BIS # 3637 AN EXALTATION OF THE MARATHI LANGUAGE

by BIS correspondent 

LONAVLA-MAHARASHTRA, AUGUST 19, 2013: The School and Junior College of Don Bosco Lonavla conducted a Marathi Elocution competition for its students on the 16th of August, 2013. The co-ordinator for the competition was Ms. Sushma K, the Marathi teacher. The judges were Ms Swati Pawar, a Marathi teacher from Auxilium Convent; Ms. Swati Dattatre Yeole, a teacher in Lonavla Municipal School and Ms. Revathi Kamble, from Gurukul High School.

The students of Stds. V to VIII began the Elocution competition by reciting interesting stories. One of the judges remarked and appreciated the fact that all the stories recited were folk stories of Maharashtra. The second group comprising of students from Stds. IX and X presented speeches on diverse topics like environment, women's rights and political issues. The next group of students also delivered speeches on different topics but the common thread running through most of their speeches was the importance or the use of Marathi in the modern colloquy and how the influence of the Western culture has adulterated the Marathi language. Pure and pristine Marathi is now a rare phenomenon and hence the need to revive the language and literature.

One of the judges was overwhelmed with the speeches delivered  and confessed she felt compelled to talk about her own passion for the language and also shared with the young audience her views about the literary works of Sane Guruji, especially his masterpiece, 'Shyamchi Aaee'.  Though difficult to judge, the winners were chosen based on the choice of topic, clarity of speech and manner of deliverance.