Goa, June 19 -- The Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal, Maharashtra's premier Marathi literary organisation, has voiced strong opposition to the state government's recent decision to implement a three-language formula for students in Classes 1 to 5. The controversy arises from an amended government order issued on Tuesday, which states that Hindi will "generally" serve as the third language, though students may opt for another Indian language if at least 20 students in a grade make such a request.

In a sharply worded statement released Wednesday, the Mahamandal criticised the move on both educational and cultural grounds. They pointed out that the National Education Policy (NEP) explicitly recommends the introduction of a third l...