Jain Spirit 2003 06 No 15

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 42

YOUTH
MOTHER TONGUE
MOTHER TONGUE
Kajal Shah reflects on how her mother tongue enhances
her understanding and appreciation of Jainism
D VERYONE ON THE BUS IS R speaking Gujarati and, for the first
time, I know exactly what each couple is arguing about. I can read all the road signs and the political slogans from the bus, which is going from Jamnagar to Palitana. The woman next to me unfolds a bundle and reveals hundreds of berries that she readily offers. She places a handful in my lap and as I worry about whether to wash them or leave them for later, she asks me where I'm off to. “Palitana," I reply, so she shoves another handful into my lap, saying: "It's very far, you'll have to eat." The realisation that I am at the place of my roots' has just dawned on me and I get a sudden surge of 'I know who I am.
I'm the product of a migration that has played a fundamental role in our with minimal use of English. With society. Both my grandfathers, close access to the Jain community, members of the Oshwal Jainfood and culture, they regularly attend community, migrated to Kenya from social and religious events and maintain Gujarat, India in the 1910s. As the links with their heritage. Following pioneers, they formed various the rites and rituals is easier as they associations and institutions to facilitate understand the complexities of the the assimilation of the new Gujarati Jain language in which these are conducted. migrants, while conserving their With the second generation, the culture, traditions and religion. The situation is more complex. Cynthia Gujarati language signified a crucial Salvadori in her book Through Open bond with their cultural heritage and Doors observes: "One of the most played a vital role in the conservation of striking things about the Jain Jain ethics within this migrant community in Kenya is how little the
community in Kenya is how little the community. However, the situation has younger people know about Jainism." changed with further migration when a This made me wonder: is there a link large proportion of these people have between losing one's religion and losing moved to Britain in the past 30 years. one's inherited language and culture? The level of integration with the wider Once children of migrant communities British society, combined with the start going to school, English becomes diminishing importance of Gujarati for the dominant language because it is also the second and third generations, have the language of their peers and seen a rapid decline in the use of the playmates. This can easily lead to the language.
rejection of Gujarati, or any other In a typical Oshwal Jain family in minority mother tongue for that matter, London the first generation tends to and give rise to a confusion of identity: communicate principally in Gujarati are the young Jains living outside India
becoming strangers in their own culture? Will they ever be absorbed totally into the dominant culture of the UK, or whichever country they live in? We all recognise that English is gaining territory over Gujarati. In my peer group of migrant Gujarati Jains most of us can only express ourselves fluently in English. This is understandable when we live in a society where we are a minority.
And yet, this situation makes me anxious. After all, Gujarati has always been the key to my roots, a link to my community. It's my bond to being Jain. Jainism is fundamentally a set of universal principles, so the vehicle of delivery would then, in theory, be irrelevant. However, when roles in society and deep-rooted senses of identity are linked with the use of language, as is the case of Oshwal Jains, it plays a pivotal role in the practice and relevance of Jainism. It has utmost importance on my behaviour in social and religious contexts. It enriches my cultural experiences - such as visiting Jain pilgrimage sites in Gujarat, which I referred to at the beginning of this article. I find myself in an awkward position as I witness the declining numbers of young people at Jain lectures in Gujarati and the confusion on the faces of the elders during the English sessions. What was once a deep-rooted sense of belonging has now developed into a generation chasm. I feel we need to preserve Gujarati as the vehicle for the re-emergence, growth and development of Jainism amongst the Oshwal Jain community. After all, it's the glue that has bound us to it for over five centuries.
Kajal Shah is a young Jain living in London.
40
Jain Spirit . June - August 2003
PHOTO: FALGUNI PATEL