India houses numerous cultures, and thrives on the concept of ¡®unity in diversity¡¯. The current generation in India, is thoroughly inclined towards the western culture and ideas, but still manages to sustain some parts of their culture by speaking their mother tongue correctly. The NRIs, however, have a different story to tell. Their migration from India to another country has cost them a generation that does not identify with the culture of its motherland.
AMV staff during the opening of their fourth branch
?In the case of an entire generation of Maharashtrians currently settled in Australia, has been worried about how the coming generations will stay in touch with their mother tongue.
To solve the problem of youngsters learning their mother tongue, a group of Maharashtrians from Mumbai and Vadodara came together and formed ¡®Australian Marathi Vidyalaya¡¯ (AMV) ten years ago, and are trying to make Marathi as an authentic, government recognised language in a foreign county. This initiative encourages the Gen-Next in Sydney to get in touch with their mother tongue, and speak fluently with their parents and grandparents. It is an effort to sustain the language that has been passed on from generations, as well as have the language officially identified by the Australian government.
Maharashtrian Pride Shines In Australia With Four ¡®Marathi Vidyalaya¡¯ in Sydney!
Currently, around 200 students study at AMV, from grade 1st to 7th. The first school was established 10 years ago, with Arun Ghatge as the President of AMV. The fourth branch of AMV has established just a couple of months ago. Ghatge tells us, ¡°once the students elect for Marathi as a language in the HSC for three consecutive years, Marathi could become one of the officially recognised government languages,¡± he says.
Ghatge is proud of the fact that all the students, including his own kids are able to speak fluent Marathi. ¡°The education in Marathi, which includes reading, writing, speaking and having basic knowledge of the background of the culture, is now touching hundreds of lives of students here,¡± he said. The Department of Education and Training (DET) in Australia has been supporting financially as well as socially.
The struggles that they have to face are the retention of students. Ghatge says that after 6th or 7th standard "students begin to concentrate on the mainstream studies. Their attention begins to divert to their 10th standard exams. However, we have a class in 7th std right now. However, when the students continue their education till HSC in Marathi, and students of three consecutive batches elect for Marathi as a language and pass, then Marathi becomes a bona fide language here," Ghatge said.
The Australian Marathi Vidyalaya has relieved a ¡®Community Recognition Statement¡¯ from the Parliament of New South Wales, wishing them success for their project.
¡°By learning Marathi, the students are able to communicate with their friends and relatives in India and to keep their language and culture alive here in Australia. Starting with 73 students, the Marathi school at Westmead is clearly meeting a strong demand in the local area."