‘Don’t Incite Us’: MNS On Govt’s Draft Education Policy

“Hindi is not our mother tongue, do not enforce it on us and incite us,” MNS spokesperson Anil Shidore said.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray

(Photo Altered By The Quint)

Amid raging controversy over the draft national education policy, which proposes to make teaching of Hindi compulsory up to class 8, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Sunday, 2 June, protested the ‘enforcement’ of the Hindi language, stating it is not their mother tongue.

"Hindi is not our mother tongue, do not enforce it on us and incite us," the official Twitter handle of MNS, said, quoting party spokesperson Anil Shidore.

The Central government had on Saturday said that it has not taken a decision on the draft education policy and that there was no intention of imposing any language. The Centre's response came amid Tamil Nadu opposition parties' objection to the three-language formula for schools in the state as stated in the draft policy.

No Intention to Impose Any Language, Says Centre

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said the government has not taken any decision on the draft education policy, news agency IANS reported on Saturday, 1 June.

"The committee on new education policy has submitted its report. The government has not taken any decision on it," Javadekar told the media.

Javadekar, who was Human Resource Development Minister in the previous NDA government, said all Indian languages will be promoted.

“Modi government has always promoted all Indian languages. Therefore, there is no case or intention of imposing any language on anybody. We want to promote all Indian languages. There should be no misunderstanding on the issue that this is a government policy. It is a draft prepared by the committee which will be decided by the government only after we get public feedback.”

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar

Parties in Tamil Nadu on Saturday opposed the three-language formula for schools in the state, as stated in the draft national education policy presented by K Kasturirangan Committee to the central government.

The Kasturirangan Committee has recommended teaching of Hindi, English and one regional language in the non-Hindi states. For Hindi-speaking states, the committee has recommended teaching of Hindi, English and one of the modern Indian languages from other parts of the country.

(With inputs from IANS)