AHMEDABAD, Gujarat(SAR NEWS) --Catholic Information Service Society (CISS) joined Gujarati Bhasha Parishad (GBP - Association of Gujarati Language) together with 15 other non-government organisations in a rally here February 14.
About 200 participants in the rally gathered in front of Gujarat Vidhya Peeth (University started by Gandhi) with banners and placards and raised slogans such as 'Movement to Save Gujarati' 'Simplification of Spelling', 'Leave the Craze for English', 'Education in Mother Tongue', 'Accept Unja Spelling' (of one 'e' and one 'oo'), etc., all in Gujarati.
CISS director Father Varghese Paul, SJ, and many well-wishers took active part in the rally and in the subsequent public meeting.
The rally and public meeting were led by the GBP office-bearers Kanubhai Jani, Manishi Jani and Kiran Trivedi.
About 200 participants took out a procession through the busy Ashram Road, stopped briefly at the landmark Gandhi statue, Income Tax Circle and then reached Gujarati Sahitya Parishad (GSP - Association of Gujarati Literature) on the banks of River Sabarmati.
At the public meeting, eminent linguists and literary writers like Yogendra Vyas, Kanubhai Jani, Raguvir Chaudhari, Gunvant Shah and Suresh Dalal and advocate Girish Patel addressed the gathering.
The speakers spoke mainly on three topics: Simplifying Gujarati spelling, importance of education in the mother tongue and saving Gujarati from the craze for English.
