Mumbai, July 1: The Maharashtra government has withdrawn its recent decision to mandate Hindi as the second Indian language up to Class 5 in schools, following a political backlash and growing fears of linguistic imposition, officials said.
The earlier directive, issued under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 framework, had drawn criticism from several opposition leaders, including Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, who accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of prioritising Hindi at the expense of regional languages such as Marathi.
The government has now announced that a committee led by economist and former Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Narendra Jadhav will engage with stakeholders and examine the implementation of the three-language formula. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state would abide by the committee’s recommendations.
NEP 2020 requires all students across India to study three languages — two Indian and one foreign — but leaves the choice of languages to states and institutions. However, critics argue that Hindi could become the default option as the second Indian language in many states, marginalising other regional languages.
Languages associated with political or cultural power often gain dominance, and opposition leaders argue that enforcing Hindi in Maharashtra could be divisive. The BJP, which views the three-language policy as a symbol of national unity, has faced similar criticism in other non-Hindi-speaking regions.
Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar said nearly 20% of students in the state already study a third language, and the revised policy would ensure this opportunity is extended to all. He said schools would offer a language if at least 20 students opted for it, with 15 Indian languages, including Hindi, available under the third-language option.
Despite this, linguistic diversity remains a logistical challenge. Critics note that states like Bihar rarely see students taking up southern Indian languages such as Tamil, Telugu or Malayalam under the three-language system, with most gravitating toward Hindi or English.
Observers say the episode highlights the growing sensitivity around language politics in India, where questions of cultural identity are closely tied to regional languages. Analysts suggest that the BJP may need to recalibrate its approach to language policy to avoid alienating regional constituencies.
The Maharashtra government’s retreat from its earlier stance underscores how language continues to be a potent and politically charged issue in India’s federal landscape.
