Maha govt scraps GRs on Hindi as optional language; appoints committee for report on ‘trilingual formula’

Mumbai: Amid strong protest against the imposition of Hindi in Marathi and English schools for classes 1 to 5 and the joint morcha by estranged brothers Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray on July 5, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday announced the formation of a committee headed by the former Planning Commission member Narendra Jadhav to prepare a report on the trilingual policy formula keeping the interest of Marathi student at the centre.

At the press conference, he also announced that the state Cabinet has decided to scrap two government resolutions released on April 16 and June 17, saying the state government has made the Marathi language compulsory while Hindi is an optional language.

The committee has sought a three-month time limit for preparing the report. The April 16 government resolution had proposed Hindi to be a compulsory third language in Marathi and English schools for classes 1 to 5, but the government put it on hold after protests from various quarters.

The government issued a revised government resolution on June 17, whereby Marathi has been made mandatory in all schools while Hindi is optional. The students were given an option to use one of the Indian languages.

The government resolution further stated that students were allowed to choose from other Indian languages in the place of Hindi if 20 students per grade in a school express the desire to study any Indian language other than Hindi.

The Cabinet decision to cancel two government resolutions means the government has decided not to implement the trilingual policy before the Narendra Jadhav committee’s report. Hindi won’t be a third language for now in classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English schools.

The Chief Minister also targeted the Uddhav Thackeray-led government over the Hindi language policy, saying that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government had accepted the report submitted by a high-level committee headed by noted scientist Raghunath Mashelkar, which had recommended making English and Hindi compulsory.

This was recommended to benefit the Marathi students in the Academic Bank of Credit and get entrance to pursue their education.

“The MahaYuti government has instead made Marathi compulsory, Hindi optional. The interests of Marathi students are important for the government. We will ask Uddhav Thackeray how Marathi schools in Mumbai are closing down. We will also ask him who was responsible for the Marathi people going out of Mumbai. However, the MahaYuti government has brought back Marathi people to Mumbai. Uddhav Thackeray is opposed to Hindi but rolling out a red carpet for English.”

Fadnavis alleged that Uddhav Thackeray wants to do politics over the Marathi language. However, Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray alleged that it was an attempt to implement a three-language formula by making Hindi compulsory and announced their strong opposition. It was also supported by other opposition parties.

The Marathi language experts, educationists and various other organisations also protested the government’s revised resolution.

Fadnavis’ announcement is an attempt to checkmate Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray to further cash in on the Marathi language issue while opposing Hindi ahead of the upcoming BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation elections.

It is also an attempt to avoid poll losses to MahaYuti and thereby consolidate its position to lure Marathi people.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who had suggested the introduction of Hindi from class 4, appealed to the organisers not to take out a morcha on July 5 in Mumbai following Sunday’s Cabinet decision.

IANS