Fadnavis U-turns on Hindi, bows to Marathi pride

Regional Pride Halts Hindi Push: Fadnavis Backtracks on Language Mandate Amid Political Heat in Maharashtra

 

In the tug of war between nationalism and regional identity, regionalism has drawn first blood — and that too in Maharashtra, a state ruled by the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance. Days after a government resolution aimed at mandating Hindi as a compulsory third language in primary schools sparked political backlash, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made a sharp U-turn, denying any attempt to impose Hindi and reaffirming Marathi’s primacy in school education.

The climbdown marks a significant setback for the BJP's broader ideological project — which seeks to weave a unifying national identity first through religion under the Hindutva banner, and now increasingly through language, with Hindi projected as a national linguistic glue. However, what sailed through in policy documents ran aground in the complex linguistic and political terrain of Maharashtra.

On Sunday, addressing reporters in Pune, Fadnavis sought to downplay the row: “It is wrong to say that attempts are being made to impose Hindi. Marathi will be compulsory in Maharashtra. There will be no other compulsion.”

But the timing of the statement — coming just hours after a letter from the State Marathi Language Department’s advisory committee was leaked to the media — tells a more layered story. The letter, signed by committee chairman Lakshmikant Deshmukh, urged the state government to revoke the controversial April 17 resolution, which had announced Hindi as a compulsory third language for Classes 1 to 5 starting 2026-27.

Deshmukh’s letter highlighted a core contradiction in the government’s move: “No language has been made compulsory in the National Education Policy (NEP). On the contrary, the NEP stresses education in the mother tongue. Making Hindi mandatory is not in alignment with the policy.”

Sensing the political damage, sources indicate the Fadnavis government used the advisory committee letter strategically — perhaps even prompted it — to neutralize criticism from Marathi-centric parties like the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Both parties have long positioned themselves as custodians of Marathi asmita (pride) and reacted sharply against what they called Hindi “imposition.”

In a bid to avoid handing them a political advantage, the CM reoriented the narrative. “We will take a decision that if a student wishes to learn a language other than Hindi, they will be allowed to do so,” Fadnavis said. He added that the NEP allows such flexibility, with the caveat that at least 20 students must opt for a non-Hindi language to justify appointing a dedicated teacher — failing which, virtual learning modules will be explored.

Political observers say this U-turn is more than just about education policy. With speculation swirling over a potential alliance or merger between the Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray and the MNS led by Raj Thackeray, the BJP may be working to prevent a consolidation of Marathi regionalist forces — particularly ones with overlapping Hindutva appeal.

“If Uddhav and Raj do come together, even unofficially, it would pose a serious challenge to BJP’s carefully cultivated Hindu vote bank in Maharashtra,” a senior political analyst noted. “The BJP knows it can’t afford a split in that base, especially not before 2024 state elections.”

While the state government insists the April 17 resolution was merely procedural and aligned with NEP, critics see the sequence of events — GR issuance, backlash, committee letter, and prompt CM clarification — as indicative of policy overreach swiftly reined in by political compulsions.

In the end, it appears the CM has chosen to retreat in the face of mounting local sentiment, preserving the state's linguistic pride — at least for now. But the episode leaves the BJP navigating a delicate balance between its nationalistic narrative and the regional sensitivities it can’t afford to ignore.