It seems that estranged cousins Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray have been brought back together in a calculated move ahead of the Mumbai civic elections. Sanjay Raut, senior leader of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), suggested on 27th February that the two leaders would now work together to lead a demonstration against the alleged “imposition” of Hindi in Maharashtra’s school curriculum, hinting at a thaw in their long-running conflict.
जय महाराष्ट्र!
— Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) June 27, 2025
"There will be a single and united march against compulsory Hindi in Maharashtra schools. Thackeray is the brand!"
@Dev_Fadnavis
@AmitShah pic.twitter.com/tPv6q15Hwv
Nonetheless, they are consolidating around the borrowed agenda of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), along with other southern politicians and “language warriors,” which has been repeatedly debunked not only by the union ministers and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders but also by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 itself.
“We are not against any language. We have always respected Hindi. People like us have always valued it. Our party uses Hindi in many ways. But the recent decision to make Hindi compulsory as the third language up to Class 4 under the ‘Three Language Policy’ puts an unnecessary burden on children. It is both an academic and a linguistic issue,” claimed the Rajya Sabha MP.
He conveyed, “Raj Thackeray took a position, and Uddhav Thackeray fully supports the cause. In fact, he has endorsed the 7th July Marathi language agitation and announced: We are with you in this fight.” The Tribhasha Sutra (Three language formula) Anti-Mumbai Coordination Committee had organized a march on 7th July.
“We will not allow the imposition of Hindi as a third language in Marathi and English schools for Classes 1 to 5 in Maharashtra. This is not just an educational issue, it is cultural encroachment.” Uddhav Thackeray also questioned the policy’s constitutional foundation and political intent and demanded an examination of the state’s educational system.
“I urge all Marathi-speaking citizens, actors, athletes, artists, to join us in this fight. We are not against Hindi or any language. Our protest is against the forced imposition of any language on young minds,” he announced following a meeting with coordination committee at Matoshree.
Raut expressed, “It was not good that two separate rallies would be taken out. I discussed with Uddhav and Raj Thackeray. Both Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS will jointly begin this movement on 5th July. The time and place of the march will be discussed and finalised.”
He disclosed that prior preparations for separate rallies on the same issue on 6th and 7th July had been canceled after talks with Uddhav Thackeray, the head of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) supremo Raj Thackeray.
Raj Thackeray got in touch with Raut and suggested that a united protest would have a greater effect and avoid division on this important Marathi identity issue. The latter mentioned, “A united protest will make a bigger impact.” He added, “I informed Uddhav and without a moment’s hesitation, he said that Marathi-speaking people must be seen standing together on this issue.”
“Raj Thackeray agreed immediately. He even called back to say the protest should be kept away from any political agenda and remain focused on the language issue,” he further claimed. The protest march has been set for 5th July to prevent conflict with the celebrations of Ashadi Ekadashi. He wrote, “A united march will take place against the imposition of Hindi in Maharashtra’s schools,” in another post.
महाराष्ट्रतील शाळांत हिंदी सक्ती विरोधात एकच आणि एकत्र मोर्चा निघेल!
— Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) June 27, 2025
जय महाराष्ट्र! pic.twitter.com/A8ATq2ra0k
“This morning, for our Marathi language, for Maharashtra, and for the Marathi people, a morcha was announced on 6th July. There is a slight change in that plan. The morcha will now take place on Saturday, 5th July at 10 am from Girgaum to Azad Maidan. The location and all other details remain unchanged. Therefore, the media and the people of Maharashtra should take note of this change,” Raj Thackeray declared on social media.
सस्नेह जय महाराष्ट्र,
— Raj Thackeray (@RajThackeray) June 26, 2025
आज सकाळी आपल्या मराठीसाठी, महाराष्ट्रासाठी आणि मराठी माणसासाठी येत्या ६ जुलैला मोर्च्याची घोषणा केली होती. त्यात थोडा बदल आहे, हा मोर्चा रविवार ६ जुलैच्या ऐवजी, ५ जुलै शनिवारी सकाळी १० वाजता असणार आहे. बाकी ठिकाण आणि इतर सर्व तपशील तसेच असणार आहेत. त्यामुळे… pic.twitter.com/BUN1Av0GSK
The MNS chief earlier emphasized that the gathering will only be based on Marathi identity and will not include any political flags. “The sole agenda will be Marathi. The leadership of this march will also be by a Marathi person,” he stressed. MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande asserted, “This united morcha will bring significant change in Maharashtra. Sanyukta Maharashtra 2.0 will be remembered because of this march.”
“We demand that no language should be forced. What we have been learning so far should continue. Education should be enhanced, but no language should be forced. Why is it just Hindi? How much do you want to burden the children? Focus on what they are already studying, restructure it a little, make it better,” stated Aaditya Thackeray.
While Hindi is widely spoken throughout the nation, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) head Sharad Pawar argued that young pupils, particularly those in primary school, shouldn’t be required to learn it.
He voiced, “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. If the pressure becomes too much and results in the mother tongue being sidelined, then that is not acceptable.”
Why the fearmongering is only for political reasons
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which incorporates a three-language approach, was adopted by the Mahayuti government in April. Hindi was initially mandated as a third language, however, it was later made optional. On 16th June the state government issued an order declaring children in Marathi and English-medium schools in Classes 1 through 5 will generally be taught Hindi as a third language.
The government noted that learning Hindi is not necessary but at least 20 students per grade would be needed to provide permission to study any other Indian language in a school.
The concern regarding the imposition of Hindi originated in the southern region, particularly in Tamil Nadu, where the ruling party viewed it as an attack on their language, identity and culture, subsequently declared a war on the central government to protect the state in the name of violation of their rights.
It is interesting to note that members of the Bharatiya Janata Party, including state leaders and union ministers, have repeatedly assured that there is no imposition of any kind on the students. The decision will solely be made by the students and their teachers, as clearly outlined in the policy. However, politicians, for obvious reasons, choose to ignore these facts to advance their propaganda.
Tamil Nadu BJP vice-president K Annamalai brutally exposed the DMK party, whose leaders ensure that their children or grandchildren are enrolled in or manage CBSE/Matriculation schools with three language options but oppose the same in government-run educational institutions.
More importantly, the NEP points out, “The three languages learned by children will be the choices of states, regions, and of course the students themselves, so long as at least two of the three languages are native to India. In particular, students who wish to change one or more of the three languages they are studying may do so in grade 6 or 7, as long as they are able to demonstrate basic proficiency in three languages (including one language of India at the literature level) by the end of secondary school.”
Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan communicated with Chief Minister MK Stalin to alleviate his concerns and consistently expressed that their concerns were unfounded. Nevertheless, in a quintessential example of “You can’t wake a person who is pretending to be asleep,” the DMK leaders and their ecosystem persisted in advancing their agenda and even attempted to instigate division within the country under the guise of Tamil pride.
Currently, the Thackeray brothers, along with their parties and the opposition in Maharashtra, appear to have drawn inspiration from the strategy and have embarked on a similar course for mere political advantage. Dadaji Bhuse, the minister of school education, even met with Raj Thackeray to discuss the government’s explanation for the three-language rule.
“We shared the government’s perspective on the policy, but he remains firm in his stand,” the former informed the media. However, akin to the fact that the truth was never important because the movement has been completely political in the south, the situation in Maharashtra mirrors that.
Moreover, it is undeniable that Hindi enjoys significant popularity even in regions where it is not predominantly spoken, serving as a key means of communication across India. Despite the fierce opposition from the alleged “language warriors” in these regions, Hindi is extensively utilized, particularly in interactions with non-native speakers.
Maharashtra is even the home of the billion-dollar Hindi film industry, commonly referred to as Bollywood, where individuals from across India, regardless of their regional and linguistic backgrounds, come together to achieve fame and success.
Now, one might delve into the political discourse and debates surrounding the alleged injustices faced by other languages, however, the current circumstances cannot be overlooked. Hindi is a primary, if not the main, source of communication in the country including many educational institutions.
Nevertheless, this does not imply that there is no room for other languages. India is a nation characterized by its diversities, accommodating all its languages and cultures. Yet, the opposition seems unwilling to grasp the straightforward facts and instead cries discrimination, not due to any real issue, but because they believe that appealing to regional pride will fulfil their petty interests.
However, in their lack of foresight, they disregard the fact that the perils of these contentious political planks far exceed any benefits they could possibly bring. Predictably, the influence of the Mumbai civic polls is prominently reflected in the decision of the Thackeray brothers.
