Somebody must make laws.
Not all can decide what they want and what is good for them.
Having said that, I shall give here a live example as it happened with me.
Story of 1972-73
I was sailing with a senior Captain on one of Scindia Steamship Company's
ships.
The Captain was carrying his wife and a 4 year old son on this trip. This
was a thorough-bred Marathi couple from Pune.
With my affinity towards kids, this little one used to be, sort of, my
companion for most of the day with 'Lobo Uncle Ye kai ... Vo Kai' thing.
And I for one, being a person who does not care much for Marathi, took upon
myself to tutor the kid in ENGLISH, as a mission.
One Sunday, the Cap'n invites me for an afternoon beer and surprisingly
requests me not to tutor the little one in English any more. Surprised, I
said to him " Cap'n, I am doing you a favour. And I consider my 'English'
to be very sound"
"You Goans will not understand this" he said, smiling. "but the fact is I
would have never uprooted this little one from home and his surroundings if
I could help it ( meaning his brother and sister et al). " I would want him
totally insulated from anything non-Marathi until he is ready for his
secondary level schooling". "This is the time that his mother-tongue must
get into his blood-stream for a concrete-solid foundation" he said. "And
what you are doing is only helping to dilute this foundation". "Please
understand and help us out" he pleaded.
"Look at you Goans" he said. "It looks like you people hate your
mother-tongue Konkni. "You will not realize it now, but mark my words, you
will, at some point in time"
"This kid" he said "when he grows up, he could be anywhere in the world. But
when he calls home, I am sure he will speak to his mother and father in
chaste Marathi to make us proud"
This incidence has never left me, all these almost 40 years. And today I
realize what he meant by " you will realize".
BTW I am told that little 'Sarang Khare' is a top executive of a
Corporation in the United States of America.
It is very simple. The child must be instructed in the language it
understands. It must not be confused. The learning process is very very
sensitive and to it's heightened sharp in these formative years. The brain
of the child is like a sponge that will absorb anything and everything to
last for a life-time. If care has not been taken to instruct it on its
culture, ethos and whatever that is going to be important to it in life, we
shall be generating floatingly shallow oxy-morons and not worthy reliable
and dependable citizens of the future.
I beg forgiveness to have said all of above. I know that these thoughts do
not find value these days as we try to compete in life like commercial
companies do to sell their wares and products.
Laws, rules and regulations are formulated by visionaries, not politicians,
not educationists and above all not parents of 'primary level' kids.
Cheers
floriano
goasuraj/GRA
9890470896
www.goasu-raj.org
