Mumbai, Feb 26 (NationPress) The Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (SS-UBT) expressed concerns on Thursday as Maharashtra gears up to commemorate Marathi Language Day on Friday, overshadowed by a troubling reality.

Even with the long-awaited 'Classical Language' (Abhijat) designation awarded to Marathi, the educational and cultural framework surrounding the language is deteriorating at an alarming rate. In a recent statement in the Legislative Assembly, Education Minister Dada Bhuse disclosed that 255 Marathi-medium schools have been closed statewide.

The editorial in the Thackeray faction's mouthpiece, Saamana, asserted that the crisis is escalating, with the Minister indicating that around 2,000 more Marathi schools are currently in significant jeopardy.

It is estimated that up to 25,000 teachers may face redundancy due to these closures. While the government blames this trend on parents opting for English-medium “International” or “Convent” schools, the editorial attributed the issue to a lack of dedication within the administration itself. Concerns were raised about how many children of current ministers or senior administrative officials actually enroll in Marathi-medium schools.

“The government's celebration of the 'Classical Language' status—complete with parades, resolutions, and extensive marketing—is merely a political maneuver that has not produced any real outcomes. This status has existed solely on paper for the past year and a half, and the advancement of Marathi culture hasn’t progressed 'even a bit'. Moreover, the central support associated with this status is reportedly ensnared in bureaucratic red tape,” stated the Thackeray faction.

The editorial pointed out a changing landscape in Mumbai, where non-Marathi developers are allegedly encroaching upon Marathi cultural institutions, libraries, and sports gymkhanas. As Marathi schools continue to close and the Marathi populace experiences neglect within their own state, the government seems to expect this hardship and poverty to fade away simply because Marathi has received classical status, the editorial remarked.

“There are growing concerns that the 'Geography of Mumbai' is being transformed through redevelopment projects in traditional strongholds like Girgaon. Economic marginalization is evident as major state contracts and projects are often awarded to contractors from outside the state, despite the availability of local talent. Marathi is not being recognized as a 'language of industry,' which connects its decline to broader issues of trade, employment, and the economy,” the editorial emphasized.

While Uday Samant, the Minister for Marathi Language Conservation, has suggested establishing “Centers of Excellence” for the language both in India and abroad (including in the UK), the Thackeray faction firmly argued that the focus should remain on local initiatives.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led SS-UBT asserted that Marathi can only thrive if its schools are preserved and if primary education in the mother tongue is mandated at all educational levels.

Until the language is linked with economic opportunities, the 'classical' status will remain a hollow achievement for a community that feels like 'neglected citizens' in their own state,” it concluded.