Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has rekindled the ‘Marathi pride issue’ saying Hindi is not a national language and demanded that Marathi language should be made ‘compulsory’ till the 10th standard in all schools in Maharashtra.
“Hindi has never been the national language because the national language issue has never been resolved in the country. Hindi is a language just like other languages namely Tamil, Gujarati, Assamese, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil and others,” Thackeray said while addressing a World Marathi Conference in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.
The MNS leader said he feels annoyed when he hears Hindi being spoken in cities of Maharashtra instead of Marathi. “There is nothing against Hindi language. (But) Hindi and English languages were chosen to coordinate between the Centre and state governments. There is nothing more to it,” the MNS chief added.
Thackeray referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to justify his stand towards Marathi language. “If Prime Minister Narendra Modi can’t hide his love for his own mother tongue and state, why should we hide our love for Marathi and Maharashtra?” he asked.
The MNS chief said that he is a staunch Marathi (lover) and has imbibed his love for the language from his father and many elderly people in the state including Balasaheb Thackeray.
He urged people of the state to speak in Marathi and demanded that the language be made compulsory in all schools in Maharashtra from classes 1 to 10.
“Marathi language is rich and great and people of the state should take pride in speaking their mother tongue. I have no objection to other languages. Marathi-medium schools are being shut down in Maharashtra while such schools are being opened in America. Marathi speaking people are spread all over the world,” he said.
Replying to him, Maharashtra School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar, who was present on the occasion, said Marathi has already been made a compulsory subject in all schools from class 1 to 10 in Maharashtra.
