Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Jun 29: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray launched a scathing attack on the MahaYuti government on Sunday, firmly rejecting the inclusion of Hindi as a compulsory language alongside Marathi and English for students of Classes 1 and 5.
Speaking out against what he called a step toward “linguistic totalitarianism,” Thackeray warned that Maharashtra will not accept any attempt to impose Hindi in its school curriculum. “There is no opposition to Hindi as a language—Mumbai itself has nurtured Hindi cinema. But forcing it is unacceptable. This is not about language, it’s about control,” he said.
In a symbolic protest, Thackeray, joined by party leader Aaditya Thackeray and MP Arvind Sawant, publicly burned the government resolution mandating Hindi as a third language. The act was part of a demonstration organized by the Tribhasha Sutra Anti-Mumbai Coordination Committee, where Thackeray reiterated that Maharashtra would resist this policy.
“If there is no official policy anymore, then the burning of the resolution makes it null and void,” he declared. “We will not accept any directive that seeks to dilute the prominence of Marathi in the name of uniformity.”
Thackeray also accused the BJP and the state leadership of attempting to polarize the state along linguistic lines. “The Chief Minister could end this controversy with a simple statement rejecting the compulsory inclusion of Hindi. But it seems the BJP wants to divide people—Marathi vs. non-Marathi—by sowing linguistic discord.”
He added that India’s federal structure was being undermined by such moves and cautioned against erasing regional identities. “Veteran RSS leader Bhaiyya Joshi once said that the language of Ghatkopar is Gujarati. Our country is a federation, not a monolith,” Thackeray said.
He called upon Marathi-speaking BJP members to join hands in safeguarding the identity and cultural heritage of Maharashtra. Expressing solidarity with his estranged cousin Raj Thackeray, he also confirmed his participation in the July 5 morcha protesting the Hindi imposition.
Reiterating his position, Thackeray concluded: “We are not against any language—but Marathi is our soul, and we will not allow it to be overshadowed. Hindi will not be imposed in Maharashtra. No means no.”