Does national integration require the imposition of one language? Does the promotion of one language over regional languages threaten the diversity and federalism of the country? Can a national party in power try to monopolise education and language at the cost of pluralism? These are the questions being raised following the Maharashtra government’s move to bring Hindi into the State’s primary education system.
Maharashtra celebrated its 65th Foundation Day on May 1. The State was formed after 107 martyrs sacrificed their lives for the formation of ‘Samyukta Maharashtra’ along with Mumbai, on a linguistic basis. However, of late, the State has been embroiled in a controversy over the same linguistic politics. Pushing back against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government’s efforts to impose Hindi as the mandatory third language in all Marathi and English medium primary schools across the State, several educationists say the move is ill-thought-out. They question the imposition of a ‘national’ language and ask whether linguistic identities will be protected in a country where the federal structure stands on an innate understanding of pluralism, cultural, and linguistic diversity. They also argue that the current educational infrastructure will unlikely cope with this additional burden and that the move contravenes the National Education Policy (NEP), which supports a two-language policy for primary education till Class 5.
The irony is that the BJP is in power in Maharashtra along with the Shiv Sena, a party which has formed to safeguard the interests of the ‘sons of the soil’ and on the basis of Marathi regionalism. Dada Bhuse, the School Education Minister, who belongs to Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, announced a partial rollback stating that other languages will be introduced along with Hindi, as the third language. However, this is being seen as mere eyewash since the government has not amended or withdrawn the order on a three-language policy, along with the introduction of Hindi as a mandatory third language. Government sources say other languages are also being considered as options for the third language. But the opposition is not only to the imposition of Hindi, but also to the introduction of a three-language policy as against the existing two-language policy in primary education.
The criticism against the government’s move is multi-layered. Educationists argue that the move is not only against the globally accepted norm of encouraging education in the mother tongue in primary years, but that it also questions the current capability of the primary education system in Maharashtra. They contend that many primary school classes are led by one or two teachers at present. NEP 2020 too says native language instruction improves understanding, preserves culture, and helps students perform better. UNESCO states that the mother tongue is essential for initial instruction and literacy and should be extended to as late a stage in education as possible. On the other hand, the National Curriculum Framework, 2023, supports the three-language formula and says it should be implemented while keeping in mind constitutional provisions, multilingualism, and national unity.
Prominent among the groups protesting against the government’s decision is the language consultation committee appointed by none other than the State government. The committee has written two letters to the Chief Minister seeking an explanation for the decision, which was taken without consulting it. It has also questioned the rationale behind efforts to impose Hindi on the local population when migrants have “refused to learn the local language or respect the local culture”. “Nowhere else in the world do the original inhabitants learn the language of the migrants. Why is there total disrespect for Marathi while the north Indians try to impose their culture on us,” asked Laxmikant Deshmukh, the chairperson of the committee. Marathi actor Chinmayee Sumeet, who is also the goodwill ambassador of Marathi schools, has also condemned the government.
Though some regional political parties have already sought credit for the government’s rollback, which is yet to reflect on paper, the fight in Maharashtra over the issue is far from over. The question is whether the government will listen, engage with the critics, and course-correct, or continue to impose its decision.
Published – May 06, 2025 12:15 am IST