Archive · 3 Nov 2025
Standard Marathi's Insistence Neglects Rich Dialect Words: Baviskar
Imagine Marathi is like a big family with many different ways of talking, like how some people in America speak differently than others.
A professor named Dr. Baviskar said that by only focusing on one 'main' way of speaking Marathi, people are forgetting the cool, special words from all the other Marathi 'family members.'
He thinks this makes the main way of speaking not as good as it could be, and not truly represent everyone in Maharashtra.
It's like trying to have a single favorite toy when you have a whole box of amazing toys to play with!
Dr. Sharad Baviskar claims insistence on 'standard Marathi' has led to neglect of words from other dialects.
He stated that knowledge does not circulate locally in local languages.
Baviskar believes 'standard Marathi' has failed to become the true language of Maharashtra due to this neglect.
He spoke at the Loksatta Abhijat Litfest during a session on the politics of language.
The JNU professor highlighted that dialect words are often precise and rich.
- Who
- Dr Sharad Baviskar, assistant professor at JNU
- What
- Argued that the insistence on 'standard Marathi' has led to the neglect of words from other dialects, hindering 'standard Marathi' from becoming the true language of Maharashtra.
- When
- During the Loksatta Abhijat Litfest
- Where
- Maharashtra
- Why
- Because the focus on a single 'standard' has excluded the richness and precision found in regional Marathi dialects.
- Speaker
- Dr Sharad Baviskar
- Affiliation
- Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
- Event
- Loksatta Abhijat Litfest
- Topic
- Language Politics