The Deputy CM’s statement to media persons here came after the BJP-led Mahayuti state government issued an amended order last week, which stated that Hindi will be taught as a third language to students in Marathi and English medium schools from Class 1 to Class 5.
NCP chief Ajit Pawar (File photo: ANI)
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has opposed the recent move by the BJP-led Mahayuti government to teach Hindi as a third language from Class 1 in schools across Maharashtra and insisted that the language should be taught only from Class 5 onwards.
“The chief minister convened a meeting on the issue yesterday. I believe Hindi should not be introduced from Class 1 to Class 4. It should begin from Class 5 onwards. Students should learn Marathi from Class 1 and they should be able to read as well as write it fluently. While nobody is against the teaching of any particular language, it is inappropriate to burden young students with an additional language at such an early age,” Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said.
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The Deputy CM’s statement to media persons here came after the BJP-led Mahayuti state government issued an amended order last week, which stated that Hindi will be taught as a third language to students in Marathi and English medium schools from Class 1 to Class 5, which triggered off a controversy and led to protests by the Congress, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
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The Mahayuti government had stated that Hindi language would not be taught compulsorily, adding that if 20 students in a grade (standard) in a school consented to study any Indian language other than Hindi, they may choose to do so.
After a meeting in Mumbai on Monday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had stated that a “final decision” on the three-language formula would be taken only after consulting all stakeholders, including litterateurs, language experts as well as political leaders. However, Fadnavis did not mention any date when the “final decision” would be taken.
Meanwhile, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and the Raj Thackeray-led MNS staged protests in Dhule city on Wednesday demanding that Hindi should not be made compulsory as a third language in school education.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has begun a campaign to create awareness in 3,116 schools in Dhule district and letters have been sent to principals of all schools in the district, the Uddhav-led Sena’s Dhule city chief Dheeraj Patil said.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena also organised a protest in front of the Dhule District Collector’s Office against the Fadnavis government’s move to teach Hindi as a third language from Class 1, in schools across Maharashtra.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena issued a statement that insult to the mother tongue (Marathi language) will not be tolerated. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena’s district Chief Atul Sonawane, Deputy District Chief Narendra Pardeshi, Dhule city Chief Dheeraj Patil, Sangita Joshi of the party’s women’s wing and Jayashree Wankhede were present at the protest venue.
The Raj Thackeray-led MNS also organised a protest against the Fadnavis government’s move to teach Hindi as a third language from Class 1, at the Mahatma Gandhi Chowk in Dhule city.
The Dhule unit of the MNS also started a signature campaign called ‘One Signature Against Compulsory Hindi’ to protest against the state government’s move. The MNS city unit chief Sanjay Sonawane, Bhushan Shelar, Bhushan Wadekar, Raviraj Joshi and others appealed to citizens to “give one signature” against compulsory teaching of Hindi from Class 1.
An MNS statement issued after the protest in Dhule district questioned why the Fadnavis government still insists on teaching Hindi from Class 1. MNS President Raj Thackeray has also written to all schools in Maharashtra about the need to oppose the compulsory teaching of Hindi from Class 1.
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