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Language sure is a barrier for these non-Marathi speaking students

Don't get them wrong; they adore Pune except for one thing: they can’t speak Marathi, and they pay a price for it. And the out-of-station students sure feel disadvantaged for their lack of linguistic knowhow.

Commerce student Binod Sinha is consistently puzzled by the notices put up outside government offices and colleges — in Marathi. “Last year, at the Pune University, the admission process was a nightmare, as most instructions on how and where to procure the necessary forms were in Marathi. Other students did try to help, but they too, were in a hurry to get on with their work. Similarly, when I needed tutoring for accounts, some of the finest classes were out of the question for me, as the teachers are comfortable instructing us only in Marathi,” he rues.

Then there’s Riti Singh, a history student at a city college, who is fuming at the “sheer number of lectures held in Marathi. I took admission only because it was an English medium college. The nitty gritties of the Rennaissance go straight over my head, as do the basics of Rajput politics. Other students help out by explaining what the teacher has said—but it’s not the same. I’m worried that the lack of first-hand teaching will affect my marks.”

21-year-old Pramod Saxena who’s working towards a master’s in political science externally narrates his harrowing experience with an examiner who insisted on speaking to the class taking an exam, only in Marathi. “It was the first-ever exam I had ever sat for in Pune. And I certainly hadn’t anticipated on the invidulator being so thoughtless; for starters, she rattled off the do’s and don’ts in Marathi. When I didn’t comply — because I couldn’t comprehend that she wanted me to shift to the right, so as to avoid cheating, she screamed at me louder than ever. I was so upset that for the first ten minutes, I just couldn’t think or write!” he shares.

The difficulties extend much beyond the college campus. “Rickshaw-wallas think they can take you for a jolly good ride just because you don’t speak Marathi. For instance, I’m absolutely thorough about the routes one can take from my PG accomodation on NIBM Road to Camp. But when the auto guy notes I can’t speak Marathi, he puts me down as a potential bakra, by taking the longest possible route. Why, just the other day, when I confronted the auto guy for taking a longer route, he turned around and chastened me for being an ‘angrez’ who didn’t know anything about the city,” he fumes.

BPO employee Vikram Rathore says he has faced similar difficulties in finding accomodation at the right price. “Because I’m an outsider and can’t negotiate the price in Marathi, I have ended up paying more for accomodation. This is a sad aspect about a city otherwise celebrated for the length and breadth of its accepting, civilised attitude.”

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=232023