Mumbai, July 5 — In a significant political development ahead of the local body elections in Maharashtra, estranged cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray will reunite this Saturday for a joint public gathering in Mumbai. The event—billed as a “mega victory rally”—will mark the state government’s withdrawal of its contentious policy mandating Hindi as a compulsory language in primary schools.
Uddhav Thackeray, leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray will take the stage together at the NSCI Dome in Worli at 10 a.m. The high-profile event is expected to draw prominent figures from across literary, cultural, and academic spheres, including Marathi scholars, poets, writers, educators, and artists.
This rare public appearance by the Thackeray cousins comes at a politically opportune time, signaling the possibility of a recalibrated opposition front in the state. However, senior leaders from allied parties, including NCP founder Sharad Pawar and Congress leader Harshavardhan Sapkal, are expected to skip the event. MNS insiders indicated that Sapkal was unreachable, while the Congress party has distanced itself from the rally, citing concerns about alienating its non-Marathi vote base ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
Background: The Language Policy Controversy
The Maharashtra government had earlier announced a revised language policy mandating Hindi as a third compulsory language for students from Classes 1 to 5 in both Marathi and English medium schools, in line with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The official government resolution (GR) was issued on April 17.
Facing mounting political and public opposition, the government issued a revised GR on June 18, stating that Hindi would be the default third language, but students could opt for any other Indian language if at least 20 students in a class requested it.
Amid continued backlash, a government-appointed committee was established on June 24 to further review the policy framework.
Eventually, on June 30, the state government fully withdrew both resolutions, effectively nullifying the three-language mandate. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis confirmed that a new expert panel, to be chaired by noted educationist Dr. Narendra Jadhav, would be constituted. This committee will review the optimal class level for introducing additional languages, define implementation strategies, and assess suitable language options for schools.
The rollback is widely seen as a political victory for the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance—comprising Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction)—which had strongly opposed the initial policy rollout.
As political equations evolve rapidly in Maharashtra, Saturday’s rally is poised to be more than just a symbolic celebration. It may well serve as a preview of shifting alliances and narratives in the run-up to the crucial civic and assembly elections.
.png)
The opinions posted here do not belong to 🔰www.indiansdaily.com. The author is solely responsible for the opinions.
As per the IT policy of the Central Government, insults against an individual, community, religion or country, defamatory and inflammatory remarks, obscene and vulgar language are punishable offenses. Legal action will be taken for such expressions of opinion.