The Fadnavis government has come on the backfoot over language dispute in Maharashtra. This notification has been withdrawn by canceling the decision of Hindi mandatory. CM Devendra Fadnavis has also announced that a committee has been formed and the next step will be decided after the report of this committee.
In fact, as soon as Hindi was compulsory from the first grade in Maharashtra, the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray’s party MNS became one against it. On July 5, both parties announced to take out the Mahamorcha. The way the matter caught fire, it increased the possibility that it can become a big issue by going ahead.
Uddhav said- Government lost to the strength of Marathi Manush
After the government withdrew the decision, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chief Uddhav Thackeray said that the Maharashtra government had to bow down to the solidarity of “Marathi Manush”, due to which two government orders (GR) government had to withdraw to implement Hindi language from class 1 to 5. Thackeray said that the government had tried to break the unity of the Marathi people against the decision to impose Hindi, but had to face defeat. He clarified that the Marathi society is not opposing Hindi language, but is opposing the mentality of forcibly imposing it.
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Thackeray said that the Devendra Fadnavis government’s intention was to break the unity of Marathi Manush, divide Marathi and non-Marathi people and get non-Marathi votes. He said, “The government lost to the strength of Marathi Manush. He did not know that Marathi Manush would be united in this way.” He reminded of the same strength of Marathi Manush during the United Maharashtra movement.
So that’s why the government came on the backfoot
As soon as the government’s order of the three -lingual formula came to light, the Shiv Sena UBT and Raj Thackeray’s MNS started protesting sharply. Both parties, connecting it to Marathi identity, described it as an attack on Marathi language. Apart from this, Maharashtra Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal called it a fraud, forcibly imposing an order on Marathi people.
Raj Thackeray targeted the BJP government and said that if so, why is this decision not being implemented in Gujarat? Raj Thackeray announced that he would take a march in Girgaon Chowpatty on 5 July against this government’s timing formula, which will not have any political banner. He also appealed to other opposition parties to join this march and said that he will see who comes in this march and who does not.
After this, Uddhav Thackeray supported this march and said that he will stand with Raj Thackeray in this matter. Moving a step ahead, Uddhav urged people of sports, film and industry to join this march.
The issue caught fire
On seeing this, the three -lingual formula caught such a lot that it became a question of Marathi identity. The state government was also well aware that the matter should not catch such an issue that Maratha would become an issue like reservation. In fact, the NDA had suffered a lot due to the Maratha reservation movement in the Lok Sabha elections. BJP could not get a single seat from Marathwada area. In such a situation, the issue of language dispute should not become a statewide, the government was eyeing it and that is why the government came on the backfoot and the order had to be withdrawn.
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What was the order
In the amended order issued by the state government, it was directed that Hindi from class 1 to 5 will be taught as a third language in Marathi and English medium schools. This decision was part of the language policy being implemented phased out in primary education under the National Education Policy 2020. However, it was also clarified in the order that if at least 20 students in a class want to choose another Indian language in place of Hindi, then the school would arrange a teacher for that language or alternatively the subject can be taught through online medium.