Uddhav Thackeray, Raj to hit the streets against Hindi in school curriculum
Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have announced separate protest marches against the state government's three-language policy in schools.The Devendra Fadnavis-led government has decided to introduce Hindi as an optional third language for students from Classes 1 to 5.RAJ THACKERAY ANNOUNCES PROTESTSTo address the MNS chief's concerns, Education Minister Dada Bhuse, along with senior officials from the education department, visited Raj Thackeray at his residence on Thursday. However, despite discussions extending well beyond an hour, Raj remained firm in his opposition.advertisement
"We explained the government's rationale for introducing the third language, but it seems Thackeray is not convinced. He offered some valuable suggestions. We will discuss this with the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers before deciding," Bhuse told reporters after the meeting.While Raj has welcomed the implementation of a nationwide grading system in schools, he made it clear that he does not support the inclusion of Hindi as a third language in the curriculum.The MNS chief has announced a protest march against the policy on July 5 at 10 am (earlier scheduled on July 6), urging all political parties to join. "Maximum people should participate," he emphasised.,, . , , . . pic.twitter.com/BUN1Av0GSK— Raj Thackeray (@RajThackeray) June 26, 2025'COMPULSORY HINDI HINTS AT HIDDEN AGENDA'Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray has also declared his strong opposition to the move, accusing Fadnavis of orchestrating a divisive agenda. "This is not about language; it is about creating rifts and poisoning unity. This is a linguistic emergency," Uddhav said in a sharp critique.advertisement"If the Chief Minister simply announces that Hindi will not be forced, this issue will end in five minutes," Uddhav said.He underscored that the Shiv Sena (UBT) was not opposed to the Hindi language but to the idea of making it compulsory. "No means no," he said.Invoking the legacy of his father, Balasaheb Thackeray, Uddhav said, "Now is the time to remind those in the Shiv Sena who have forgotten Balasaheb's vision. When I was Chief Minister, I had to enforce the use of Marathi - it was being encroached upon. I made Marathi signboards mandatory for shops. Even that was challenged in court."He further clarified that the objection was not against Hindi. "Mumbai and Maharashtra nurtured the Hindi film industry. Amitabh ji and others grew up here. But compulsory Hindi hints at a hidden agenda - one language, one principle, one party. That's totalitarianism," he said.Uddhav announced two protests. On June 29, copies of the government resolution (GR) mandating Hindi would be burnt. On July 7, a major protest will be held at Azad Maidan during the Assembly session.The protests come after the state government last week issued an amended order, stating that Hindi would generally be taught as the third language to students in Marathi and English medium schools from Classes 1 to 5.advertisementEarlier this week, Fadnavis said a final decision on the three-language formula would be taken after consultations with all stakeholders, including litterateurs, language experts and political leaders.- Ends
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
NDA netas condemn Kharge's ‘small state' remark on Bihar
Patna: The ruling parties in Bihar on Thursday criticised Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for referring to Bihar as a "small state", describing his remarks as offensive and dismissive. Senior BJP leader and Union minister of state for home, Nityanand Rai, described the comment as "extremely unfortunate and insulting". Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) chief and former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha also criticised Kharge, saying he had exposed the "true mindset" of the Congress party. Congress spokesperson Asit Nath Tiwari defended Kharge, saying that the veteran leader, hailing from southern India, may have faltered due to his limited command over Hindi. Kharge made the comment while criticising PM Narendra Modi for attending an election rally in Madhubani on April 24, just two days after the Pahalgam terror attack. He said, "We demanded a special session of Parliament, but the PM chose to campaign in a small state like Bihar and gave it nothing special in the Budget." Responding sharply, Nityanand Rai said the "13 crore people of Bihar cannot tolerate such an insult," adding that Kharge's statement was a "direct attack on the state's proud history, culture, and public consciousness." Echoing similar sentiments, Union minister Chirag Paswan described the statement as "disrespectful" while Kushwaha called it reflective of "Congress's outdated mindset." "They have once again revealed that they don't understand Bihar," he said. Rai reminded Kharge that Bihar is the land of Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan, who led the movement against the Emergency. "On the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, your words insult Bihar. The people will give a democratic response in the elections," he said. He also questioned the silence of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on the issue.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Amit Shah advocates for promotion of Indian languages in governance to foster national unity
NEW DELHI: Home minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the govt was committed to ensure that its diverse languages become a powerful medium to connect people, unlike the past few decades when efforts, though unsuccessful, were focused on making language a tool to break the country. Addressing the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the department of official language here, Shah insisted that governance must be conducted in local languages for the country to move forward with self-respect, based on its culture. Mentioning the resolve to break free from the slavery mindset — one of the 'Panch Pran' given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi — Shah said it can only be fulfilled only if a person takes pride in his own language and develops an ability to express, think, analyse and make decisions in that language. 'Indian languages should be used as much as possible in government work, not only in the Central government but also in the state governments. For this, we will also help the state governments, encourage them and try to convince them,' he said. Stating that 'our roots, traditions, history, identity and cultural way of life cannot progress if disconnected from language,' the home minister said efforts to promote and preserve all Indian languages, including Hindi, would be made in the coming days. 'Hindi is a friend of all languages and together, Hindi and other Indian languages enhance our self-pride,' he said while adding that there should not be any opposition to foreign language either. 'No state can ever become great by neglecting its mother tongue and the Modi govt has made many efforts to honour and dignify its languages,' he said while mentioning the recognition of Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali as classical languages. Shah said Indian languages are getting an unprecedented boost in the field of technology, education and administration and asked all state governments to take the initiative to impart medical and engineering education in local language. 'New Education Policy-2020 lays emphasis on teaching mother-tongue and local language up to Class 5 and 8. 95% of the applicants for post of constable in Central armed police forces are now taking the examination in their mother tongue,' he shared. Shah said that the Modi govt, over the past 11 years, has launched events like Kashi-Tamil Sangamam, Kashi-Telugu Sangamam, Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamam, Shashwat Mithila Mahotsav and Bhasha Sangam under the 'Ek Bharat, Shreshta Bharat' program. He said that as part of Bhasha Sangam, a program is being run in every school to teach students 100 commonly used sentences in the 22 languages recognised by the Constitution. He hailed the 'Hindi Shabdsindhu' initiative by the department of official language, saying that it would make the official language more accepted, flexible and comprehensive by enriching it with commonly spoken works, regardless of their origin. Also appreciating the establishment of Bharatiya Bhasha Anubhag - which enables translation of official files from Hindi to other official languages and vice versa — the home minister said it would assist in seamless coordination and communication between the Centre and states.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Maharashtra Dy CM Eknath Shinde announces memorial with king-size statue of mentor Anand Dighe in Thane
Thane: Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday night announced construction of a grand memorial, including a king-size statue of his mentor Anand Dighe, in the city. The announcement came nearly three years after Shinde took over the Shiv Sena leadership in 2022. Shinde described the project as a tribute to Dighe, who played a key role in establishing a Shiv Sena stronghold in Thane and surrounding areas. "The Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Tower will be rebuilt at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Maidan near Talao Pali in old Thane, featuring a king-size statue of Dighe in a 43-metre-tall tower. Dighe and Thane are synonymous, and his contributions to the development of the city and efforts taken to ingrain the Sena in the region cannot be forgotten," Shinde said during the inauguration of several Thane municipal projects. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai The project, which will also include a few revamp works of the ground and costing Rs 15 crore, is expected to be completed by April, civic officials said. Shinde launched the beautification of the west side area outside Thane railway station to improve pedestrian and vehicular traffic flow. The Rs 4 crore project involves renovating rickshaw and taxi stands, upgrading footpaths, installing information boards, and adding zebra crossings and lane markings, with completion slated for Dec.
