Maharashtra Govt Makes Hindi Mandatory from Classes 1 to 5, Sparks Political Row

The Maharashtra government has announced that Hindi will be taught as a compulsory third language for students from classes 1 to 5 across all Marathi and English medium schools in the state. The move, part of the phased implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, has triggered sharp political reactions from opposition parties, including the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis defended the decision, stating that the state has already implemented NEP and that Marathi has already been made compulsory. “Hindi should also be learned, as it is a medium of communication across the country,” he said.

However, the MNS has strongly opposed the move. Party chief Raj Thackeray, in a post on X, said, “MNS will not tolerate this decision. We will ensure it is not implemented. Hindi is not a national language—it is a regional language like many others. Why should it be taught in Maharashtra from the beginning? Keep your three-language formula limited to government affairs. Don’t impose it on education.”

Thackeray further accused the Centre of attempting to “Hindi-fy” the country and warned that such steps could lead to conflict. “We are Hindus, not Hindi-speaking people. If you try to portray Maharashtra as a Hindi-speaking state, there will definitely be resistance. Would you dare to impose Hindi in a southern state? Their governments would not accept it,” he added.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray also slammed the government’s move during a press conference on Thursday. He alleged that political motives were behind the decision, hinting at a possible understanding between Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Raj Thackeray ahead of the upcoming Bihar and municipal elections.

“A few days ago, Shinde and Raj Thackeray met. It is possible that a deal was struck one would push the Hindi and the other would focus on Marathi language . Burdening children from classes 1 to 5 with another language is unfair. Many of them can’t even write their names properly,” Aaditya said.

He also questioned the government’s priorities. “Ministers themselves lack writing skills, yet they’re pushing for language regulations. This government cannot even provide proper school uniforms, and it wants to introduce a third language? While the world moves towards AI and technology, we are stuck debating which language to teach. Nothing could be more unfortunate,” he added.

Maharashtra Congress President Harshvardhan Sapkal said, “On one hand, there is talk of granting Marathi the status of a classical language, and on the other, it is being kept away from everyday usage this is a hypocritical stance. Language is a tool of communication, a reflection of culture. If three languages are made compulsory at the same time, how are students supposed to study other subjects? This compulsion will deprive children of basic knowledge. Regional languages should be respected, and other languages too, but the BJP wants to destroy regional cultures and languages. This decision could also threaten the jobs of teachers of other languages. Imposing Hindu, Hindi, and Hindu Rashtra is part of the BJP’s agenda, and Congress strongly opposes such imposition,” Sapkal stated.

He further questioned, “There is strong opposition to Hindi in South India, so why is it being forced in Maharashtra? Is this attempt to impose a language aimed at dividing the country? And aren’t Marathi-speaking people also Hindus?” Attacking the BJP, he added, “The language in which Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ran the administration of Hindavi Swarajya is the very language that the BJP is now trying to destroy.”​