The new education policy approved by the center in 2020 has caused great controversy in many states. A similar debate began in Maharashtra after the state government decided to engage in Hindi mandatory in Marathi and British middle schools after the Tamil Nadu government expressed concerns about the NEP trying to impose Hindi. However, after careful examination, the debate seems to be an unnecessary argument.
Under NEP, Maharashtra is now implementing three-language formulas from categories 1 to 5 that always exist in the higher class. Under this formula, Hindi will be the mandatory third language for English and English secondary schools in Marathi and English. For other schools that use other languages as a medium of instruction, English and Marathi will be the other two mandatory languages. In this case, opposing Hindi is the third language, citing it confusing to reduce the importance of Marathi.
From Thackeray cousin to Congress and party leaders who oppose Hindi “forced” are not opposed to the implementation of the three-language formula. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and colleagues are defending their decision, insisting that Marathi remains the main language in the state. But the truth is, Hindi is the favorite third language in Maharashtra schools.
One of the reasons Hindi is preferred because it uses the same Devanagari script as Marathi, which is a relatively easy language for teachers and familiar students as well as those familiar. Most schools in Maharashtra have no alternatives other than Hindi.
Similarly, parents send their children to British secondary schools prefer Hindi over any other Indian language. But for some unexplainable reasons, the state government decided to “impose” Hindi, which is the favorite language in English and Marathi anyway. On the other hand, those who oppose “imposed” are also aware of Hindi’s status in Maharashtra.
For many Marathis from the Vidarbha and Marathwada regions, Hindi is the main language of communication. The same is true in Mumbai, where people automatically interact with strangers in Hindi or English. The only reasonable explanation for the dispute is that both parties are trying to create an emotional problem that they can take advantage of in their local physical elections.
