Scrapping of GRs on Hindi as optional language: Govt faced defeat before the power of 'Marathi Manoos', says Uddhav

Mumbai, June 29 (IANS) Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said the government’s power faced defeat before the power of 'Marathi Manoos' on the contentious issue of introduction of Hindi as third language after Marathi and English for classes 1 to 5.

He was reacting to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ announcement over the scrapping of its two government resolutions on earlier Hindi as compulsory language and later Hindi as an optional language under the trilingual formula.

The government has formed a committee chaired by former Planning Commission member Narendra Jadhav to prepare a report on trilingual formula.

“The compulsion of Hindi has been withdrawn. Whether to hold a march or a victory meeting on the July 5 in Mumbai will be decided in two days after talking to everyone. I request everyone to participate in this. The Narendra Jadhav led committee has no meaning. No matter who appoints a committee, they cannot force Hindi. The compulsion is over. They will not allow it to happen,” said Thackeray at the press conference.Uddhav Thackeray had announced to participate with his estranged brother and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena founder Raj Thackeray in a morcha slated for July 5 in Mumbai to protest against the imposition of Hindi while pursuing resolve to protect Marathi language in the state.

“Marathi people woke up and came together. Now the government resolutions on Hindi GR has been withdrawn so that Marathi people would not come together. But now this unity of Marathi people should remain,” asserted Thackeray.

“The BJP's hidden agenda was to divide the Marathi people and attract the non Marathi voters by making raking up Marathi vs Non Marathi issue. But the good news is that the Marathi people took a sensible stance. They are not against Hindi language, but against coercion. Since there was a movement against coercion, there was no division. The government thought that the division of the Marathi people would be beneficial to it,” claimed Thackeray. He alleged that BJP has become factory of lies and rumours.

“Spreading rumours, creating false stories and gaining votes has become BJP's business. It has been slapped. I appeal to the Marathi people not to wait for a crisis. Maintain this position. We were going to take out a morcha against coercion on July 5. Now we are going to hold a victory march. We will decide the place soon,” he said.

Thackeray admitted that during his tenure as chief minister, a committee headed by noted scientist Raghunath Mashelkar was appointed in the wake of announcement of New Education Policy. “After its report came, we appointed a study group on it. But not a single meeting of that study group was held. But later the government fell. That is why lies are being spread by the BJP,” he remarked.

He thereby countered Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who had claimed that the decision to implement the trilingual formula was during the tenure of Uddhav Thackeray.

--IANS

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