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Under the new educational policy in the state, it has been made mandatory for students from the first grade itself to learn a third language. If someone wants to learn a language other than Hindi, at least 20 students should request the same - a condition kept by the government over third language learning at schools. This indirectly means that children will be forced to learn Hindi from the first grade itself. This decision by the state government is facing strong opposition from Marathi language enthusiasts. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has taken an aggressive stance on this issue. Now, Marathi literary figures are also raising their voices.In protest against the imposition of Hindi as the third language, writer and poet Hemant Divate has announced on social media that he will return the award he received from the Maharashtra government. He stated, “As a mark of protest against this decision of imposing Hindi as the third language, I am returning the award — including the prize money — that I received from the Maharashtra government for my poetry collection Paranoia. I will withdraw my decision only if the government reverses its decision.” Divate's stand has been praised by many.The forced inclusion of Hindi by the state government has also sparked discontent among parents. There is opposition to the policy of making Hindi mandatory as a third language from the first grade. The condition that an alternative language will only be offered if 20 students opt for it is seen as a manipulation of words. People are not against learning Hindi, but the general sentiment is that it should be introduced after the fifth grade, when children are older. The opposition is specifically to the inclusion of Hindi in primary education, not to the Hindi language itself.MP Supriya Sule raised an important question: “Why are students being harmed because of the government’s obsession with Hindi?” She pointed out that the Maharashtra government has introduced Hindi from the first grade and has backdoor-implemented the three-language formula. The most concerning aspect is that, to enforce this formula, the hours allocated for subjects like work experience, sports, and the arts have been reduced. These subjects are crucial for the overall development and personality growth of students. Reducing these hours raises questions about what exactly the government’s policy is regarding holistic education.At a tender age, children should be given enough time to grasp the Marathi script and grammar. Efforts should be made to strengthen their foundation in their mother tongue first. So why burden them with English and then Hindi at such an early stage? Even though Marathi and Hindi share the Devanagari script, their grammar, symbols, and some pronunciations are different. While learning one language, the differences from the other can confuse young learners.Also Read: Maharashtra: MSRTC Announces Five New Regional Divisions to Streamline Transport Services and Decentralize OperationsFor instance, should we say Ityatta (Marathi for class) or Kaksha (Hindi)? Does Shiksha mean education or punishment? Is it Vimaan or Hawaai Jahaz for airplane? Sasa or Khargosh for rabbit? Dhanushya or Dhanush for bow? There are countless such confusions that may arise at a young age. It’s better to let children get accustomed to one language first — they will absorb the next one more easily later. Don’t give a childish political spin by equating opposition to this policy as opposition to Hindi. This is a social issue, not a political one. In such strong words, renowned writer Sachin Goswami also criticized the government.

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