CHAMPION OF GUJARATI: Patel is best known as the most ardent advocate of Gujarati
On the eve of the International Mother Tongue Day, Gujarati language lost its one of the most ardent advocate, Purushottam G Patel on Wednesday evening. Founder and trustee of 'Matrubhasha Abhiyan', Patel passed away at the age of 81 at his residence in Ahmedabad.
People can pay their tribute on February 24 at his native place in Kamana in Mehsana district and at Sardar Patel Sewa Samaj Hall in Ahmedabad city on February 25.
Principal of BEd colleges and researcher in Education Psychology, Patel began Matrubhasha Abhiyan six years ago with an aim of promoting Gujarati in 'daily use'. He also advocated compulsory teaching in mother tongue (Gujarati), especially in primary schools and focused on innovative methods of teaching in Gujarati.
"He was so passionate about Gujarati that he got my twins, Krishna and Krishnaa, enrolled in a local Gujarati-medium school at a time when parents are crazy about sending their children to English-medium schools," said Digeesh Patel, his son.
As a part of Matrubhasha Abhiyan, volunteers conduct camps at 35 locations in Ahmedabad and 148 locations across the state to distribute Gujarati literature works among people. People also donate books as a part of the abhiyan. As a part of another initiative, 'Granth Mandir' volunteers of the Abhiyan put a cupboard at neighbourhood shops. Books are stored in these cupboards and buyers can take the books free of cost and return them after reading. The Abhiyan also conducts language Olympiads, which test schoolchildren for spelling, idioms, phrases and synonyms.
"The Abhiyan is critical because use of Gujarati is declining in day-to-day life as well as a medium of instruction in schools. It is very necessary on our part to pass on the rich heritage of our language to the next generation. Experts all over the world are unanimous that children learn best when taught in their mother tongue," said Manish Pathak, coordinator of the Abhiyan.
Born in 1938 in Kamana, Patel completed schooling from Visnagar, did his BA in Urdu from Aligarh Muslim University and MA in Hindi from Gujarat Vidyapith. He worked as a primary teacher, did his PhD from Gujarat Vidyapith in Education Psychology as his subject. He was the principal of DD Choksi College in Palanpur and the HOD of Post Graduate faculties at Gujarat Vidyapith.
EARLY LIFE
- Born in 1938 in Kamana, Purushottam Patel completed schooling from Visnagar, did his BA in Urdu from Aligarh Muslim University and MA in Hindi from Gujarat Vidyapith
- He worked as a primary teacher, did his PhD from Gujarat Vidyapith in Education Psychology
- He was a principal at DD Choksi College and the HOD of PG faculty at Gujarat Vidyapith
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