An instruction in one English medium school in Amdavad, Gujarat

Junagadh, 26 December 2011

Gujarati Sahitya Parishad’s 46th convention ended in Junagadh yesterday with three resolutions passed.

Three resolution passed in the seventh meeting of the three-day convention are following:

1. In English medium schools of std 1-10, Gujarati subject should be made compulsory.

2. Gujarati subject is not compulsory in Std 11 and 12 Science at presently. It should be made compulsory.

3. Marks of mother language should be counted in higher education admission process along with the marks of science and maths.

This resolution will be sent to the Gujarat government for consideration.

Editor’s note:

-The first point of the resolution is very crucial. Modi govt must show sensitivity to it. Other two issues are negotiable.

-There are increasing number of Gujarati families in major cities of Gujarat where children can’t read and write Gujarati, and prefer to read English first when they are catered option. Such children can’t read out or understand Gujarati numbers. Such a situation was common in NRI, NRG families settled outside Gujarat in past, but this worrisome trend has now reached the mainland of Gujarat.

-There are schools in Gujarat that don’t allow students to speak Gujarati language inside the campus. In St xaviers school, Gandhinagar, the students who talk in Gujarati are punished and asked to pay fine.

-There are dozens of other schools that follow such rule. Gujarat government has not shown love for mother tongue, otherwise such discrimination is not possible.

-Some schools in Ahmedabad take proud of teaching French, but don’t teach Gujarati as a subject.

-While learning English, French or the languages of the world is welcome trend, in the mainland of Gujarat, our own Gujarati language can’t be allowed to face discrimination or insult.

-Chief Minister Narendra Modi seems like a great hypocrite so far as this issue is concerned. When Shri Narayan Desai met him and requested him to do something, Modi showed inability. When Modi doesn’t do anything in this regard, his long talks of pride and glory sound like a big zero, and pure hypocrisy. Let’s hope he would not throw Gujarati Sahitya Parishad’s recommendations in dust bin of fifth floor of secretariat.