As the Maharashtra government made Hindi compulsory in schools as a third language under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Opposition leaders, including NCP MP Supriya Sule and Vijay Wadettiwar of the Congress, have strongly opposed the decision, urging the BJP-led state government not to “impose” the language.

Reacting to Hindi’s imposition across schools in Maharashtra, Supriya Sule said that Marathi is the soul of Maharashtra, adding the move is “a conspiracy to finish our SSC board.”

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“…this decision has been taken in a hurry. Marathi is the soul of Maharashtra, and it will continue to be number one. There is a lot of work to do in the field of education, and Marathi language must be the first language. I think this step is a conspiracy to finish our SSC board,” she said.

Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar echoed her sentiments and warned against any coercion that undermines the rights of Marathi-speaking people.

“You can keep it optional, but you cannot impose it. At whose behest are you trying to impose this language on the state?” he asked.

“We consider Marathi our mother tongue, and this third language that is being introduced should not be brought in. There should be no coercion against the rights of the Marathi people — this is our demand,” said Wadettiwar.

Their scathing remarks came after the Maharashtra government made Hindi compulsory from Class 1 in all state board schools alongside Marathi and English. The decision to make Hindi a compulsory third language was taken on April 16 by the School Education Department.

Rahul Ashok Rekhawar, Director of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), defended the state government’s move, saying the decision will benefit the students.
He further made it clear that the move to impose Hindi in Maharashtra schools was taken for educational purposes and has no other political agenda.

The imposition of Hindi under the NEP 2020 has been a major flashpoint between the government of Tamil Nadu and the Centre.