Mumbai: In response to significant protests regarding the introduction of Hindi as a mandatory language in Marathi and English schools for grades 1 to 5, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on July 5 the establishment of a committee led by former Planning Commission member Narendra Jadhav. This committee is tasked with developing a report on a trilingual policy that prioritizes the needs of Marathi students.

During a press briefing, Fadnavis revealed that the state Cabinet has decided to revoke two earlier government resolutions from April 16 and June 17, which had mandated the inclusion of Hindi as a compulsory third language, while making Marathi mandatory.

The newly formed committee has requested a three-month period to complete its report. The initial resolution from April had suggested making Hindi compulsory in Marathi and English schools for the specified grades, but this was suspended due to widespread protests.

The revised resolution issued on June 17 stipulated that Marathi would be compulsory across all schools, with Hindi remaining optional. Students were also given the choice to select another Indian language if at least 20 students in a grade expressed interest.

The Cabinet's decision to annul the two resolutions indicates that the trilingual policy will not be enacted until the Jadhav committee submits its findings. Consequently, Hindi will not be introduced as a third language for grades 1 to 5 in the affected schools for the time being.

Fadnavis criticized the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led government for its Hindi language policy, noting that it had accepted recommendations from a high-level committee, which included making both English and Hindi compulsory to aid Marathi students in the Academic Bank of Credit.

He emphasized that the current government prioritizes the interests of Marathi students, questioning Thackeray about the closure of Marathi schools in Mumbai and the exodus of Marathi people from the city. He claimed that the current administration has worked to bring Marathi individuals back to Mumbai, while accusing Thackeray of opposing Hindi yet favoring English.

Fadnavis accused Thackeray of politicizing the Marathi language issue. In response, both Uddhav and Raj Thackeray condemned the government's actions as an attempt to enforce a three-language policy by making Hindi compulsory, garnering support from various opposition parties.

Experts in the Marathi language, educators, and numerous organizations have also voiced their dissent against the government's revised resolution.

Fadnavis' announcement appears to be a strategic move to counter Uddhav and Raj Thackeray's influence on the Marathi language debate, especially with the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation elections approaching, aiming to solidify support among Marathi voters.

In a related note, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who had previously advocated for introducing Hindi from grade 4, urged protest organizers to refrain from holding a morcha on July 5 following the Cabinet's recent decision.