Mumbai: The Thackeray cousins in Maharashtra have become aggressive on the issue of state government’s three-language police in primary schools. However, Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray are also trying to use the issue to score over each other. While MNS chief Raj Thackeray has announced a massive rally on July 5 in Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray has decided to hold similar protests on July 7 to protest against the ‘imposition’ of Hindi.“This is a conspiracy to erase Maharashtra’s Marathi identity,” Raj Thackeray said while announcing a protest march from Girgaon Chowpatty to Azad Maidan. “The rally will be apolitical in nature and intended solely to protect the interests of Marathi people. There will be no party flags. Its only agenda will be to oppose the government’s move to impose Hindi. I appeal to everyone to join this protest walk,” the MNS leader said.Raj Thackeray invited all political parties across Maharashtra to join the protest march and said his team would also hold talks with Uddhav Thackeray. “We should come together for Maharashtra without any arguments,” he said.All literary figures, Marathi lovers, film personalities and all political parties should participate in the morcha, Raj added.Uddhav Thackeray termed the state government’s move to introduce Hindi as a compulsory third language from Grades 1 to 4 ‘a linguistic emergency.’ He said, “We do not oppose any language nor do we hate any language, but it does not mean that we will forcefully accept the imposition of any language.”Uddhav also issued a call to all Marathi-speaking citizens – particularly writers, artists, actors, and sportspersons – to support the protest march scheduled at Azad Maidan on July 7.Earlier in the day, the state education minister Dada Bhuse presented a detailed justification of the three-language policy to Raj Thackeray. The coordination committee opposing the policy met Uddhav Thackeray at his Matoshree residence to strategize the next phase of the agitation.After meeting Bhuse, Raj Thackeray outrightly rejected the state government’s stand. “We cannot accept this policy. The issue of optional languages is applicable only after Grade 5 and as per the NEP, it’s up to the states to decide – so why is Maharashtra going ahead with this when other states haven’t?” he asked.Raj Thackeray claimed that the state’s education policy is indirectly making Hindi mandatory for students at an early stage, despite repeated protests. “CBSE schools, set up for IAS officers’ children, are already dominant in pushing Hindi. Why is Maharashtra going down this path when no other state is doing this?” he questioned.
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