14 hours ago
Samant accuses Sena UBT of double standards over Hindi language imposition in schools
Amid growing opposition to the inclusion of Hindi in Maharashtra's school curriculum under the three-language policy, Industries and Marathi Language Minister Uday Samant on Thursday claimed that it was the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government that first approved the move.
Speaking at a press conference at Balasaheb Bhavan, Samant claimed the decision to make Marathi, English, and Hindi compulsory from Classes 1 to 12 was based on recommendations made by the Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar Committee—set up during the MVA's tenure. 'The cabinet led by Uddhav Thackeray approved the proposal on January 27, 2022. If they had objections, why didn't they raise them then?' Samant asked, accusing the Shiv Sena (UBT) of politicising the issue ahead of upcoming civic elections.
'There is no fresh decision being taken to impose Hindi. The current opposition is nothing but an attempt to mislead the public,' he said.
Samant also referred to Sena (UBT) leader and former minister Aditya Thackeray's earlier public remarks supporting multilingual education. 'He had said more languages mean more opportunities and even cited Singapore's model. So why this sudden U-turn?' Samant said, accusing the Thackeray faction of displaying 'double standards.'
To reinforce the state's linguistic and cultural heritage, Samant announced the creation of a ₹100-crore Marathi Language Centre in Mumbai, along with a sub-centre in Airoli. The state will also host a Global Marathi Conference and literary festivals.
