Language row a distraction from core issues, says Prithviraj Chavan

Former Maharashtra CM criticised the sharp cut in education funding, stressing the need to improve quality education and strengthen infrastructure in the sector

Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan has alleged that a controversy over the 'imposition' of Hindi language in Maharashtra was being created to divert people's attention from core issues and underlined the need to improve the quality of education.

Claiming a drastic cut in the budgetary allocation for education, the former Maharashtra chief minister said the focus should be on providing quality education to students and strengthening infrastructure in the educational sector.

"The budgetary allocation on education should be increased. The controversies over English and the imposition of Hindi are irrelevant and being created to divert focus from the core issues," Chavan told reporters in Kolhapur on Friday.

The former Union minister claimed 41 per cent of posts of teachers in IITs are lying vacant in Maharashtra. "Similarly, 70 per cent of vacancies in agriculture universities are not filled," he said.

The language row erupted after the state government last week issued an amended order stating Hindi will "generally" be taught as the third language to students in Marathi and English medium schools from Classes 1 to 5.

According to the order, if 20 students per grade in a school wish to study any other Indian language, they can opt out of Hindi. If such a demand arises, either a teacher will be appointed, or the language will be taught online.

Opposition parties, however, dubbed the move a default imposition of Hindi as a third language.

The controversy has united estranged cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray for the cause of the Marathi language. The Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS will take out a joint morcha in Mumbai on July 5. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) has extended its support to the protest march.