Maharashtra language panel opposes Fadnavis government's move to make Hindi compulsory for early grades

The Maharashtra government's decision to make Hindi a compulsory third language from Class 1 in state board schools has sparked a major controversy. The state’s language consultation committee on Sunday unanimously opposed the move and urged chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to revoke the decision.

The language panel, led by Laxmikant Deshmukh, expressed concerns over the imposition of Hindi and highlighted the importance of preserving the Marathi language. The committee wrote to the chief minister, requesting that the earlier announcement be reconsidered in the interest of linguistic and cultural balance.

On April 17, the government made Hindi compulsory in addition to Marathi and English, citing alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP). Rahul Ashok Rekhawar, director of Maharashtra’s SCERT, said the move was intended to benefit students by equipping them with multiple languages for future opportunities.

However, the decision faced sharp criticism from opposition parties. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition slammed the ruling Mahayuti government, accusing it of attempting to impose Hindi at the cost of Marathi pride. NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule questioned the government's priorities, arguing that strengthening the basic education infrastructure should come before introducing new policies.

Former chief minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray also voiced strong opposition, warning against forced imposition. "We will cooperate if asked with affection, but we will oppose if anything is imposed," he said. Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar added that Hindi should be kept optional, emphasizing that coercion against Marathi people's rights would not be tolerated.

Defending the move, Fadnavis maintained that Marathi would remain compulsory and learning Hindi would only complement students' linguistic skills. He criticized opposition parties for promoting English while opposing Hindi, terming the contradiction "surprising." Nonetheless, the backlash from various quarters has intensified the debate around language politics in Maharashtra.