Satara (Maharashtra) [India], June 26 : Amid the ongoing debate over the Maharashtra government's alleged move to make Hindi compulsory across all classes starting from Standard 1, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday voiced his reservations about the proposal.
Speaking to reporters during his visit to Satara district, Pawar said that while Hindi is widely spoken across the country, it should not be forced upon young students, especially at the primary level.
"My view is that Hindi should not be made compulsory in primary education. There is no issue with children learning Hindi after Class 5. But we must analyse how many languages a child of a certain age can realistically learn and what linguistic burden that places on them," Pawar said.
"If the pressure becomes too much and results in the mother tongue being sidelined, then that is not acceptable," he added.
Pawar emphasised that the state government must withdraw its insistence on imposing Hindi in early education.
"At least until Class 5, the primary focus should remain on the child's mother tongue. After that, if families wish, children can learn additional languages. We have no objection to that," he added.
Commenting on remarks made by political leaders like Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray on the issue, Pawar said, "From what I've heard, the Thackeray brothers are not wrong in what they are saying. If Marathi-speaking people are raising their voices over this, I believe it is a positive sign."
When asked about MNS chief Raj Thackeray's upcoming "All Party Morcha" scheduled for July 6 and whether the NCP (SP) would participate, Pawar responded, "I'm hearing this from you for the first time. No one has spoken to me about it yet. Besides, no single party can take a collective stand on its own. I've heard that Raj Thackeray plans to speak with all parties. Once he speaks to us, we will consider it. Our approach to the issue is not negative."
Pawar's statement adds a fresh dimension to the intensifying debate over language policy in Maharashtra, which has seen cultural and political voices expressing concern over the balance between national integration and regional identity.
Earlier on June 24, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that the final decision regarding the three-language formula will be taken only after discussions with litterateurs, language experts, political leaders, and all other concerned parties.
A meeting on the issue of the three-language formula was held at the Chief Minister's official residence, Varsha, on Sunday night. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, School Education Minister Dada Bhuse, Minister of State Dr Pankaj Bhoyar, and officials from the education department were present.
After an in-depth discussion on the subject, it was decided to present the status of all states, ensure that Marathi students are not disadvantaged under the Academic Bank of Credit in the context of the new education policy, and explore other possible options. A comprehensive presentation will be made for all stakeholders. It was resolved in the meeting that this presentation and consultation process should be conducted with Marathi language scholars, litterateurs, political leaders, and all relevant parties.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis further stated that a final decision will be made only after this consultation process is completed. Hence, School Education Minister Dada Bhuse will now initiate the next phase of the consultation process.