23 June,2025 02:32 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Parents of students at Saneguruji School and IES Modern English School (Ashlane) were seen signing on the banners titled “Ek Sahi Hindi Sakti Virodhachi” organised by the MNS. Pic/ Ashish Raje
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has put up banners outside several schools in Mumbai's Dadar, urging parents to sign a petition against making Hindi a compulsory subject in Maharashtra schools. Parents of students at Saneguruji School and IES Modern English School (Ashlane) were seen signing on the banners titled "Ek Sahi Hindi Sakti Virodhachi" organised by the MNS.
The campaign follows the Maharashtra School Education Department's recent Government Resolution (GR), which drew sharp criticism from MNS chief Raj Thackeray. Earlier, during a press conference on June 18, Thackeray had fiercely opposed the move, questioning if similar policies would ever be implemented in states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. He argued that forcing Hindi in Maharashtra schools was politically driven and unnecessary, as students already learn Marathi and English. Thackeray further warned that this would harm the legacy and identity of Marathi speakers.
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"If PM Modi himself isn't making Hindi compulsory in Gujarat, then why is it being forced on Maharashtra?" Raj Thackeray asked, reiterating that such decisions undermine regional languages and identities.
The GR is part of the implementation of the State Curriculum Framework for School Education 2024, aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
According to the resolution, Hindi will "generally" be introduced as the third language for students from Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English medium schools across the state.
MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande also took to X to criticise Uddhav Thackeray, stating, "Yes, we may be new, but we have never licked anyone's feet with âKem Cho Worli,' nor sweet-talked with lines like âJalebi and Fafda, Uddhav Thackeray Apda.' To gain Muslim votes, we never slapped twenty thousand cases on our own workers. We're proud to be new - what have you accomplished despite being so old?"
