Garhwali to be compulsory in Pauri schools

Dehradun, July 24 (IANS) For the first time in Uttarakhand, the government has started teaching Garhwali language in nearly 80 primary schools of Uttarakhand's Pauri district.

The Garhwali language will be taught as a compulsory subject from Class 1 to 5 in all the schools of the district. "We have already started the course on Monday," District Magistrate Pauri Dhiraj Singh Gabryal said.

Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has appreciated the move saying it would help the children to understand the Garhwal region in a better way.

The Garhwali language will be taught in the Devnagari script, Gabryal said.

"Dhaguli", "Hansuli", "Chhubki", "Paijbi" and "Jhumki" are the new books which have been prescribed for children from Class 1 to 5 respectively. All the books have been published by a private publisher and distributed among the kids free of cost by the government, said K.S. Rawat, District Basic Education Officer of Pauri.

"For years together, we put up lot of efforts to make curriculum for the Garhwali language. Through this effort we have introduced local history, food, culture and other things in these books," says Ganesh Khugshal, a Garhwali language expert, who made the curriculum.

The state Education Minister, Arvind Pandey said, "The books will also help in making the children aware of the environment and the culture as well." Considerable attention has been paid to the history of Garhwal. There is a full chapter on Vir Chandrasingh Garhwali, who is considered as the hero of the "Peshawar Kand" during the independence movement.

The move has also been appreciated by the local people in the Garhwal region. "This is a very good decision of the government. Our children will not only understand the language better but will also know the whole region", said Arun Kala, a retired teacher from Pauri.