Stir in Maharashtra: Student Activists Oppose Compulsory Hindi Mandate

Activists of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's student wing organized a protest in Navi Mumbai against the state government's decision to enforce Hindi as a mandatory third language for young students in Marathi and English-medium schools. The protest highlights concerns over the imposition of language policies inconsistent with the NEP 2020 guidelines.

On Friday, student activists from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena staged a protest in Navi Mumbai. Their demonstration opposed the state government's directive mandating Hindi as the third language for elementary classes in Marathi and English-medium schools.

Waving banners and burning copies of the government resolution, protestors congregated in Vashi, voicing their dissatisfaction with state authorities. They claimed the imposition undermines the region's linguistic diversity.

The three-language stipulation is an element of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, yet student voices argue the policy doesn't stipulate Hindi as compulsory. Professor Narendra Phatak, aligning with the dissent, labeled the mandate as unilateral and prone to politicization.

(With inputs from agencies.)