Thread about education in local language.
Cc @c_aashish @aparanjape
I grew up in FTII Staff Quarters where most of the families were non Maharashtrians (this was decade of 1980 - 1990)
Kids in the quarters played together and all were in different mix of schools. 1/n

Convent, KV, Marathi Medium, Semi English.
Those days, everyone vying for English medium was not the case.
Marathi as a language was taught in all the schools in the state and there were no political compulsions to whine about it. 2/n

My friends, irrespective of their mother tongue (or family language) were also fluent in Marathi (R,W,S) so fluent that you cannot guess his/her mother tongue.
The regional/local language was very much part of our education system then. 3/n

I am sure this could be true for any other state as well.

What changed then,
Come 1989-90 the country got divided on the cast lines and religious, sectional appeasement.
Regional parties got stronger and education being state subject got the first hit. 4/n

The compulsion of state language being in taught in schools was over.
Advent of everyone going to English medium + westernization started.
The concept of 'Minority Institution' got introduced in Maharashtra. 5/n

All this collectively ruined the vibrant language culture in the state (and am sure several other states)
Today we are,
Seeing stupid people criticizing 'Language Imposition' in #NEP2020 6/n

These people forget what 'their' forefathers had maintained till 1989-90 even if they had socialist/left leanings was good.
My mother (educationist) has seen this decline first hand as official heading the new textbook formation during these years working for Balbharti. 7/n

In fact, FTII used to get lot of foreign residents coming from friendly 'Socialist' countries for training courses. Those kids also used study in local schools and picked up working knowledge of Marathi