"Resistance Narrowed Down to Hindi Learning Mandate in Early Education" - Sanjay Raut
In a significant political move, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) held a joint rally named 'Awaaz Marathicha' at Worli Dome in Mumbai on July 5. This marked the first time in nearly twenty years that Uddhav Thackeray, leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), and Raj Thackeray, head of MNS, shared the stage at a rally.
The joint rally was a response to the Maharashtra government's decision to scrap two Government Resolutions (GRs) that aimed to introduce Hindi as a third compulsory language in state schools. The controversial move sparked protests from Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), leading to the withdrawal of the orders.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut clarified that their fight is specifically against the imposition of Hindi in primary education, not against the Hindi language itself. Raut emphasized that the party opposes making Hindi mandatory in primary schooling, reflecting a broader concern about linguistic diversity and autonomy in educational choices. Raut also mentioned that Southern states have been fighting against the imposition of Hindi for years.
However, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde criticized Uddhav Thackeray for allegedly using the joint rally for political gain. Shinde accused Thackeray of turning the stage into a political battleground and not addressing the concerns of the Marathi-speaking population. Self-interest and the hunger for power were the only visible agendas of Uddhav Thackeray, according to Shinde.
Despite the controversy, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the cancellation of the controversial resolutions and emphasized that Marathi will remain central to the state's language policy. This approach suggests a commitment to balancing linguistic diversity with regional identity, though specific comments from Shinde himself are not noted in the search results.
MK Stalin, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, congratulated Shiv Sena (UBT) on their stance against the imposition of Hindi in primary education and said he will learn from this. Uddhav Thackeray was expected to apologize to the Marathi-speaking population for accepting the report mandating compulsory Hindi from Class 1 to 12, but he did not.
The political row over Hindi imposition in Maharashtra's primary education continues, with both parties reaffirming their commitment to preserving linguistic diversity and regional identity. The formation of a new committee to review the implementation of the three-language formula in state schools offers a glimmer of hope for a resolution that respects the concerns of all parties involved.
The joint rally organized by Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), known as 'Awaaz Marathicha', was a response to the politics surrounding the Maharashtra government's policy-and-legislation on introducing Hindi as a third compulsory language in state schools. The withdrawal of the controversial orders was a result of the protests from various parties, including Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, and the Nationalist Congress Party, leading to discussions about general-news on linguistic diversity and autonomy in educational choices.
