There is growing opposition across Maharashtra against the decision to make Hindi a compulsory subject from Class 1 in school education. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Thackeray faction have announced a protest march on July 5 against this decision. Additionally, teachers and parents are also voicing their dissent.
Amidst this rising opposition, a banner displayed on a school bus of the well-known Vidyaniketan School in Dombivli has become the center of attention both on social media and across the city. The banner, which reads "Let the Mother Die… Let the Aunt Survive!" (“माय मरो... मौसी जगो!”), sharply criticizes the growing injustice towards the Marathi language, the decreasing percentage of Marathi-speaking people in Mumbai, and the imposition of Hindi in educational institutions.
What’s notable is that this protest isn’t being led by any political party, but rather by the school administration, teachers, and parents themselves.
What does the banner say?
“Let the Mother Die… Let the Aunt Survive!
In the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the Marathi people and the Marathi language are slowly being pushed into obscurity! Old Marathi neighborhoods (chawls) are being demolished to make way for unaffordable high-rise towers, forcing Marathi people out of Mumbai. The percentage of Marathi speakers in Mumbai is steadily declining. Marathi films struggle to find theaters. When it comes to employment, Marathi individuals lag behind! And now, in all schools, if there are fewer than 20 students in Class 1, Hindi is being made compulsory! Even though Marathi is supposed to be mandatory in all schools till Class 10, many high-profile schools abandon the language after Class 7 or 8—and the Education Department remains silent.”
The banner continues:
“Merely granting Marathi the status of a classical language is not enough to preserve Marathi identity! While other languages are also worthy of respect, should our young children be forced to learn them against their will just because it's mandatory? Absolutely not!
What schools, teachers, and parents want must be considered. We don’t want decisions made based on the advice of so-called ‘Board Room Generals’.”