliminate the Marathi language, Marathi identity and Marathi people. “This agenda of 'One Nation, One Language, One Culture' of the RSS and BJP has risen to the core of Maharashtra and we will not sit idly by until it is rejected,” he said.

“This makes it clear that Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar's loyalty is not to Maharashtra or the Marathi people, but to the people of Delhi. The Shinde Group, which repeatedly mentions Balasaheb Thackeray's name, has the education ministry and has taken the initiative to kill Marathi in the same way that they stabbed the Shiv Sena in the back. Ajit Pawar is so desperate for power that he has nothing to do with Maharashtra, Marathi language, or whether Marathi people live or die. Ajit Pawar's policy is only to get the finance portfolio,” he said.

MNS president Raj Thackeray too slammed the government and wrote an open letter to principals of all schools of Maharashtra.

“While we are raising this issue with you, we have also sent a similar letter to the government. We have firmly told the government that we need a written letter stating that Hindi language or any third language in general will not be taught. They may or may not issue such a letter, but if your actions support the government's hidden agenda, we will surely consider it as a betrayal of Maharashtra… Do keep in mind that there is growing discontent in Maharashtra regarding this imposition of languages! Word to the wise! What more can I say?,” he said.

Talking to reporters, Raj said: “There is no such rule in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh or even Gujarat. In Gujarat, there is a government resolution that makes Gujarati and English compulsory from Class 1,  not Hindi. Then why this compulsion only in Maharashtra,” he said and claimed  that it seems that  lobby of North Indian IAS officers is advocating for Hindi to be imposed in Maharashtra’s education system.

Meanwhile, Fadnavis said that the “compulsion” to learn Hindi was removed from the new order, and now any Indian language can be chosen as the third language.

“While English is widely promoted, Indian languages are often neglected,” Fadnavis told reporters in Dehu and maintained that disputes over languages are unnecessary.

On Raj’s stand, he said: “I had a discussion with him…he wanted two languages, however, as per the NEP, there are three languages and we have to accept it…what is the harm in it…to clarify, we have removed the requirement to make Hindi compulsory and allowed students to choose any Indian language if there are at least 20 students interested.”