Hindi 'Imposition' Row: Maharashtra Government Withdraws Orders Mandating 3-Language Policy Amid Oppn Protests

The Maharashtra government on Sunday withdrew two Government Resolutions (GR) issued on April 16 and June 17 concerning the three-language policy following strong protests from opposition parties in the state. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced during a press conference in Mumbai that a decision to cancel the GRs was made in the cabinet meeting. The government has formed a committee led by Dr Narendra Jadhav to review the three-language policy for primary education after consulting all stakeholders. He confirmed the government would accept the committee's recommendations upon submission.

Responding to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who had earlier burned a copy of the Government Resolution (GR) mandating three languages in primary schools - Fadnavis noted he had previously accepted the Mashelkar committee's recommendations regarding implementation of the three-language policy from Class 1.

"When Uddhav Thackeray was the Chief Minister, he had accepted the Mashelkar panel's suggestions on implementing three-language policy - Marathi, Hindi and English - from class 1. His cabinet had accepted the panel's suggestion, but he is doing politics now. We have already clarified that Marathi would remain compulsory. They are only protesting against Hindi, but they have accepted English," Fadnavis said.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with his deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, held a press conference on the eve of the monsoon session of the state legislature.

We don't oppose Hindi, but only its imposition: Uddhav Thackeray

Earlier today, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray stated that his party is not opposed to Hindi, but objects to its "imposition". During a protest in south Mumbai where copies of the June 17 government resolution on the three-language policy for schools were burned, Thackeray declared, "By burning copies of the GR, we demonstrate our rejection of it. While we don't oppose Hindi, we will not tolerate its forced imposition. The government fails to comprehend the purpose of our protest. Marathi has been marginalised. How much academic pressure will you place on students?