A most underrated PuLa speech is this from 1987 in New Jersey. He chides NRI parents for whining about their kids not learning "their" culture, music, language etc. He's like, stfu! Culture, taste, art, music are not slaves to language. Selected bits...

"On my last US trip,I was asked mid-meal what can we do to preserve marathi culture..And I'm like, what do I know? I don't have a pill or syrup! Who cares? And he's like no no, don't you care about saving marathi culture? I said if that's all you care about, move back "

"What nonsense is this about preserving cultures as if you can put in a fridge? Culture keeps changing with times and realities. In agrarian days, big joint families made says. In modern times, nuclear families make sense. That's not some culture being destroyed. "

"Marathi ovya were created and sung by women while grinding grain with stone. Electric mills came. Ovya died, some whine. Just to keep your precious ovya going, why should women break their back at a grindstone? Not like husbands say, you sing, I'll work the grindstone."

"Songs sung by a woman missing her mother might be dead in that ovya form. But a woman missing her mother is a timeless sentiment that lives on in other art forms. Recognize the timeless elements of your culture rather than getting upset at the fleeting ones being fleeting."

"My most profound teachers on this US trip have been ages 10 & under. They see in me a confused old guy and are like, lemme help him out. Smart, caring kids. So I don't understand why parents whine about them not having culture, not singing shubham karoti kalyanam."

"In US, lights only go out when the fuse blows so why should the kid be praying deepajyoti namastutey? What use is that prayer? As long as your kid learns that light is more illuminating than darkness, that's all the culture he needs, not some archaic prayer!"

"We grew up in india where the upbringing culture is "shut up and obey". In US, it seems to be "keep asking questions". Your kids are growing up in a different culture. Maybe a better one. Respect that. Don't impose stuff mindlessly that was imposed on you!"

"Your kids don't know marathi? Marathi lit? Okay. Do they know english lit? Good! When I was a kid, I enjoyed keshavsut poems and also Shelley poems. As long as you are exposed to the best art, literature, music, you're cultural education is good. Language is secondary."

"Your kid doesn't like marathi romantic songs? Honestly, I don't either. I just pretend to. Admire your child's honesty. Maybe he likes the best western music. He might not find Kumar Gandharva appealing. But if he's into Bach, Beethoven etc, that's good cultural education too."

I'll post more bits later, but TLDR of the speech is, stfu, you're in US which has a pretty thriving and alive culture so try to get your kids into the best of those things rather than getting hung up on marathi or indian culture.

"Your child is growing up with language, music, art, norms, etc that are different... And when I say different, I mean different from our perspective. For the child, it's their own reality. Don't superimpose your childhood on them! Let them have their own in this country."

"It is understandable if you strongly feel your kids should enjoy the same things that brought you so much joy. It's natural. Who wouldn't want that? But it's not right to get upset if they don't."

"You aren't unique in your whines. Even in Pune-Bombay, anyone with means sends their children to english schools. It's an obvious advantage in today's world and opens up opportunities. BTW listening to english spoken in bombay-pune trains is why the british quit india ."

"People whine about education not being in mother tongues. I've seen that education is primary, language secondary. If you have aptitude and interest in a topic, you'll master whatever language you need in 6 months. I for example can't do math even if Bhaskaracharya taught me."

"The reality is that the modern capitalist economics driven juggernaut will eventually crush all distinct cultures under its wheels. It's inevitable." (Yup,PuLa was mostly a progressive). "Feeding your family will always take precedence over preserving culture."

"You can't get good jobs in small towns and good homes in big cities. So you have to live in Dombivali and work in Ballard Estate. When you see the mother run to daycare after a day at the office, that is motherly love. Who has time for cultural teachings in this world?"

"So expecting Indian kids in the US, who grow up listening only english, to have some deep connection or knowledge of Marathi is unrealistic. If you still want to expose them to their heritage, talk amongst yourselves in marathi. Kids are smart. They will pick up enough."

"You expose your kids to our music... Just expose not impose.. And it'll help. Music has a universal underlying language. I like that your organization is doing that. Just keep in mind this great American value - "fun". It should be fun for your kids, not a duty or chore."

"The good thing about US is at least your kids aren't growing up with an ancient hierarchy tied to knowing a language. In India, we hear of bahujan and dalit struggles and triumphs. Talk to your children about that literature. Teach them those aspects of indian culture too."

"Teach your children that the same TV shows are being watched by privileged families in their posh apartments and also unprivileged families huddled in a hutment in the slums. That is as much cultural education as anything else."

"Remember that the image you have of "Marathi culture" is just your memory from decades ago about Very small slice of maharashtra. Don't try to tether your kids to that."

(Especially relevant re that Ind-Am kid who posted a bizarrely passionate defence of the caste system)

"This is not unique to Marathis or Americans. What we think of culture is changing rapidly, everyday, all over the world. If you try to confine your children to your outdated ideas of culture, you will do them a disservice and push them away."

"When someone mentions America, we think mugging, drugs, mafia as if they are unique to them. This indian culture you praise rightly for producing intellectual giants from Shankaracharya to Madhavacharya to Charvaka, also gave us Dushasan. For every krishna, there is a kansa."

"And you folks whining about your kids not getting culture? What's wrong with you? US has the best universities in the world like Harvard and Berkeley. I was delighted to see teachers here themselves always learning. In India, you don't get this quality of teachers."

"Your kids are so lucky! Look at the libraries in this country! Museums like the Smithsonians! Or any other interest, there are avenues to pursue in this country. Just point them towards these options and they'll turn out good. If they don't, it's probably on you."

"This country recognizes pursuit of happiness in its founding documents! How great is that? Something to be emulated as Mahatma Phule wrote. So if you impose our "shut up and obey" culture on them, they will obviously rebel. Teach them more."

"Teach them about how our Dalit movement drew from the Civil Rights movement, finding common cause with oppressed people. That is a global culture being forged right now that is more important. And in America, your kids can learn all that."

"Don't treat your move to the US as one only about the pursuit of dollars. Make sure you and your children can reinvent or shape themselves using the opportunities this country offers. Whatever is good in the world is good in any language. Teach your children taste not culture."

Note - stopping now. Work calls beckon. But I'll pick this thread up later. Only halfway through the speech. Again, remember, this was made in 1987! He even talks approvingly about the then new spelling bee thing and a marathi winner being on Johnny Carson.

"Even Dnyaneshwar said centuries ago, the world is my home, not that just Marathi homes are my homes. Think of culture in that sense. It's because his message transcended language that it is still relevant today."

"Be it America or Maharashtra, the basic elements of "culture" are the same if you think about it. Just make sure you expand the boundaries of your empathy. If you genuinely want to preserve Marathi culture, write articles in Marathi on your area of expertise and publish them."

"The point is the message, not the language. No matter how much marathi you speak, if you feel ill, you ask for a "thermometer"using the english word. You don't use the marathi word, do you? So stop getting hung up on the language. Focus on the message."

"You want to do your bit for Marathi? Write about things like Business Management on which there is hardly any marathi material. Write a marathi column explaining the wonderful American constitution. Expand our boundaries, don't shrink them! Don't whine, write!"

"Jersey marathi mandal, have concerts, storytelling sessions, cook kolhapuri food, celebrate aspects of our culture that are universal. Have fun. If you expand your idea of who are your people, anyone in the world can become part of your culture."

This pretty much wraps it up. He was so ahead of his time in terms of progressivism and empathy. In the 1950s, he was writing stories lampooning Scamdev, Chhee Chhee Ravi Scamkar types. Spoke up against Indira and Thackeray both. Never had kids. Used all earnings for philanthropy

Listening to this speech is a sad reminder of how the social discourse in India has tilted towards fascism in recent decades. If he were alive today, he'd be arrested or worse.

P.S. if you'd like to read some of his writings, I have translated a bunch of them under the fair use doctrine on my blog.
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