Marathi compulsory in Maharashtra, confirms CM Fadnavis

Devendra Fadnavis, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, announced on April 17 that speaking Marathi will be mandatory in the state, highlighting the government's decision to incorporate the language into its new education strategy.

During the groundbreaking ceremony for the Mumbai Metro Line 7A tunnel, Fadnavis emphasized the importance of the National Education Policy, saying, "We have already implemented the new education policy... As per the policy, we are attempting to ensure that everyone knows Marathi as well as the language of the country."

He clarified that the strategy promotes the use of a single, universal language for communication across India, and the Maharashtra government has already taken steps to ensure that Marathi is widely spoken.

"With this, the center ideated this policy so that there would be one communicable language in the country... However, in Maharashtra, we have already decided to make Marathi compulsory. Everyone has to speak Marathi in Maharashtra, but they can learn any other language if they want to," Fadnavis added.

His statement comes amid ongoing debates and discussions about language policies in various states, particularly concerning the use of regional languages.

There have been allegations of harassment and vandalism targeting non-Marathi speakers in Maharashtra, reportedly linked to certain political organizations.

On April 2, Fadnavis said that while promoting the Marathi language is not wrong, it must always remain within the limits of the law.

"The agitation should be lawful. We will not tolerate any unlawful actions," Fadnavis stressed, referring to a recent incident where a security guard was reportedly assaulted by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers for allegedly disrespecting the Marathi language.

According to a party statement, MNS President Raj Thackeray responded to the incident by instructing his party members to call off the ongoing protest demanding the mandatory use of Marathi in banks and other establishments across the state.

Support and opposition to the Maharashtra government's move to mandate the use of Marathi remain divided, as language politics continues to be a sensitive issue in the state.