In a rare turn of events, estranged cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray are set to unite against what they term the "imposition" of Hindi in Maharashtra's school curriculum. This marks the first time in two decades that the leaders are joining forces on a political issue, since Raj Thackeray founded the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in 2006. The decision comes in response to the Maharashtra government's move to implement Hindi as a mandatory third language from Classes 1 to 5 under the National Education Policy (NEP).
The cousins, who head the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS respectively, will now lead a joint protest march in Mumbai on July 5th to oppose the state government's three-language formula. Sanjay Raut, a Shiv Sena (UBT) MP and spokesperson, confirmed the collaboration in a post on X, stating, "There will be one united protest against the imposition of Hindi in Maharashtra schools".
The Maharashtra government's initial decision on April 16 to introduce Hindi as a mandatory third language in Marathi- and English-medium schools sparked criticism from various quarters. While the government later amended the order to state that Hindi would "generally" be the third language, offering an option to opt out if 20 students per grade in a school desired to study another Indian language, the Thackeray cousins remain staunchly opposed.
Uddhav Thackeray has been vocal in his opposition, questioning the constitutional basis and political motivation behind the policy. He has also supported a July 7 march initiated by the Tribhasha Sutra (Three language formula) Anti-Mumbai Coordination Committee. "We will not allow the imposition of Hindi as a third language in Marathi and English schools for Classes 1 to 5 in Maharashtra," he asserted, viewing it as "cultural encroachment" and not merely an educational issue.
Raj Thackeray had initially announced a separate "Virat Morcha" for July 6, but has now rescheduled it to July 5 to align with Uddhav's protest. The joint rally is expected to begin from Girgaum Chowpatty and end at Azad Maidan.
Several political figures have weighed in on the matter. Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar also expressed his opposition to the three-language formula, stating that Hindi should not be imposed from Grade 1 to Grade 4. He acknowledged that while a significant portion of the population speaks Hindi and it can be a language of communication, it should not be mandatory in Maharashtra, where there is no animosity towards the language.
Meanwhile, the BJP has criticized the Thackeray cousins, emphasizing that Marathi is compulsory in Maharashtra, while Hindi remains optional. BJP leader and state Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar stated that everyone has the right to express their opinion in a democracy and that the government is open to discussion.
The upcoming joint protest has garnered significant attention, with many viewing it as more than just a convergence of estranged cousins. With the BMC elections approaching, some observers believe it is also a strategic move ahead of the polls. Sanjay Raut has further fueled the political fire by accusing Union Home Minister Amit Shah of being "Maharashtra's political enemy" and manipulating the Election Commission and Supreme Court to orchestrate the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena.
The unification of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray after two decades is a noteworthy development in Maharashtra politics. The July 5 rally is anticipated to be a significant event, potentially reshaping the political landscape of the state.
