Protest in Mumbai Over Hindi as Third Language Policy

Mumbai, July 4 (PTI) - On Friday, a case was filed against Professor Deepak Pawar from the University of Mumbai, along with approximately 250 others, for burning copies of government resolutions (GR) that introduced Hindi as a third language in schools during a protest, according to police. No permission had been sought for the protest, which took place on the road outside the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in south Mumbai on June 29, a police official reported.

Professor Pawar, a political science professor who leads the Marathi Abhyas Kendra (Centre for Marathi Studies), was joined by activists Santosh Shinde, Santosh Gharat, Vaibha Mayekar, Shashi Pawar, Yugendra Salekar, and Santosh Veer, among others, in the protest. An FIR was lodged against them under sections 189 (unlawful assembly) and 223 (disobeying a lawful order issued by a public servant) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with provisions of the Maharashtra Police Act at Azad Maidan police station, the official shared. No arrests have been made at this time, he added.

In response to the case, Pawar expressed in a Facebook post that neither he nor other Marathi supporters would be intimidated by such actions. Facing mounting opposition to the introduction of Hindi in state schools starting from class 1, the BJP-led government decided to withdraw the two GRs regarding the implementation of the three-language policy.

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