Hindi language row: Hindi ho gayi cancel, Thackerays claim victory

(From left) Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar at the press conference announcing withdrawal of GR yesterday. Pic/Ashish Raje

Mounting pressure from a united Opposition has forced the Maharashtra government to roll back its controversial decision to implement a three-language format from Std I to VI across all schools in the state. On Sunday, the state not only announced the withdrawal of the Government Resolution (GR), but also urged political leaders to cancel the July 5 protest march planned against the decision.

A committee headed by economist and former Rajya Sabha MP Dr Narendra Jadhav has now been formed to study the issue. The government has said it will act based on the findings and recommendations of this expert panel.

After a state cabinet meeting held on Sunday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told reporters, "The government has collectively decided to withdraw the GR on the three-language format." He added that the Jadhav-led committee would examine the matter in detail and submit its report. "Any further decisions, on whether and how to implement the policy, will depend on the expert committee's findings," he said.

Fadnavis also hit out at Uddhav Thackeray and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for what he called "misleading society." "It was the MVA government that accepted the three-language formula. In fact, it was the Mahayuti that made Marathi mandatory and kept Hindi optional. Now, despite our withdrawal of the GR, they're taking credit for a protest that they themselves made necessary," he said.

The CM even called on MNS chief Raj Thackeray to question his cousin Uddhav on this "hypocrisy". "It was Uddhav who introduced the three-language policy. Raj should ask how Uddhav can now call for a protest against his own decision." He clarified that his government places the interests of the Marathi-speaking community at the forefront. "We don't want to politicise this. For us, Marathi students and their future come first," said Fadnavis.

In April, the Mahayuti had issued a GR under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to introduce a three-language format, with Hindi as the third language. After backlash from several quarters, the government clarified that Hindi would be optional, not mandatory, but this was widely viewed as a veiled push for Hindi in Marathi-medium schools. As per NEP guidelines, two of the three languages must be Indian, and one must be a regional language.

The decision sparked backlash from across the political spectrum. All major parties (except those in the ruling Mahayuti) had announced their participation in a protest rally planned for July 5 from Girgaum Chowpatty to Azad Maidan. The protest was also set to mark a symbolic reunion of estranged Thackeray cousins - Uddhav and Raj - after 20 years.

Soon after the rollback announcement, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande both declared the decision a "victory for Marathi unity." Raj Thackeray, posting on social media, said, "This is nothing but a victory for the Marathi people. The July 5 morcha would have reminded people of the Samyukta Maharashtra movement." He warned the government not to misuse the expert committee to bring back Hindi "through the back door."

Meanwhile, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde accused Uddhav Thackeray of calling for a Thackeray reunion only because of mass defections from his party. "Now that everyone has left UBT, this sudden brotherhood is just a desperate move for political survival," Shinde said.

Uddhav says

Speaking to the media after the government decision to roll back the GR, Uddhav Thackeray, to the media, alleged that the state government did not want Marathi people to come together, hence the decision to withdraw the three-language GR was taken. "This is a victory of the Marathi people and of unity. In the next two days, we will decide on whether a victory sabha or rally should be organised on July 5," Uddhav said. The UBT Sena chief further stated that it was a game plan of the BJP to consolidate non-Marathi speakers' votes. It may be recalled that mid-day's column ‘Does Shinde need to start worrying' (June 28) had highlighted the point that this language row would help the BJP consolidate its non-Marathi speaking vote bank.

Ajit Pawar appeals: Cancel July 5 protest

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar appealed to all Opposition parties and pro-Marathi organisations to call off the July 5 rally. "Now that the GR has been withdrawn, I urge everyone to cancel the scheduled protest march," he said. Pawar also requested Marathi citizens not to participate in the march, stating that "the decision has been taken back in good faith."