With the BMC elections approaching, this move is being seen as more than just the estranged cousins coming together for a cultural protest, but also a strategic move ahead of the polls.
Raj Thackeray, founder of the MNS, had originally announced a protest for July 6. The date clashed with Ashadhi Ekadashi, a day of religious significance in Maharashtra. Raj Thackeray revised the date to July 5.
“With warm regards, Jai Maharashtra. This morning, for our Marathi language, for Maharashtra, and for the Marathi people, a morcha was announced on July 6. There is a slight change in that plan; the morcha will now take place on Saturday, July 5, at 10 AM from Girgaum to Azad Maidan. The location and all other details remain unchanged. Therefore, the media and the people of Maharashtra should take note of this change,” Raj Thackeray stated in a social media post.
Separately, Uddhav Thackeray had backed a July 7 march initiated by the Tribhasha Sutra (Three language formula) Anti-Mumbai Coordination Committee.”We will not allow the imposition of Hindi as a third language in Marathi and English schools for Classes 1 to 5 in Maharashtra. This is not just an educational issue; it is cultural encroachment.”
Uddhav Thackeray also questioned the constitutional basis and political motivation behind the policy, invoking comments made by BJP national president JP Nadda and calling for scrutiny of the state’s education system. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar echoed similar views recently.
“My view is that Hindi should not be made compulsory in primary education. There is no issue with children learning Hindi after Class 5. But we must analyse how many languages a child of a certain age can realistically learn and what linguistic burden that places on them,” Mr Pawar said.
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