In a significant move, the Maharashtra government has withdrawn two controversial government resolutions (GRs) regarding the three-language policy in schools, following mounting opposition and accusations of Hindi imposition. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that a new committee, headed by educationist Dr Narendra Jadhav, will be formed to assess the framework and timeline for the policy’s implementation.
The decision was taken after a cabinet meeting ahead of the monsoon session of the Maharashtra Assembly. CM Fadnavis confirmed that the GRs issued on April 16 and June 17 have been revoked, and a final decision on the language policy will only be made after the committee submits its report.
What the cancelled resolutions stated
The GR dated April 16 had made Hindi a compulsory third language for students of Classes 1 to 5 in English and Marathi medium schools. However, following backlash, the June 17 GR slightly softened the directive by stating that Hindi would “generally” be the third language, but not mandatory. Despite the revision, critics from various political quarters argued that both resolutions marked an attempt to force Hindi on non-Hindi-speaking students, thereby sparking the ‘Hindi imposition’ debate.
Political backlash forces rethink
The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi—comprising Shiv Sena (UBT), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), and NCP (SP)—strongly criticised the move, alleging it undermined the prominence of Marathi and regional linguistic identities. Protests erupted across the state, led primarily by Shiv Sena (UBT), where demonstrators burned copies of the June 17 GR.
In response, Mr Fadnavis reiterated the government’s commitment to promoting Marathi while defending the broader intent behind the three-language policy. He also targeted political rivals, accusing Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray of double standards. “Uddhav accepted the Mashelkar Committee’s recommendations on the same policy as Chief Minister. Why oppose it now?” said Fadnavis, who also took aim at MNS chief Raj Thackeray for joining the protest without prior involvement in the policy debate.
He further invoked B.R. Ambedkar, stating that the social reformer had encouraged learning Hindi alongside other languages.
Committee gets three months for recommendations
The newly formed committee under Dr Narendra Jadhav will explore key issues such as the appropriate class level to begin language instruction, methods of implementation, and the linguistic options to be made available to students. The panel has been granted a three-month period to submit its recommendations, during which the cancelled resolutions will remain inactive.
The controversy had united the estranged Thackeray cousins, Uddhav and Raj, who were scheduled to lead a joint protest on July 5, which now stands cancelled following the government’s latest decision.