uddhav-sena-distances-from-cm-stalin-on-hindi-row

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) on Sunday clarified that its opposition to Hindi is limited solely to the imposition of the language in primary education, distancing itself from the more hardline stance taken by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.

 

Speaking a day after the Thackeray cousins — Uddhav and Raj — shared the stage in Mumbai to celebrate the Maharashtra government’s decision to roll back Hindi as a third language from Classes I to V, party MP Sanjay Raut sought to draw a distinction between the Uddhav Sena’s position and that of the DMK.

 

Raut said that while the party welcomed Stalin’s support and wished him well in his battle, Maharashtra’s concerns were more specific.

 

“Their stand against the imposition of Hindi means they will not speak Hindi and neither let anyone speak Hindi. But that is not our stand in Maharashtra. We speak Hindi,” Raut said.

 

“Our stand is that the strictness for Hindi in primary schools will not be tolerated. Our fight is limited to this,” he added. Raut emphasised that the Uddhav Sena is not against the use of Hindi in cultural and social spaces, highlighting the presence of Hindi films, theatre and music in the state.

 

On Saturday, Stalin had welcomed the rare public appearance of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray together — their first in nearly 20 years — and praised their stance on opposing Hindi imposition.

 

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Stalin hailed the Thackerays' move as part of a broader struggle against what he described as the Centre's attempts to impose Hindi across states.

 

“The language rights struggle, waged generation after generation by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the people of Tamil Nadu to defeat Hindi imposition, has now transcended state boundaries and is swirling like a storm of protest in Maharashtra,” Stalin wrote.

 

In another post, Stalin said the "enthusiasm and powerful oratory" displayed during the rally under Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership in Mumbai filled him with excitement and solidarity.

 

Despite Stalin’s warm endorsement, Uddhav Sena appears cautious not to alienate the Hindi-speaking population in Maharashtra. Raut reiterated that there was no ban on the use of Hindi in the state.

 

“We haven’t stopped anyone from speaking in Hindi because we have Hindi movies, Hindi theatre, and Hindi music here,” he said.