The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar faction) has announced its participation in the July 5 protest march against the Maharashtra government’s move to make Hindi a compulsory third language in schools up to Class 4. The protest, jointly organised by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Shiv Sena (UBT), is aimed at opposing what critics call the “imposition of Hindi” in a non-Hindi-speaking state.
Calling the move socially irresponsible, NCP-SCP leader Supriya Sule said on Saturday that language education should not be politicised and warned that the decision could adversely impact students.
“This is not a political issue. It’s a crucial social concern. Language education must be approached with the advice of experts. No other state is forcing such measures in this way. Why is Maharashtra taking this route? We cannot spoil the future of children just to please someone,” Sule told reporters.
The state’s proposal to enforce Hindi as a third language under the ‘Three Language Policy’ has triggered opposition from several parties, including the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), as well as from educational and civil society groups.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday confirmed the joint rally with the MNS and reiterated his party’s respect for Hindi, while opposing what he termed “unnecessary compulsion.”
“We have always respected Hindi. But imposing it in this way adds pressure on young students. It’s both an academic and a linguistic issue,” Raut said.
He added that coordination between Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray had resulted in a united march on July 5, instead of two separate protests originally scheduled for July 6 and 7.
Raut also launched a direct attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing him of attempting to destabilise Maharashtra politically. “We are not against the Hindi language, but Amit Shah is Maharashtra’s political enemy. He broke Shiv Sena by using the Election Commission and Supreme Court. Why should we listen to him?” Raut questioned.
Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal also criticised Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the move, sarcastically suggesting that Fadnavis might be eyeing the Prime Minister’s post.
“Is Fadnavis trying to be the next Prime Minister? Is that why he’s imposing Hindi? The Marathi-speaking people of Maharashtra will reject this,” Sapkal posted on X.
Meanwhile, CM Fadnavis has stated that a final decision on the language policy will only be made after broad consultations with experts, political leaders, and stakeholders. A meeting on the issue was held at the Chief Minister’s official residence earlier this week, with senior ministers and education department officials in attendance.