Gujarati language is battling for its survival in its own land faced with the rapid rise in English as the medium of instruction in schools and colleges in state.
This was an observation made by dignitaries present at 'Matrubhasha Vandanayatra' at the Sahitya Parishad on Sunday. In the event, which was an attempt to save the Gujarati language, litterateurs reached the consensus that having good command over the foreign language is good, but not at the cost of one's own language.
“The Gujarati language can be survived by enriching it,” said Bholabhai Patel, renowned Gujarat author, addressing the event. Patel also said that knowledge and information about science and other fields should be made available in the regional language so that the Gujarati medium students need not turn to English for the same.
“We create great literature in Gujarati, but fail to bring out good books on subjects such as science, geography. We do not even have great travelogues,” he lamented.
Gujaratis today use English words in their daily communication, more often choosing wrong words, due to lack of proper knowledge, lamented Gujarati author Vinod BhattGunavant Shah, the man behind the endeavour, implored to create the right environment so that people will not be deprived of their rich heritage.
