The Shaley Shikshan Abhyas Samiti (School Education Study Committee) held a Statewide protest on Monday (July 7, 2025) at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, to oppose the Maharashtra government’s decision to appoint a committee to study implementation of the three-language formula in schools.
“At least 25 organisations backed the protest, demanding resignation of the School Education Minister Dada Bhuse,” Sushil Shejule, a member of the Marathi Shala Sanstha, told The Hindu.
Days after the Mahayuti-led government withdrew two government resolutions (GRs) introducing Hindi as the third language from grade 1 to 5 in Marathi and English medium schools, the linguistic controversy continues in the State. Regional linguistic groups, academicians, civil society members, and television artists have raised concerns over “Hindi imposition” and “suppression of Marathi”.
The government-appointed committee, to be headed by economist and educationist Narendra Jadhav, also received much flak. The protesters questioned the need for the committee after the GRs being scrapped.
Maharashtra Congress president Harshawardhan Sapkal opposed the government move and said that the “imposition” was done to implement the “Hindi, Hindu, Hindustan” policy by the BJP.
“If both the GRs have been scrapped, why is the committee needed? If the National Education Policy (NEP) provides flexibility regarding the three-language formula, who is the State government Minister to impose it?” asked Deepak Pawar, founder-president of Marathi Abhyas Kendra that headed the protest.
Mr. Pawar added that Mr. Jadhav should have not accepted the position. “The government is trying to trap an expert from the Dalit community. They are going to build a narrative on how can recommendations from an expert of Dalit community be rejected,” he said.
The committee has been formed to study from which grade the three-language model should be implemented.
Other demands of the protesters include resignation of Mr. Bhuse on the grounds of lack of transparency, non-compulsion of NCERT syllabus, implementation of English language in third grade instead of first grade, and the establishment of a quasi-judicial authority to monitor the use of Marathi in State offices.
MP Varsha Gaikwad, MLA Jyoti Gaikwad, Congress leader Yashomati Thakur, MNS’s Hemantkumar Kamble, were among the politicians who participated in the protest. Actor Sumeet Raghavan and Chinmayi Sumeet were present with their children Diya and Neerad. Literay figures, including Dr. Bhalchandra Mungekar, Ulka Mahajan, Shafaat Khan, and Milind Joshi, were also present.
Television actor, Sumeet Raghavan questioned the set up of the committee and said, “Instead of strengthening the Marathi schools that are dying, something else is going on in the State. I am a Hindi actor too and I do not oppose Hindi, but we need to make conscious efforts to sustain Marathi.”
A junior college Marathi language teacher, Trupti Sawant, voiced a concern of government employees while applying for promotions. “Why do they have to opt for Hindi language exam to get promotion? What if their school marksheet does not have Hindi as a subject? Isn’t this unfair?” asked Ms. Sawant, who has been teaching for 18 years.
