Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], June 28: Amid growing opposition to the Maharashtra government’s proposal to make Hindi a compulsory third language in schools up to Class 4, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SCP) leader Supriya Sule confirmed on Saturday that her party will join the protest rally planned for July 5. The rally will be jointly organized by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Shiv Sena (UBT).
Calling language education an “important social issue,” Sule criticized the state government for what she described as an “attempt to spoil the future of children.” “We should move forward with the guidance of experts. No other state is imposing languages in this manner. We cannot spoil the future of children to please someone,” she said.
The Maharashtra government’s proposed ‘Three Language Policy’ seeks to introduce Hindi as a compulsory third language until Class 4. This move has been criticized by several opposition leaders, including NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut.
Speaking in Mumbai, Raut emphasized that the joint protest is not against Hindi as a language but against its imposition. “We have always respected Hindi, but forcing it as a compulsory third language burdens children unnecessarily. This is both an academic and linguistic issue,” he said.
Raut revealed that after discussions with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray, the parties decided to combine their planned protests, which were originally scheduled for July 6 and 7, into a joint rally on July 5.
Raut also targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing him of political interference in Maharashtra, particularly in relation to the 2022 Shiv Sena split and subsequent legal battles.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Harshwardhan Sapkal criticized Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, suggesting his push for Hindi may be motivated by national political ambitions. “Is Fadnavis imposing Hindi to become a contender for Prime Minister? Marathi-loving people of Maharashtra will reject this imposition,” Sapkal said in a social media post.
On June 24, Chief Minister Fadnavis assured that a final decision on the three-language formula would only be made after discussions with litterateurs, language experts, political leaders, and other stakeholders. A meeting on the issue was held on June 22 at the Chief Minister’s official residence, Varsha, attended by Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, School Education Minister Dada Bhuse, Minister of State Dr. Pankaj Bhoyar, and education department officials.