Mumbai, Apr 18 (PTI) Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal on Friday accused the BJP of trying to finish off regional languages and culture by imposing Hindi, and said the Mahayuti government should roll back the decision of making Hindi mandatory as third language in schools.
The Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government has decided that Hindi as a third language will be mandatory for students in classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English-medium schools across the state, in a departure from the practice of studying two languages.
The three-language formula for classes 1 to 5 is part of the new curriculum implementation under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Currently, only Marathi and English are being taught as mandatory languages from Classes 1 to 4 in these schools.
Addressing a press conference, Sapkal said, “Marathi language is Maharashtra’s ‘asmita’ (identity) and culture, but the BJP government is trying to hurt it. Unity in diversity is our identity and the BJP is attempting to erase it. BJP wants to finish off regional culture and languages.” “Making Hindi compulsory from class 1 is a wrong decision and should be rolled back immediately. How can the government have double standards? On the one hand, it accords classical language status to Marathi, while on the other hand it keeps people away from it,” he said.
“But the Congress will oppose BJP’s agenda of imposing Hindi, Hindu and Hindu Rashtra. If the imposition of Hindi is opposed in the South, why is it forced in Maharashtra? Aren’t Marathi speakers Hindus?” Sapkal said.
Language is a medium of communication and culture. If children are made to study three languages at one time, how can they devote time to other subjects, the Congress leader asked.
Children will be away from basic knowledge if things are forced on them, he noted. PTI MR NP
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