MNS's student wing stages protest against govt move to make Hindi compulsory third language for Classes 1 to 5

NEW DELHI: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's student wing activists on Friday held a protest in Navi Mumbai against the state government's move to make Hindi a compulsory third language for students in Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English-medium schools.
The protest site in Vashi witnessed numerous demonstrators displaying banners and placards whilst setting fire to copies of the government resolution.
The protesters voiced their opposition to the administration, criticising its efforts to enforce a language in an area with distinctive linguistic traditions.
The implementation of three languages for classes 1 to 5 forms part of the revised curriculum under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The state's education department has announced a gradual implementation strategy for the new curriculum framework, designed according to NEP 2020 guidelines for school education.
According to news agency PTI, Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena (MNVS) representatives told reporters that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 contains no clause requiring Hindi as a compulsory subject.
"This is an unwarranted imposition. Nowhere in the NEP 2020 is there a mention of Hindi being made compulsory," stated one student leader, referencing Tamil Nadu's strong opposition to Hindi implementation and calling for unified resistance from Maharashtra's political parties.
Professor Narendra Phatak, executive president of Sahitya Bharati and member of the Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Parishad, criticised the state government's decision as unfair and excessive for students.
"This is a unilateral decision that will only fuel resistance against Hindi, which was never an issue in Maharashtra. Unfortunately, such policies allow specific groups to politicise the matter and initiate agitations," Phatak said.