A YATRA TO PROMOTE THE MOTHER TONGUE *** Jai Maharaj posts
and/or www.mantra.com/jai
By Rathin Das
The Pioneer
hursday, January 28, 2010
Ahmedabad - Yet another yatra would wind its way through Gujarat next
week. But this would be a yatra with a difference as it will stress
on the need to learn and use one's mother tongue.
The Matri Vasha Vandana Yatra, which would start from the Saurashtra
town of Junagadh on January 30, is the brain-child of eminent author
and columnist Gunwant Shah. This is probably the first time that a
linguistic region is taking out a yatra to safeguard its mother
tongue.
Unlike various other yatras, usually sponsored by the State
Government, this one is purely a private affair, though the State
Sahitya Parishad would contribute its share by a way of supplying
books.
Gunwant Shah, a former professor at Michigan and Arizona universities
who took pre-mature retirement to devote his time to writing and
reading, was recently offended by the treatment given to a student
for speaking in his mother tongue, Telugu.
A student of an English medium school in Andhra Pradesh was punished
and made to display a board proclaiming "I will never again speak in
Telugu," Shah narrated what he watched on a television channel about
two months back.
"It is a colonial legacy that students cannot speak in their mother
tongue. It disturbed me a lot", Shah told The Pioneer from Vadodara
on how he was inspired to undertake this Matri Vasha Vandana Yatra.
He contacted his friends and admirers all over Gujarat and decided to
take out this yatra to stress on the importance of mother tongue.
Junagadh was chosen as the starting point as it is the birth-place of
Narsinh Mehta, the 16th century saint-poet of the 'Bhakti-Yug'.
The yatra, comprising about half-a-dozen vehicles including Shah's
own, would pass through the towns wherein the literary personalities
will hold public meetings and distribute relevant literature to
create awareness about the importance of mother tongue.
"This yatra is not a provincial jingoism," Shah explained and added
that they are not asking anyone to give up teaching of English and
computers. Gujarati people are not against any other language but
mother tongue should get prominence, Shah added, making it clear that
the yatra is not against any other linguistic group.
Gunwant Shah has a solution for the language issue: Gujarati medium
schools should have best facilities for English teaching while
English medium schools too should teach Gujarati with equal zeal.
The proposed yatra is receiving a good response, though Shah is
refusing to accept any cash donations. A fan of Shah's writings,
Ilyas Khan Pathan of Rajkot has put up hoardings and will place
advertisements in local papers, at his own cost, to announce the
event for the cause of mother tongue.
"Accept other languages, but do not abandon your mother tongue",
Ilyas Khan told The Pioneer from Rajkot.
Starting from Junagadh, the Matri Vasha Vandana Yatra would go
through Gondal, Rajkot, Surendranagar, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar,
Palanpur, Mehsana, Nadiad, Vadodara, Bharuch, Bardoli, Valsad and
Navsari before finishing at Surat on February 6.
During the halt at historic Bardoli, nearly 3,000 college teachers
and principals will join deliberations on the importance of mother
tongue in education.
The Gujarat Sahitya Parishad would also sell and display the 100 best
books in Gujarati, selected by a panel of three literary figures.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/232024/A-yatra-to-promote-mother-tongue.html
More at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
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