By Kavita Mistry 
Mumbai: The wildfire sparked in the South over ‘Hindi imposition’ has now spread to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Maharashtra, a state where the narrative of Marathi manoos versus outsiders often leads to confrontation.
The trigger has been a resolution issued by the Mahayuti government that makes Hindi a compulsory third language in schools, right from Class 1, under the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.
All non-ruling parties, especially the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), have slammed the Devendra Fadnavis-led government for imposing Hindi and even undermining the importance of Marathi.
In fact, the MNS has been harping on the compulsory use of Marathi over the last two months, as seen in its workers beating up a security guard at Powai or thrashing women in Thane for not speaking Marathi. The MNS was part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in last year’s general elections.
Defending the government resolution, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the decision was not to undermine Marathi, which is already compulsory in the state’s education system. The NEP, he said, has already been implemented in Maharashtra.
“This is not new. Along with Marathi, other languages should also be known. What the central government thinks is that one communication language needs to be there and that is why this decision is taken. In the state, we believe everyone should know Marathi but Hindi and English should also be taught,” Fadnavis told reporters Thursday.
That has not cut ice with Raj as the MNS chief has come out with a strongly-worded statement: “We are Hindu, not Hindi.”
Raj Thackeray’s belligerence comes at a time when there are talks of Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde sending feelers to the MNS chief for creating pressure on Fadnavis. On Tuesday, Shinde met Raj in what is being seen as a gesture to mend ties after he refused to withdraw candidate against the MNS chief’s son in the 2024 state polls.
Political analysts say there’s a larger story playing out behind Raj’s stringent opposition to the government decision.
“The BJP is interested in fighting and winning the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) on its own and so to give them a tough time, Shinde met Raj Thackeray for a possible alliance. But with this Hindi imposition and Raj Thackeray strongly opposing it, this has made Shinde’s position difficult,” political commentator Prakash Bal said in a statement.
Another political analyst Hemant Desai too said that Raj’s stand has a lot to do with the internal tug of war within the Mahayuti.
“Shinde and Fadnavis are trying to score points over each other. When Shinde met Raj Thackeray, he wanted to increase his strength ahead of the BMC elections and increase his bargaining power with the BJP,” he said, adding that the Marathi language issue can come as an advantage to the MNS which is currently struggling to set a narrative.
“For the BJP, Hindi-speaking people, especially the population that has increased in Mumbai, is an important vote bank. Besides, ahead of the Bihar elections, it was important for the BJP to woo the Hindi-speaking population.”
Local body polls, which have been delayed in Maharashtra due to a case in the Supreme Court over political reservations, are expected to be held this year.
According to the government resolution dated 16 April, for Class 1-5, Hindi will be made a mandatory language in Marathi and English medium schools as opposed to the prevailing practice of studying two languages from the academic year 2025-26.
Other medium schools are already teaching three languages since Marathi and English are compulsory, which include the language of the medium of instruction, it adds.
The school education department has declared the phase-wise implementation of the new curriculum under the NEP, beginning with Class 1 from this academic year.
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Opposition up in arms
The opposition parties have come out strongly against what they call as imposition of Hindi. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), which began on the plank of Marathi manoos, has slammed the central government, saying that Hindi is being imposed only because “Modi and Amit Shah are weak in English.”
“We are not opposed to Hindi language, but its imposition. Don’t teach us Hindi. This is Mumbai where the Hindi film industry flourishes. Mumbai and Maharashtra knows Hindi. It need not be imposed upon us. The Centre is doing so because Modi and Shah are not good at English,” Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut said
Even the Congress has opposed it saying that during the formation of Maharashtra, the state language was given priority and so Marathi and English were accepted in the state.
“Now, imposing Hindi is injustice on Marathi and Marathi asmita (pride). If at all a third language is required, options should be given. Having a third language as Hindi only, is imposition by the Centre. This compulsion should be withdrawn immediately to protect Marathi identity and linguistic rights,” Congress CLP leader Vijay Waddetiwar said.
In a long post Thursday on ‘X’, Raj Thackeray said that the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena will not tolerate this compulsion.
“Hindi is not a national language but a state language like other languages. Whatever the trilingual formula is there, it needs to be restricted to government affairs and don’t bring it into education… We are Hindus not Hindi. If you try to impose it there would be struggle. Is this an attempt to create a rift between Marathi and non-Marathi for the upcoming election? MNS will not tolerate this…,” he posted.
Raj’s assertion comes at a time when the MNS has been completely decimated, having been unable to win even a single seat in the last year’s Maharashtra polls.
In the last one year, Raj made multiple changes in his stand regarding the ruling party. The MNS had contested the assembly election solo, while for the Lok Sabha polls it had tied up with the Mahayuti, which includes the BJP, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), but without contesting a single seat.
Then during his annual Gudi Padwa rally in March, Raj slammed the Mahayuti government for talking about Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and his tomb and not on the issues of Maharashtra. He had questioned the government on its policies, the Beed violence, and unemployment. However, at the end, Raj said that if Fadnavis is willing to work constructively for the state, he will support Fadnavis
And now, Deputy Chief minister Eknath Shinde went to meet Raj at his Shivaji Park’s residence over dinner Tuesday. Neither of the two leaders spoke on what went on behind the closed doors, there are talks that Shinde spoke to Raj about a probable alliance directly or indirectly for the upcoming civic body polls.
“Let us see what Raj Thackeray does in coming days and how the BJP tries to change his mind because he is known to change his stance very often. One cannot rule out a possibility of that happening this time as well,“ political commentator Prakash Bal said
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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