Not opposed to Hindi but against linguistic emergency: Uddhav Thackeray

Mumbai, June 29 (IANS) Shiv Sena-UBT supremo and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday fired a salvo at the MahaYuti government saying that the imposition of Hindi along with Marathi and English in schools for classes 1 and 5 would not be allowed in Maharashtra. 

“Had there been opposition to Hindi, then Hindi cinema would not have grown in Mumbai and Maharashtra. There is no need for Hindi, there is no need for Hindi to be forced... one direction, one statement, one leader... this is a move towards totalitarianism. We will oppose the linguistic emergency, and that it is time for the traitors in Shiv Sena to express Balasaheb's thoughts in Marathi,” said Thackeray.

Thackeray, who was accompanied by party leader Aaditya Thackeray, MP Arvind Sawant along with other party workers, did the symbolic burning of the government resolution on the introduction of Hindi as third language.

He later attended the meeting convened by the Tribhasha Sutra (Three language formula) Anti-Mumbai Coordination Committee.

“We do not want to put pressure, in fact, we do not accept it (imposition of Hindi). If they are going to impose something, we have ended this issue on our behalf. We have burned the government resolution, so now there is no reason to believe that there is a government resolution on Hindi policy in place. I have repeatedly said, even if we are not against Hindi, we will not allow it to be imposed,” said Thackeray who has already hinted that he will participate in the morcha on July 5 organised by his estranged brother and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena founder Raj Thackeray to protest against the imposition of Hindi and thereby expressing resolve to protect the Marathi language.

Thackeray further said: “The Chief Minister can announce in five minutes that he will not allow Hindi to be made compulsory in the state. But it seems that the BJP's policy is to divide and conquer. He is throwing poison among the Marathi-Non Maarathi people.”

“No means no... no presentation… veteran RSS leader Bhaiyya Joshi had said that the language of Ghatkopar is Gujarati. Our country is a federal state but our structure has become linguistic,” he remarked.

He appealed to the Marathi language lovers in the BJP to participate in the movement against the imposition of Hindi, reiterating that Hindi will be not forced.