In a recent political twist, Uddhav Thackeray’s faction of Shiv Sena has made it clear that they are not against the Hindi language, despite the ongoing debate surrounding its imposition in Maharashtra’s education system. The party’s chief spokesperson, Sanjay Raut, emphasized that they respect Hindi, similar to the sentiments held by Tamil Nadu. This statement comes in the wake of Maharashtra’s government decision to make Hindi a mandatory third language for students from grades 1 to 5, a move that faced critically important backlash and was eventually retracted.
Thackeray and his nephew Raj Thackeray recently united on a platform to challenge the BJP, citing examples from West Bengal and Maharashtra to illustrate the potential pitfalls of imposing Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states. Raj Thackeray criticized the current coalition government, which includes the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena and the NCP, for their three-language policy.He warned that attempts to enforce Hindi in states like Tamil Nadu could lead to unrest, echoing sentiments that resonate deeply with regional pride and identity. This shift in tone from Shiv Sena reflects a nuanced approach to language politics, balancing respect for Hindi while staunchly defending Marathi identity.
