Biggest Marathi library has no takers
Is the cash-crunched Mumbai Marathi Granthsangrahalaya dying a slow death?………..Sandeep Ashar
Is the cash-crunched Mumbai Marathi Granthsangrahalaya dying a slow death?………..Sandeep Ashar
In a city where politicians love to play politics over the use of Marathi as the state language, the biggest institution promoting the language is crying for state recognition.
Set up in 1898, the Mumbai Marathi Granthsangrahalaya (MMG), the biggest and the oldest Marathi library in the state, is dying a slow death, with politicians playing down its significance. This apathy has meant that the library, which has a collection of 2.5 lakh books, magazines and enjoys 10,000 subscribers, has been forced to shut 10 among its 42 branches. Of those that remain, many are in a run-down condition.
Despite the fact that MMG symbolises the rich Marathi literary interest and possesses 879 publications that date back to the 1800s, it is still recognised only as a district level library and has to make ends meet with a yearly state grant of Rs4.8 lakh. In contrast, English libraries like the Royal Asiatic Library and Central Library enjoy the ‘state library’ status and qualify for a much higher grant.
The proposal for the upgradation of MMG status has been pending since 1990.
Sunil Kubal, office superintendent, MMG, said, “Every time we take up the issue with state officials and politicians, they assure that the needful will soon be done.”
Although Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar is MMG’s designated chairman, it has struggled to draw favours from the political leadership. The fund shortage has affected book purchase, renovation and upgradation of the library.“Fifty per cent from the Rs4.8 lakh allotted to us goes in salary reimbursement of our employees.”
Though rich in book collection, MMG has been losing out to its English counterparts over the use of technology. A proposal for microfilming old books to preserve them is in doldrums. “The chief minister’s office had assured us a support of Rs51 lakh in 1998 for the project and library’s renovation. But only Rs17 lakh has been disbursed so far.”
Many have left the institution for better prospects leading to a manpower crunch. So, is the library paying a price for being Marathi? Perhaps yes, says Kubal.