The decision to include Marathi language in the curriculum was announced by CM Adityanath as a part of the cultural exchange programme with Maharashtra. (IE)

Universities in Uttar Pradesh will soon be teaching the Marathi language as one of the subjects. This is an interesting move by the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath led government, in the light of how migrants from the state had faced violence and other hate crimes in Maharashtra in the last 10 years or so. According to the Hindustan Times, the decision to include Marathi language in the curriculum was announced by CM Adityanath as a part of the cultural exchange programme with Maharashtra. Yogi Adityanath had taken the stage in Lucknow on May 1, also celebrated as Maharashtra Day, and said that the Uttar Pradesh government would be developing various facilities to enable Marathi learning at universities.

A release issued by Uttar Pradesh Ram Naik’s office stated that the state government would be signing a memorandum of understanding with Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra. According to HT, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) this time has welcomed the UP government’s decision. The MNS supremo Raj Thackeray has reportedly himself welcomed this step. He is known to have been accusing ‘outsiders’ of stealing jobs from the ‘Marathi Manoos’. This issue has been pursued by the MNS until 2014 when the agenda lost its popularity. MNS spokesperson told reporters that teaching Marathi was one thing while opposing migrants was another. He said that the party only opposed those who came to the state but did not try to learn the language or mix in their culture.

Earlier it was reported that Adityanath is now mulling introducing English at the nursery level in government schools. According to online portal Khabare.com, Adityanath opined that Uttar Pradesh needs an education system which will bear modern outlook. Adityanath had said “misconceptions” have been created about him due to his saffron-clad look and promised to win hearts of “all sections” by spreading a new idiom of happiness and prosperity.