logo
‘Learning in one's mother tongue helps build a strong foundation': CJI

‘Learning in one's mother tongue helps build a strong foundation': CJI

Hindustan Times11 hours ago
Mumbai: 'Learning in one's mother tongue helps build a strong foundation. Once that is firm, you can stand in any situation,' Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan Gavai said on Sunday during a visit to his alma mater, Chikitsak Samuh's Shirolkar High School in Girgaon, where he studied from class 3 till class 7. On Sunday, CJI Bhushan Gavai visited his alma mater, Chikitsak Samuh's Shirolkar High School in Girgaon, where he studied from class 3 till class 7 (Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times)
'My education in my mother tongue has never had any adverse effect on my professional journey,' a visibly emotional Gavai told his former classmates and current teachers and students at the school, sharing anecdotes that left many, including the CJI, with moist eyes.
Gavai's comments came amid a raging row in Maharashtra over the Mahayuti government's bid to introduce Hindi as a compulsory third language class 1, in line with the National Education Policy, 2020. While the two government resolutions to introduce Hindi were scrapped on June 29, the row brought two estranged cousins, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, together for the first time in 20 years, signalling a shift in political alignments in the state.
The CJI was visiting the Girgaon school on an invitation from his former classmates Vinayak Joshi and Satish Saraf.
'Just a few days after I was sworn in as CJI (on May 14), Justice Madhav Jamdar from the Bombay high court told me that Vinayak Joshi wanted to invite me back to school. That invitation meant a lot to me,' the CJI said as he walked through the corridors and classrooms where he had spent a significant part of his childhood.
Sitting on a wooden bench in room number 101 on the first floor, which served as his classroom in standard 4, he recalled seeing during his school days the same chawl window that was visible at a distance.
'It reminds me of what I had said in court while hearing the Colaba jetty case – about 'Aamchi Mumbai' (our Mumbai) and 'Tyanchi Mumbai' (their Mumbai),' he said.
He was initially inclined to dismiss the petition against the proposed jetty and passenger terminal near Radio Club in Colaba – a posh, upmarket neighbourhood, he told the gathering.
'But during the arguments, a senior lawyer described it as a fight between 'Aamchi Mumbai' and 'Tyanchi Mumbai'. I told them, Aamchi Mumbai doesn't live in Colaba near the Taj Hotel. That's Tyanchi Mumbai. Aamchi Mumbai lives in Girgaon, in Dadar – in the heart of the city,' Gavai said.
Gavai's father RS Gavai was the vice-chairman of the legislative council, and he often travelled from his home near the Mantralaya to Girgaon by an Ambassador car.
'But many times, I took BEST bus number 5 from the stop near Mantralaya and got down at Gaywadi to reach school,' he said.
Sitting in one of his former classrooms, he reminisced about receiving 20 paisa per day as pocket money.
'I would buy a patti samosa for 5 paisa from the canteen,' the CJI recalled. 'If I was really hungry, I would splurge 10 paisa on usal pav.'
The visit also brought back fond memories of his teachers, including a certain Diwadkar madam. 'Once, about ten of us went to visit Diwadkar madam at her Dadar home. She welcomed us with homemade batata vadas. These are the kind of memories that stay with you forever.'
The CJI related another anecdote when a nail sticking out of a bench had pierced his thigh.
'A teacher applied some red antiseptic and wrapped it up. That's how we grew up,' he said.
The 52nd CJI visited his former classrooms, the school library and Wagle auditorium, where he received several awards in elocution. He was deeply impressed by the school's current activities and praised the National Cadet Corps (NCC) unit that gave him a guard of honour and the student band that performed for him. He also recalled playing kabaddi matches with friends in the school compound.
One of the most touching moments during the visit came when his former classmate, Satish Saraf, recalled a civics lesson from his years in school.
'Bhushanji was always soft-spoken and brilliant. When we were in class 7, the civics teacher asked about the state assembly and the legislative council. Bhushanji stood up and gave a three-minute lecture. We were stunned and even the teacher was speechless,' Saraf said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

India reaffirms it bioeconomy target of $300 billion by 2030
India reaffirms it bioeconomy target of $300 billion by 2030

Mint

time27 minutes ago

  • Mint

India reaffirms it bioeconomy target of $300 billion by 2030

India is committed to growing its bioeconomy to $300 billion by 2030, Union minister for science and technology Jitendra Singh said on Monday, as the country aims to leverage biological resources such as crops, forests, and micro-organisms to sustainably produce goods, services, and energy and mitigate climate change. The biotechnology ecosystem in the country has grown from around 50 startups a decade ago to nearly 11,000 today—a leap made possible by policy backing and institutional partnerships, Singh said on the occasion of World Bioproduct Day. In March this year, the government said that the size of the country's bioeconomy was estimated at $165.7 billion in 2024. Referring to the recently-launched BioE3 Policy, Singh noted that it lays the groundwork for India to lead in sustainable biomanufacturing by aligning bioeconomy goals with environmental sustainability, economic growth, and equity. The BioE3 Policy aims at accelerating development of technologies for bio-based products and their commercialization by setting up of bioenablers that include bio-artificial intelligence (Bio-AI) hubs, bio-foundries and bio-manufacturing hubs across the country. Bio-AI hubs will be set up to augment research and innovation for the development of technologies for bio-based products across the identified thematic sectors of biomanufacturing, by powering data-driven research and AI-informed predictive analytics. The bio-foundries and biomanufacturing hubs will aim at setting up of infrastructure facilities for scaling up of technologies for bio-based products. The key performance indicators (KPIs) for meaningful success have been identified in terms of setting up of bio-foundries and biomanufacturing hubs. According to the minister, bioproducts aren't limited to laboratories anymore. They're about livelihoods—from biodegradable packaging to eco-friendly personal care, from rural employment to green jobs, he said. He also emphasized that the future industrial revolution will be driven by bioeconomy, and India, he believes, has taken the lead. The minister acknowledged the challenges faced by young scholars in biotechnology, pointing out the mismatch between parental expectations and individual aptitude in career choices. He termed the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 a 'game-changer' that would allow students to pursue disciplines of interest with flexibility. 'We are seeing a new generation with real aptitude and capacity to learn,' he said. Singh also drew attention to the disparity in India's past policy priorities, especially in agriculture, which he said was historically informed by western models. He stressed the need to leverage the untapped potential of India's natural resources and traditional knowledge systems.

Priyanka Chaturvedi hits back at Nishikant Dubey for slamming Raj Thackeray amid Hindi-Marathi row: ‘Who made him…'
Priyanka Chaturvedi hits back at Nishikant Dubey for slamming Raj Thackeray amid Hindi-Marathi row: ‘Who made him…'

Mint

time36 minutes ago

  • Mint

Priyanka Chaturvedi hits back at Nishikant Dubey for slamming Raj Thackeray amid Hindi-Marathi row: ‘Who made him…'

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Monday responded to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nishikant Dubey's comments against MNS chief Raj Thackeray amid the Hindi vs Marathi row. Chaturvedi, the Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, wondered if Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis agreed with the party leader's 'disparaging' comments about the hard-working people of the state. 'Who made him the gatekeeper of Hindi? Who made him the tax keeper of India? Who made him the spokesperson of industrialists? Who made him the decision maker of what other party leaders should be doing?' Chaturvedi asked in a post on X, quoting Dubey's comments. Dubey said: 'Those who beat Hindi-speaking people in Mumbai, if you have the guts, try beating Urdu-speaking people in Maharashtra. Even a dog becomes a lion in its own house, right? Decide for yourself who is the dog and who is the lion.' In her response, Chauturvedi asked, 'Does Devendra Fadnavisji agree with their party MP's language with regards to people of Maharashtra and his disparaging comments about hard-working people of the state?' Earlier on Sunday, Dubey took to X and compared Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS and NCP-SCP to terror accused Salauddin, Maulana Masood Azhar and Dawood Ibrahim. 'In Mumbai, what is the difference between Shiv Sena Uddhav, MNS Raj Thackeray, and NCP Pawar Sahab, and those who drove Kashmiri Hindus out of Kashmir, like Salauddin, Maulana Masood Azhar, and Dawood Ibrahim, who committed atrocities against Hindus in Mumbai? One committed atrocity for being Hindu, while the others are committing atrocities because of Hindi?' Dubey wrote. In another X post, Dubey wrote, 'Those who beat Hindi-speaking people in Mumbai, if you have the guts, try beating Urdu-speaking people in Maharashtra. Even a dog becomes a lion in its own house, right? Decide for yourself who is the dog and who is the lion.' 'Does Devendra Fadnavisji agree to Ashish Shelar comparing Marathi Hindus to terrorists of Pahalgam?' Chaturvedi asked. On Sunday, Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar compared the agony of the Pahalgam terror attack, where Hindus were killed in the name of religion, and those getting 'beaten up' in the name of language. He said that these incidents were distressing for him. 'All these incidents cause pain, suffering, and mental distress. In Pahalgam, they shot them after asking about their religion. And here, they beat up the innocent Hindus just because of the language they speak. Such cases create a disturbance,' Shelar said. These remarks by BJP leaders come after incidents of violence and vandalism were reported in the state amid the ongoing Hindi-Marathi controversy. Five workers of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) were arrested in connection with the vandalism at entrepreneur Sushil Kedia's office in Worli, police said on Saturday. A case has been registered against them under Sections 223, 189(2), 189(3), 190, 191(2), 191(3), and 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. Who made him the gatekeeper of Hindi? Who made him the tax keeper of India?

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store