Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], June 28 (ANI): As Opposition parties continue to voice their objections against Maharashtra government’s plan to introduce Hindi as a third language in schools, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SCP) leader Supriya Sule on Saturday affirmed the party’s participation in the protest to be held on July 5, jointly organised by Maharasthra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Shiv Sena (UBT).
Sule described language education as an “important social issue” and criticised the state government for what she termed as an “attempt to spoil the future of children.”
The Maharashtra government is planning to make Hindi compulsory up to Class 4 under the ‘Three Language Policy.’ This move has been previously slammed by other opposition leaders, including NCP-SCP chief Sharadchandra Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut.
Speaking to reporters, Sule said, “This is an important social issue for us. This is not a political issue. Language education is a matter to be taken very seriously. We should move forward with the guidance of experts. No other state is doing things the way they are being imposed. I don’t understand why Maharashtra is taking such an insistent stance. We cannot spoil the future of children to please someone.”
Reaffirming the party’s participation in the rally on July 5, she added, “The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) will participate in this march with full force. Education is a serious issue for us as human beings.”
Speaking to reporters on Friday in Mumbai, UBT leader Raut also announced a joint protest by the MNS and UBT against ‘Hindi imposition’ in the state.
Raut said, “We are not against any language. We have always respected Hindi. People like us have always valued it. Our party uses Hindi in many ways. But the recent decision to make Hindi compulsory as the third language up to Class 4 under the ‘Three Language Policy’ puts an unnecessary burden on children. It is both an academic and a linguistic issue.”
Raut revealed that discussions with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray resolved earlier plans for separate protests on July 6 and July 7, respectively, on the same issue.
“It was not good that two separate rallies would be taken out. I discussed with Uddhav and Raj Thackeray. Both Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS will jointly begin this movement on July 5,” he stated.
Raut took a sharp jab at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing him of orchestrating political damage to the state of Maharashtra.
“We are not enemies of the Hindi language. But Amit Shah is certainly Maharashtra’s political enemy. He is the one who broke Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena by manipulating the Election Commission and the Supreme Court. Why should we listen to someone like him?” he said, referring to the 2022 split in Shiv Sena and the subsequent legal battles over the party’s name and symbol.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Harshwardhan Sapkal also took a jibe at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for the language order, saying that perhaps the CM is looking to become a contender for being Prime Minister.
“Is Fadnavis in a hurry to become a candidate for Prime Minister? Is that why he is imposing Hindi in Maharashtra? The Marathi-loving people of Maharashtra will reject this imposition, and the Fadnavis government will have to withdraw this mandate,” Sapkal mentioned in a post on X.
On June 24, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that the final decision regarding the three-language formula will be taken only after discussions with litterateurs, language experts, political leaders, and all other concerned parties.
A meeting on the issue of the three-language formula was held at the Chief Minister’s official residence, Varsha, on Sunday night (June 22). Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, School Education Minister Dada Bhuse, Minister of State Dr Pankaj Bhoyar, and officials from the education department were present. (ANI)
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