Language row turns political: MVA, MNS claim victory as Maharashtra govt. backtracks

The Hindu

2 days ago

The rollback of Maharashtra's three-language policy in primary education has sparked a blame game, with the Bharatiya Janata Party accusing Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray of double standards, and his party's leaders defending Marathi pride.
The Maharashtra government on Sunday (June 29, 2025) withdrew its controversial government resolutions (GRs) dated April 16 and June 17, which mandated Hindi as the third compulsory language in Marathi and English-medium primary schools. The decision follows strong political Opposition and widespread protests by civil society, journalists, educationists, and Marathi cultural organisations.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the State would set up a committee headed by educationist and economist Dr. Narendra Jadhav to study the issue and recommend an appropriate language policy. 'Until the committee submits its report, both government resolutions stand cancelled,' Mr. Fadnavis stated.
The original April 16 GR had made Hindi mandatory as the third language for Classes 1 to 5. Following public resistance, the government issued a modified GR on June 17, offering conditional flexibility — but the backlash continued.
The Opposition has hailed the government's decision as a victory for Marathi identity.
'Victory rally'
Mr. Thackeray on Monday celebrated the reversal and said, 'We have smashed the heads of Marathi haters. This unity should be preserved as we prepare for future battles.' He added that a victory rally would be held on July 5.
'We appreciate the political parties which came together with us despite different stands. Temporarily, they (the government) have cancelled the GR. If they had not cancelled, they would have seen the protest on 5th July. Many leaders from Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP are going to join us. A new committee led by Dr. Narendra Jadhav will report on this issue. The government has appointed financial experts for the education sector's decision. We will stage a victory rally on July 5,' the former Chief Minister told journalists.
Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) leader Jayant Patil said: 'Making Hindi compulsory did not work in Maharashtra. The withdrawal of its own decisions on Hindi imposition shows how alienated this government is from the concerns of the people. It also underscores the dysfunctionality of the administration.'
MVA allies, including the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SCP), and Congress, had held protests outside the legislature with banners reading 'Mi Marathi' (I am Marathi) and slogans denouncing the Hindi imposition.
NCP (SCP) MLA Rohit Pawar said: 'We are not against Hindi, but against the compulsory teaching of Hindi at the cost of Marathi and local autonomy. Many political parties opposed the GR released by the Maharashtra government regarding the three-language policy. Marathi journalists and social organisations were also against it. When all of them got united on this matter, it overpowered the government, and finally, the State government decided to withdraw the GR on the three-language policy.'
BJP counters, claims credit
BJP Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar pushed back against Opposition claims and said, 'In reality, Maharashtra, the Marathi people, and the BJP have won this fight. Uddhav Thackeray is politicising a policy that began under his tenure.'
Mr. Shelar claimed that the original recommendation for a three-language policy stemmed from the Mashelkar Committee report constituted under Mr. Thackeray's chief ministership. 'He formed the committee and included his own party representatives. Why deny it now?' Shelar asked.
Minister Shambhuraj Desai also asserted that the GR was first accepted under the previous MVA regime. 'This is political opportunism, not policy critique,' he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut lashed out at the BJP alleging that they are making false claims of former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray accepting the Mashelkar committee's report on the three-language policy.
'Lying is the BJP's national policy. These people are working with this policy in Maharashtra. If Uddhav Thackeray had submitted a report on the Mashelkar committee, it should be made public. A committee report has been released and placed in the Cabinet. Can't this be discussed? You forcefully discussed Hindi with the Cabinet — you did it because it is a national policy. If any national policy comes before the State, then discussing it is very important. Devendra Fadnavis has become the Chief Minister three times, does he not have that much knowledge?' he said at a press conference.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray said, 'People are trying to make the 150 to 200-year-old Hindi language as a national language superior to Marathi, which has a history of over 3,000 years. This is unacceptable, and I will not allow it. Hindi is not the national language to be imposed on other States. This kind of coercion is not right. Any attempt to place Hindi above Marathi will be opposed.'
Aaditya Thackeray, MLA and son of Uddhav Thackeray, claimed the rollback was achieved due to people's pressure, not the government's goodwill. 'We will keep up the pressure until a written assurance is given.' Along with Leader of Opposition in the legislative council Ambadas Danve, Bhaskar Jadhav and other Opposition legislators, Mr. Aaditya Thackeray staged a protest on the steps of Vidhan Bhavan, holding placards that said, 'Mi Marathi' (I am Marathi).
Mr. Danve said: 'We are happy that our demand has been partially met. But we are still sceptical of the Maharashtra government, especially since it has now formed another committee to study the matter further.'
Chief Minister Fadnavis reiterated that the decision was not a retreat but a step toward broader consultation. 'The Narendra Jadhav committee will involve experts, stakeholders, and public input to decide the way forward.'
As Maharashtra heads into the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, language identity has emerged as a prominent electoral issue. The government is keen to avoid further unrest while Opposition parties are rallying around Marathi pride.