Internet facelifts Marathi

More and more youths are turning to Marathi literature nowadays and there is new hope that good old days will return to this state language once again, thanks to speedy, instant and hassle free connectivity of modern age Internet. More than 15,000 Marathi blog sites on Internet are being used by the youths for keying down their expressions which are open to the whole world immediately.
This was the opinion of the experts in the fields of literature and journalism participating at the discussion “Bhurjapatra te Webpage” (ancient ways of writing to webpage) jointly held by 83rd Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan and S M Joshi Socialist Foundation.
Head of Journalism Department University of Pune Dr Ujjwala Barve, journalist Sandhya Tanksale, Mumbai based noted film maker and Editor of Marathi online magazine Amhi Marathi.Com, Mahesh Ghatpande, littérateur-journalist Dr Anil Awachat and Secretary to Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad Dr Milind Joshi took part in the discussion. Journalist Prasanna Joshi was anchor of the discussion.
Ghatpande said that response from the people was lukewarm when he launched the magazine five years back. However, the idea was taken up gradually and more than six lakhs readers visited the site in less than three months the last year.
Tanksale said she was amazed at the instant and overwhelming reactions of the readers when she first wrote on the blog. She has been writing a blog since then and enjoys her work. One has to be very precise while writing it, she added. Both young and old are attracted to the Internet blogging as it is a tool that opens up vast platform to your expressions, she said.
Dr Barve said that students, especially of journalism, should be encouraged for blog writing. The language of expressions has become more informal after emergence of blog writing and young generation has adopted the short forms in verbal communication too, she said.
Dr Awachat said that Internet is the key reason for globalization in real sense. He said that he got many young friends through Orkut on Internet. The group became so close that it held an informal gathering at his residence. The youth, after taking inspiration from his writings, extended their helping hands for social cause, he said. Not only this, the younger team is writing blogs that has serious literary values, he added.
Apart from print media, Internet blogging has opened up another window for expressing the sufferings of downtrodden people which will gain mass support in future, hoped Awachat.
Dr Joshi said that Blog writing has molded the language into still simpler form which is a good sign from the point of view of readers. However, there is a need of some editorial team online to monitor the quality of literature.
Dr. Kiran Thakur, former Head of Journalism Department, University of Pune was instrumental in coordinating the event.

Sanjeevani Didmishe
The Times of India