By: Arvind Jadhav
Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has announced a massive protest rally on July 6 from Girgaum to Azad Maidan in Mumbai to oppose the “imposition” of Hindi as a third language in Marathi and English medium schools. Thackeray alleged that this move is a conspiracy to destroy the Marathi language, which has recently been awarded Classical Status. He emphasized that the party won’t allow the “imposition” of Hindi in the state and invited all literary figures, Marathi lovers, film personalities, and political parties to participate in the morcha.
Thackeray expressed his concerns about the government’s decision, questioning the availability of funds to pay salaries to the 10,000 Hindi teachers the government plans to recruit. “Do you have the money to pay the salaries? There are many big issues before the state, so why is it coming to the language? Is there an attempt to hide something big?” he asked. He also stressed that Maharashtra’s greatness stems from its education system, not the imposition of Hindi.
The MNS chief urged everyone to come together for Maharashtra without arguments and participate in the morcha. The protest aims to protect the Marathi language and culture, with Thackeray asserting, “We will remain opposed to the imposition of Hindi.” The morcha will be a unified effort, with no flags allowed, to show solidarity among Marathi people.
