Maharashtra: Teaching Hindi early in schools will harm Marathi, say educationalists

CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: Educationalists and litterateurs from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Thursday opposed any plan to make Hindi compulsory from lower classes in schools claiming it would harm the state's culture and also affect its rich literature.

The Maharashtra government recently withdrew two GRs on the three language policy and teaching of Hindi from Classes I to V in English and Marathi medium schools after vociferous opposition from various parties, especially the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray -led MNS. The government, however, set up a committee to show the way forward.

"Our country is diverse. If everyone starts speaking in Hindi, then this diversity will be in danger. Every word of Marathi that dies out is like the death of a species. Maharashtra never opposed Hindi but we cannot be guinea pigs for a language experiment. If we take up Hindi, who will read Marathi literature," poet Dasoo Vaidya told PTI.

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'Its up to people of Maharashtra to decide the language'

Marathwada Sahitya Parishad president Kautikrao Thale Patil questioned if other states have done anything for the welfare of Marathi despite having speakers of the language within their jurisdiction.

"However, we spend money on Hindi departments in our universities. The people of Maharashtra will decide which language they want to learn. Now matter what committee is formed by the state government. the opposition to Hindi will remain strong," Thale Patil asserted.

He said members of this committee must think about Marathi language rather than doing what the state government favours. Sahitya Academy award winning writer Sudhir Rasal claimed the rulers of Maharashtra think the state is a favourable place to "sow the seeds of Hindi".

"If we start teaching Hindi, the next generation will speak a language that will be a mixture of both Hindi and Marathi, with Hindi having an upper hand," Rasal claimed.