Terming it as a serious issue, Thackeray said he had already written two letters to the state government expressing his protest. He reiterated that Hindi is not the national language of India, but the language of a particular region. “Why should Marathi children be forced to learn Hindi from the first standard?” he questioned.
He emphasised that Maharashtra has always respected all languages and communities, but that doesn’t mean Marathi should be ignored or downgraded. “We are not against Hindi, but we will not accept its imposition. If the government is trying to divide people on the basis of language, then they must stop immediately,” he said.
Thackeray asked whether the same kind of Hindi language imposition is happening in other states. “There is no such rule in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh or even Gujarat. In Gujarat, there is a government resolution that makes Gujarati and English compulsory from Class 1 — not Hindi. Then why this compulsion only in Maharashtra?” he asked.
He also took aim at the central government and its silence on the issue. “Even in the home states of Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah, Hindi is not made compulsory in schools. So why Maharashtra?” he asked. He also pointed fingers at a group of IAS officers who he believed was behind this move. “There is a powerful IAS lobby trying to push Hindi in Maharashtra. I have names of those involved,” he said, though he did not reveal any names during the press conference.
He accused the government of trying to implement the policy through the backdoor, without public consultation. “They are printing Hindi textbooks and getting ready to implement this quietly. But let me be clear — if this happens, it will be treated as betrayal of Maharashtra. We will oppose it with full force,” he warned.
Thackeray also appealed to writers, artists, and the public to raise their voices against this move. “If we remain silent now, our language and culture will be destroyed. Every school, every parent should oppose this,” he said. Further, he told media that he had written one letter to the all school of Maharashtra and asked them not to teach Hindi from the first standard. He also informed media that his party workers will be visiting schools to see which schools are teaching Hindi to first standard students,
Thackeray also challenged the government, saying, “If they think this is a small issue, they are mistaken. Marathi people will not stay quiet. We will fight to protect our identity and language.” The controversy has now put the state government under pressure, as political parties and citizens begin to debate the future of language policy in Maharashtra’s schools.
