Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

Pune, Apr 19: A political storm has erupted in Maharashtra over the state government’s decision to make Hindi a compulsory third language from Classes 1 to 5 in English and Marathi medium schools. NCP (Sharad Pawar) MP Supriya Sule came out strongly against the move, calling it an attempt to sideline Marathi and impose central policies without proper groundwork.

“Any attempt to diminish the importance of Marathi through the forced implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 will not be accepted,” said Sule, addressing reporters on Saturday. She questioned the rationale behind pushing for the CBSE curriculum in Maharashtra and replacing the state education board. “Before we even get to the language issue, we need to address the poor state of education infrastructure in the state,” she added.

Quoting the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), Sule highlighted the urgent need to focus on student performance in core subjects like mathematics, science, and languages, rather than rushing into systemic changes.

Warning of potential disruption, she said, “Teachers are not trained for these sudden shifts. The NEP implementation must be slow and steady, or it will hurt students. If Marathi is compromised in the process, we will oppose it tooth and nail.”

Sule also criticised the ruling alliance for its inaction despite a strong electoral mandate. “It’s been over 100 days, and we’re yet to see meaningful governance,” she remarked.

The opposition chorus was joined by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, who took an aggressive stand. “We will not tolerate this forced imposition. The government must roll back this decision immediately—or be ready for a strong resistance,” he declared.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attempted to justify the decision, saying, “The NEP is already in effect. We’re not making new policies but following the framework. Our aim is to ensure everyone in Maharashtra knows Marathi, and also understands Hindi, which is essential for national communication.”

However, the Congress accused the BJP-led MahaYuti government of eroding Maharashtra’s linguistic and cultural identity. State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal called the move an assault on the state’s heritage. “Marathi is the soul of Maharashtra. Imposing Hindi undermines our culture. Unity in diversity is what defines India, and this decision chips away at that core,” he said.

As the controversy intensifies, it’s clear that the battle over language in Maharashtra is far from over — with cultural pride, political agendas, and education policy all colliding at once.