On the occasion of Marathi Divas, 25th February, 2022, the staff and students of Auxilium Lonavla had a very colourful and creative celebration of the mother tongue of Maharashtra during the morning assembly. The students, decked in the traditional Maharashtrian costumes escorted the animator, Sr. Caroline Menezes to the stage. There was the traditional lighting of the lamp followed by a short and meaningful prayer. The Marathi language was highlighted through speeches, poems and various narrations. The contributions of the renowned artist of society, Lata Mangeshkar and socialist, Sindhutai Sapkal were acknowledged through a creative presentation of their life history and accomplishments by the students who decked themselves to represent these historic personalities.
In her message to the students, Sr. Caroline Menezes, the animator, urged the students to be proud of their mother tongue and made it clear that even those who have migrated to the land from other parts of India should consider Marathi as their own language. She stressed on how language is the main link between people and if one generation starts considering their mother tongue to be inferior, the language will soon become extinct. She therefore requested the students to love their mother tongue and uphold it wherever they may be in the world and whatever ranks they may reach in society. Just as a mother is precious and always dear to the child, so should one’s mother tongue be dear to the heart of the citizens of the land.
As it is narrated in one of the episodes of the witty Tenali Raman: a person learns his mother tongue first before learning other languages. In times of distress a person uses one’s mother tongue and not languages learnt later on in life. Let us be proud of our own mother tongues, each rich in its own unique way.
