Maha cancels 3-language policy orders backing Hindi
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Maharashtra on Sunday retracted two controversial orders backing the instruction of the Hindi language in Classes I to V across English and Marathi medium schools.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the government decision to withdraw two government resolutions — the first dated April 16, which mandated learning of Hindi as the third language in Classes I to V, and another dated June 17, which made Hindi an optional subject.
The announcements meant an effective withdrawal of the three-language policy, making Maharashtra the first BJP-led state to face trouble in implementing the language formula recommended by the National Education Policy.
“The state Cabinet has decided to withdraw the Government Resolutions (GR) issued in April and June regarding the implementation of the three-language policy from Class I. A committee headed by Dr Narendra Jadhav will be formed to recommend implementation (of the three-language formula)," Fadnavis said today.
The panel will submit its report in three months.
Fadnavis also attacked Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray for earlier accepting the recommendations of the Raghunath Mashelkar committee to introduce a three-language policy from Class I to XII.
“As CM, Uddhav had accepted the three-language policy and set up a committee to implement it," the CM said.
The state government’s retraction follows a staunch opposition to Hindi language circulars by Uddhav.
Earlier this week, he had accused the NDA government of attempting to impose a language emergency in the state and also burnt copies of the controversial government orders.
Soon after Fadnavis made the announcement today, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS announced cancellations of their July 5 joint protest on the issue, with Uddhav saying the parties would now mark
a victory rally to celebrate the retraction of government resolutions on Hindi.
Uddhav said these resolutions attempted to “divide the people of the state on the basis of language."
Fadnavis on his part, said the government would decide the issue afresh after the committee led by Jadhav, a former member of the Planning Commission, makes his recommendations.
Other members of the panel will be named in the coming days.
The panel, Fadnavis said, would study the Mashelkar Committee’s report and suggest from which standard (Class I or otherwise) the three-language formula would be implemented.
Language is progressively taking centre stage in national polity with MK Stalin, president of Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK and state Chief Minister, consistently opposing the Centre’s three-language policy, calling it “Hindi colonialism".
India