Mumbai: Following the recent decision of the state government to make Marathi language mandatory from class 1 to 10 in all schools of Maharashtra, students who are non-native Marathi speakers will now have to study this language as a compulsory subject.
Youngsters, students and working youth of the Gujarati community gave mixed opinions about the difficulties and benefits of learning the Marathi language.
They say it is difficult to cope with the language initially because it is not their mother tongue but it helps later to communicate better in Mumbai and rural areas of Maharashtra.
Students revealed their scores are affected initially when they learn Marathi in school as part of their curriculum. Charmee Khakkar, an MBA student said, “I scored low marks in Marathi in class 10 as I faced difficulty in learning the language. I had a tough time, and now when I am pursuing my higher studies in English, I have almost forgotten how to read and write in Marathi.”
While Vivek Kapadia, a product manager at a private bank, said learning Marathi language costs him extra expenditure in the school. Kapadia said, “I had to join classes to learn Marathi and spend extra money when I was in school. It is a different language than my mother tongue. So I took time and effort to cope.”
For some members of the Gujarati community, Marathi is easy to cope if you have neighbours and friends around who speak the language. Avani Sampat, a school teacher, “I learnt Marathi very comfortably without any classes or extra effort. Since I live in Mumbai, I have been talking to my neighbours in Marathi so it was not difficult for me. I learnt how to speak in Marathi from the people around me.”
Learning the Marathi language helps non-native speakers to communicate efficiently and also be street smart in Mumbai, according to Dhaval Segal, a sales executive. Segal said, “I can speak in Marathi to the local vendors, police, shopkeepers and bus conductors. It helps me to be street smart and nobody can con me easily.” Rinkal Chedda, a student of visual arts, said, “It was not very difficult to cope with Marathi as I learnt it at an early age in Class 5. I find it easier to write than to speak in Marathi language. It helps me to communicate with different people who I meet in Mumbai.”
