A political row has erupted in Maharashtra after the state government made Hindi compulsory in educational institutions.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00The language storm raging in the south has touched western shores.
00:09Hindi imposition rao has spread from the south to the west.
00:14Amidst the language rao in Tamil Nadu, Hindi made compulsory in Maharashtra.
00:21Yes, you heard it right, not optional but mandatory in Maharashtra.
00:30The Maharashtra government has made Hindi a compulsory third language from standard 1 to 5 in both Marathi and English medium schools in the state as per the national education policy.
00:45Currently only Marathi and English are being taught as mandatory languages from first to the fourth in these schools.
00:52The new Shikshaniti we are taking place before. There is no new notification.
00:58In Shikshaniti we have the hope that all should come to Maharashtra.
01:04And with our country's language, which is also the language.
01:08The government has thought that it should be a language in our country.
01:14This is the hope that this is the hope that we have been taught.
01:16In what seems to be a controversial move, which will have both social and political ramifications, Hindi in Maharashtra will now not be optional but mandatory.
01:30As of course, it is not as mandatory.
01:31The language is about two of us.
01:33I see the language as well during the two words.
01:35I am looking at a lawful ministry.
01:36The following two persons were meeting the two of us.
01:39For each of us should either.
01:40I should also be asked to the language as well.
01:42And perhaps more or less of us should be there.
01:43If we've asked how people do the language in Mumbai or the BMC or Hindi.
01:46A lot of commentary politics has been swirling around the three-language policy.
02:03The three-language formula in the National Education Policy 2020 recommends that students learn three languages, at least two of which must be native to India.
02:14The formula applies to both government and private schools, giving states the flexibility to choose language without any imposition.
02:25The key word here has been without imposition, something which the government has gone to lengths to defend, suggesting the DMK government has only been whipping up imaginary Hindi imposition hysteria.
02:40The NEP is not recommending imposition of any language on the respective students of the state.
02:50That means in no way NEP is recommending imposition of Hindi and Tamil Nadu.
02:58This misinformation, this falsehood should not be spread from the responsible persons.
03:07With now the imposition in Maharashtra, the DMK has found fresh ammunition to attract the government with.
03:16Those who once argued that Hindi would not be imposed as a third language and that students could choose to learn any Indian language they wished have now made Hindi a compulsory subject up to class 5 in Maharashtra.
03:31The so-called national education policy is nothing but a facade to push Hindi imposition, said the DMK.
03:40While in Maharashtra, the move has fanned the fires of hyper-regionalism.
03:45The MNS put up provocative posters in Gadar.
03:49The posters catching the attention of locals and sparking debate across political circles read,
03:55We are Hindu, but Hindi is not Hindi, which translates we are Hindus but not Hindi.
04:03The imposition might just be in Maharashtra.
04:07The ramifications though will be national and political.
04:11Drop focus on to the point this evening.
04:13All right, so at the back of it, the questions that we asked this evening.
04:21Hindi imposition, real fear or fear-mongering now?
04:25Because we are still now, one would have believed that what the free language policy says, that it's not imposition.
04:33But with Maharashtra imposing Hindi, that fear has been regenerated.
04:38Maharashtra, example of centre covertly pushing Hindi as a linked language.
04:44The Home Minister, the Education Minister has gone at length to say that we are not imposing Hindi at all.
04:50But you have a full state now, which has outrightly, the Chief Minister has gone and said,
04:55that the centre, that the centre wants Hindi as a linked language and we agree with that.
05:02The other question that we ask is Maharashtra decision now with what has happened,
05:06where Hindi in position in Maharashtra, given direct fodder for South parties to say,
05:12we told you so, that this was always the plan of the government to use Hindi as a linked language.
05:17Let's take these questions to our panellists this evening.
05:20We'll give all of them two minutes timer and after that, your fader falls.
05:25We won't be able to hear you.
05:26Joining me this evening, Krishna Hegre, Spokesperson Shiv Sena.
05:29Sanju Verma, National Spokesperson BJP.
05:32Chitra Batham, National Spokesperson Congress.
05:35Sushma Andhare, Spokesperson Shiv Sena UBT.
05:39I'll begin with Sanju Verma.
05:40And the reason I am beginning with Sanju Verma is,
05:43because Sanju Verma, I want you to hear one particular reaction and I'm going to come right back.
05:48Let's listen in to the Education Minister.
05:50NEP is not recommending imposition of any language on the respective students of the state.
06:00That means, in no way, NEP is recommending imposition of Hindi in Tamil Nadu.
06:09This misinformation, this falsehood should not be spread from the responsible persons.
06:17All right, so imposition was falsehood, was misinformation as per the Education Minister.
06:27The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Sanju Verma, on record, I'm happy to play that reaction for you as well,
06:32but I'm sure you heard it in our lead-up story,
06:35has said directly that the Centre wants a linked language and we will impose Hindi.
06:41So now, it's out in the open.
06:44You're trying to covertly impose Hindi through the back door.
06:49Has my timer started, Preeti?
06:51Ma'am, yes, I'll give you 10 more seconds if you wish.
06:54Go ahead.
06:55Okay, thank you.
06:56Preeti, first and foremost, let me state very clearly,
06:59Article 343 of the Constitution clearly says,
07:02that Hindi in Devanadri script is the official language of the Indian Union.
07:06So, Hindi is our national language that can bind India and promote national identity despite our linguistic diversity.
07:27And it is incumbent upon the central government and all states to secure the enrichment of Hindi and promote Hindi as a medium of expression.
07:37So, the third point is, by promoting Hindi, are we actually promoting what our constitutional ideals espouse?
07:45Most certainly, yes.
07:46Yes, but now I will showcase the hypocrisy of the opposition.
07:50There is the Telangana Education Act of 1982.
07:54And now, using that, just two months back, Revan Reddy passed a GR saying, hence, quote, from the next year.
08:01Class 9, whether you are in CBSE, ICSE or IB-affiliated schools, Telugu is compulsory.
08:10Karnataka Learning Act of 2015, the Siddharamaya government has said, right from Class 1 to Class 10,
08:18all CBSE and ICSE-affiliated schools will have Kannada as one of the mandatory languages, right from Class 1 to Class 10.
08:28Then, let's talk about the Tamil Nadu Learning Act of 2006, wherein DMK's MC Stalin has said,
08:35right from Class 1 to Class 10, all CBSE-affiliated schools in Tamil Nadu have to mandatorily promote Tamil as one of the languages.
08:44Here we have just said, from Class 1 to Class 5, Hindi is mandatory.
08:49And see, it's been ruined.
08:50That is why it says that Bevil is in the details.
08:53From 1 to Class 5, it's Hindi mandatory.
08:55Why is it a grouhaha?
08:58Ma'am, I'll tell you why the grouhaha.
08:59And I'll come back to you, I'll circle back to you.
09:01The grouhaha is because at length, the Education Minister, the Home Minister, has gone on record to say,
09:07we are never imposing.
09:09There is no imposition at all.
09:10Choose what you want to study.
09:12That's why the grouhaha.
09:13And I'll circle back to you because the same article you quoted of the Constitution also says,
09:18English is also the official language along with Hindi.
09:21As per the new NEP 2020, English is a foreign language.
09:24In the Constitution, Preeti, don't say half-bet truth.
09:28Ma'am, I'm just saying, English was the inception of the Constitution.
09:31You've regularly part of the sentence.
09:34All I'm saying is,
09:35For 15 years.
09:36For 15 years.
09:37Hear me out.
09:37All I'm saying is, English is also, was, also, the, or is, also the official language.
09:43Why do you have a problem with Hindi, Preeti?
09:45I have no problem with Hindi, Preeti.
09:47What is the difference?
09:49Ma'am, this channel is a long-razy, so Hindi, here is not Hindi.
09:52Because this channel is English.
09:54So we try to talk in Hindi.
09:55Hindi is not a long-razy, Preeti.
09:56What is the difference?
09:57Ma'am, I have no problem.
09:58Ma'am, now unnecessarily your fader is going to go down.
10:01Don't, there's no, it's not a conversation between you and I.
10:03I want to go to Chitra Batam, National Spokesperson Congress.
10:06Chitra Batam, it's very clear.
10:07Let's say that, yes, they want Hindi, which is, the center wants Hindi as a linked language,
10:13so everyone has a language they can communicate with.
10:16But ultimately, education is a state subject.
10:18Chitra Batam, you don't need to impose Hindi.
10:21Maharashtra has decided they want to impose Hindi as in the three-language policy.
10:25Wherever you have a government, don't impose Hindi.
10:28DMK doesn't need to impose Hindi.
10:32Preeti, can you hear me?
10:33I can.
10:34Go ahead, ma'am.
10:35Your time started.
10:37Preeti, as we know that, today, Maharashtra is being ruled by such a chief minister who
10:44does not take pride in being Marathi himself.
10:47Marathi language is the identity and culture of the Maharashtra people.
10:52And it is, moreover, the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
10:56By imposing Hindi from class 1 to 4, we are actually, the government is...
11:021 to 5, ma'am.
11:03Let me correct you.
11:041 to 5, I hate coming in, but 1 to 5.
11:05Yeah, from 1 to 5, the BJP government is trying to make a lot of teachers jobless and it is
11:12jeopardizing the Marathi culture and the Marathi identity.
11:16So, over here, we are completely against this particular act of imposition of Hindi.
11:22We do not have, the people of Maharashtra do not have any issues with Hindi-speaking people
11:28or the Hindi language per se.
11:30But this sort of imposition completely devoid of the respect that the regional languages also must get.
11:38So, over here, I must tell you that to promote fake unity, the BJP government is jeopardizing the real diversity of India
11:46and they are not completely in favor of the regional languages itself.
11:51So, it is very sad to note that the Mahayuti government must impose such as CBSE standards into the state boards
12:01and also do away with the state boards, the SSE boards over here in Maharashtra.
12:05So, this is completely to undermine what Maharashtra has so far offered in terms of intellectuality
12:12and this is to impose Hindi and to take away the identity and the culture of Marathi-speaking people.
12:19I must also tell you over here that a few days back, the education minister over here in Maharashtra
12:25had said that the CBSE curriculum will be imposed in these state-run schools over here,
12:33which were already being run on the SSE.
12:36Ma'am, time is up.
12:37I will come back to you and, you know, I did give 10 seconds extra to Sanju Verma.
12:41Next time, I'll give you that 10 seconds extra.
12:43Krishna Hegre, I want to bring you back into this conversation.
12:46Krishna Hegre, word has it, BMC elections are coming up.
12:49The Eknath Shinde Party, Shiv Sena, wants to ally with the Raj Thakere Party, MNS.
12:55And today, posters across Maharashtra are splattered where MNS says,
13:01Hindu hain par Hindi nahin.
13:06See, Raj Thakere's MNS is an offshoot of the Shiv Sena.
13:10So we cannot deny that he was always with us from the beginning.
13:13He was our leader as well.
13:15Secondly, Shiv Sena was founded to fight, you know, for the rights of the Marathi manus.
13:20And therefore, the Shiv Sena stance is very clear.
13:23Anyone living in Maharashtra should know Marathi, speak Marathi and learn Marathi.
13:28That is, there are no two ways about it.
13:31They have to do that.
13:32Marathi is the Rajabasha.
13:34Marathi is the, you know, the language in which the government paperwork runs.
13:40It is the official language for us.
13:42And therefore, we are only following the National Education Policy 2020.
13:46Imposition is not a part of that policy, sir.
13:50Sorry, I am interrupting.
13:51No, no.
13:52Let me tell you.
13:52This is not only for Maharashtra.
13:54This is for all states across India.
13:57But Maharashtra has imposed Hindi till 5th standard.
14:00There is a difference, sir.
14:00No, I tell you.
14:01See, today the Maharashtrian youth is extremely educated.
14:05He is not only working in Mumbai at Maharashtra, but he is working all over, you know, India.
14:10He is working all over the globe.
14:12And therefore, to work all across India, there is a requirement to learn Hindi.
14:17There is also a requirement if he is working in India and overseas to also know a bit of English.
14:22Because that will help his business.
14:24That will help his trade.
14:25That will help him prosper.
14:26And therefore, learning another language is not an issue.
14:31The issue is if you are going to substitute Marathi with Hindi or English, which we are not doing.
14:37Marathi is a priority for us.
14:39Marathi has always been a priority for us.
14:41And we stand by Maharashtrians.
14:44We stand by the language.
14:45And over that, let me tell you that even with the agitation, Mr. Raj Sakri had called off his agitation.
14:54And now the congressperson, she did not even know what she was talking about.
14:59She should make the congress stand very clear what they want.
15:02Are they for this or are they for not?
15:03They cannot have a haphazard view on languages.
15:08And Marathi for us, as I said, is a priority.
15:10All right, okay.
15:11Sushma Andhare, the fact is, with what you heard, Mr. Hegde, Marathi is a priority, will always be a priority.
15:20What is wrong if you have a link language where youth of Maharashtra can go and communicate in the north as well for work opportunities?
15:28So, allow them to learn another language.
15:30But nobody is saying Marathi is not a priority.
15:33Here is, in Maharashtra, Nura Kushti is going on in between BJP and Maharashtra, now Nirmala Sena.
15:44I'm not, I don't want to go in that Nura Kushti.
15:48But I want to put something.
15:50In 1953, our government, at that time's government, established a linguistic state commission.
16:01Pazal Ali was the president of that commission.
16:04In 1955, they reported to government that we have to accept a triple language formula.
16:13First language should be the mother tongue of that state.
16:17Second should be the, what can we say, a communicative language.
16:22And third one, you can choose any other language like English, French, Russian, whatever.
16:28In our academic language formula is in, in our academic, the academic subject is in a common list subject.
16:38And if common list is located, then how can we say that only central government will decide about our linguistic formula if our communicative science or pediatrician, all people, kids psychologists, all people are saying that two to eight, this is the age period.
17:04But this age period is the very good period for children to adopt any kind of language.
17:11So how can we say that one language can learn one time and everyone can learn one time and all the people have approved it.
17:20But what kind of language can learn one opinion of a human child, Indian, Hindu, Hind İslami, Hindustan at the same time and the other person accepts it.
17:36Is this the kind of mind and the sometimes defends only the Victorinov in terms of the possible��.
17:39I will come back. I am going to give all our panelists one minute each.
17:49Once again, Sanju Verma, I will begin with you and I will come back to the question.
17:52My producer has just told me that we have three debates of Sanju Verma where she has spoken for two minutes each on how Hindi is not going to be imposed.
18:01And the same thing was said, you know, by the education minister, by the home minister.
18:07So now what has happened, Sanju Verma, is because GM can say, we told you so, that they are just saying this.
18:12They will impose it ultimately.
18:15You know, Preeti, this is for you and very humbly and respectfully to your producers, but more importantly to your audience.
18:23I have a great memory and I maintain there is no Hindi imposition.
18:27If you are saying that by having Hindi as one of the languages merely from class 1 to class 5 is Hindi imposition,
18:35then by that logic, having Telugu from class 1 to class 10 in Telangana is not Telugu imposition.
18:43Having Kannada as one of the compulsory languages in all CBSE and ICSE affiliated schools from class 1 to class 10.
18:50Have you ever said that Kannada is being mandatorily imposed in Karnataka?
18:54No, by having Tamil as one of the mandatory languages in all CBSE and ICSE affiliated schools in Tamil Nadu.
19:02Have you ever said that Salen is imposing Tamil?
19:05No.
19:06Class 1 to class 10 is Tamil compulsory in Tamil Nadu.
19:09Class 1 to class 10 is Kannada compulsory in Karnataka.
19:13But only in class 1 to class 5 did Hindi compulsory in Karnataka, but there is a brouhaha.
19:19Why?
19:19This is not Hindi imposition.
19:21Okay, ma'am, your time is up.
19:23I would have flipped it around and said that another thing that was said repeatedly is that there is going to be no link language.
19:28You have a problem with BJP, that is the problem.
19:31Ma'am, I have no problem.
19:32You have a problem with BJP.
19:34I'll tell you what the problem is.
19:36The problem is BJP spokespersons have a problem with any journalist asking questions to them because they are not used to it.
19:42No, no, no.
19:42You ask me the toughest questions, BD.
19:43I really appreciate that.
19:44Ma'am, I ask the toughest questions to everyone.
19:46But don't split my statement.
19:46But I'll tell you what the problem is.
19:48Don't split my statement.
19:48I'll tell you what the problem is.
19:50The problem is BJP spokespersons do not expect tough questions to be asked from them, but in India that doesn't happen.
19:57You have asked me the toughest questions, BD.
19:58Ma'am, I'm glad you are answering them.
20:00You have asked me the toughest questions.
20:01Exactly, I do.
20:02You have asked me the toughest questions.
20:03I do, and you answer.
20:05I do, and you answer.
20:06That doesn't mean I have a problem.
20:08It's my job.
20:09That's my job.
20:10You don't have to twist my comments every time.
20:12Ma'am, all I'm saying is that means I have no problem.
20:14I have no problem with the BJP or the Congress.
20:16Ma'am, it's not a fight between you and me.
20:17You made a factually wrong statement.
20:21Education is not a state subject.
20:22It's a concurrent subject.
20:24You made a factually wrong statement.
20:26Education is not in the state.
20:28Okay, it's a concurrent subject, but the state has the power to decide to implement it on your own.
20:31Ma'am, you need to be abreast of the facts, Priti.
20:36Ma'am, I am abreast.
20:37You also need to be open to taking questions.
20:39Okay, ma'am, the biggest fopper.
20:43Ma'am, the biggest fopper right now has been a government which has gone on record to say it's not going to impose a language and has imposed it.
20:51Ma'am, it's not a fight.
20:52One minute each, I want to cut across to the Congress spokesperson, Chitra Batham.
20:56Go ahead, ma'am.
20:57One minute starts now.
20:58Priti, the funny point over here is that compulsory is not imposition.
21:06How can you say that?
21:08I mean, isn't it so obvious that making a language compulsory in the primary stages of education is basically trying to impose something?
21:18And also, they have talked about over here about the Telugu language and the Kannada language.
21:24Have the state governments made or imposed the Kannada language or the Telugu language on any other states or even in the neighboring states?
21:34No, they haven't done so.
21:35So, why such an exception for Hindi?
21:38Hindi anyways would be, you know, taught in the other, in the higher, in the higher standards.
21:44So, my question over here is, what is the point that you're going to derive out of, you know, teaching or imposing the respective language onto those small minds, on students from class 1 to 5?
21:57How is it really going to impact them?
22:00Any, anything that's practically accepted is welcome.
22:05All right, ma'am, the time is up.
22:07One minute to Krishna Hegre.
22:09Krishna Hegre, final submission, sir.
22:11One minute begins now.
22:14Priti, I must tell you, as I read it again, that Marathi is a priority for us.
22:2030 years ago, people said, do not get into information technology.
22:24And today, India has a superpower in information technology.
22:28We are ruling the Silicon Valley.
22:29Similarly, in the, you know, present generation, we have artificial intelligence.
22:35Tomorrow, someone will say, don't get into artificial intelligence.
22:38Oh, that is the future of the world.
22:40We need to get into that.
22:41So, if our Maharashtrian youth can learn Hindi, learn English and prosper across the country and across the world, I think it is a very fair thing.
22:49We should give them a chance.
22:50However, still reinstating that Marathi is a priority for us in Dashiv Sena and in Maharashtra, along with the Bharatiya Janta Party.
22:58And Sushma Ji said, there is no tattwa in that, that if you are Hindu, then you are Hindu, and you are Hindu, then you are the country.
23:05So, what we want to say is, do not mix nationalism with Hindi, give Hindi a chance, respect all languages, respect all religions.
23:17Your time is up.
23:19Sushma Andhare, one minute starts now, ma'am.
23:20Sushma Andhra, one minute starts now, ma'am.
23:50Sushma Andhra, one minute starts now, ma'am.
24:04That's all the time that we have for now.
24:29We need to close the bulletin.
24:31You know, with what Sanju Verma says,
24:32what does a concurrent subject mean?
24:33That both state and centre have the authority to make laws.
24:37If you go into the fine print of it, where education is concerned,
24:40the state weighs more heavily.
24:41But she's right.
24:42Both, even the centre can weigh in.
24:44But on the other hand, the big question today has been,
24:47till now, viewers, the government has been very, very clear, adamant,
24:51that Hindi will never be imposed.
24:53We don't want or look at forcing a link language.
24:56Having said that, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra
24:58has imposed Hindi from first to the fifth standard
25:02and has also said that he's adhering to what the centre has said
25:05on having a link language.
25:07We leave it for our viewers to decide where to stand on it.