Pune -based Sheikh, who was 100 years old last week, has spent the marathi grammar element and immersed in complicated in seven decades, made it champion with unwavering devotion. She sees the language as a legacy that should be preserved in its ancient form. Sheikh said, “I am a humble fan of Marathi. This is my mother tongue, and my love for it is deep,” Sheikh said, her banners sat at home. “I believe it is my responsibility to protect and nurture it. Today, the speech of the younger generation is very impressed by Hindi and English. Therefore, we should try to stop its weakening and deformation. I cannot say if Marathi is sweet as nectar, because I have never tasted nectar, but for me, Marathi, rich and full for me.”

He has spent more than three decades to teach language in schools and colleges; Candidates trained for civil services; Edited textbooks; The Marathi Shabla was written to the dictionary; Marathi literature was a member of the Mahamandal when it was first established in the early 60s; And contributed to many magazines.

On his birthday last week, with the centenary, Milind Joshi, president of the All India Marathi literature Mahamandal, said, “Grammar is often seen as complex, but Sheikh taught it with the grace and flow of poetry. He created linguistic awareness in the society and made an important contribution to the state’s intellectual clothes.”

Born on 21 June 1925 as Jerusha in a Jewish family in Kalam, a city, which was located in the Raigad district of Konkan region. His father worked for the government and was often transferred. While the family often went, his love for words remained a stable, his father supported his literary Quests. The initial contact for literature became the basis of a lifetime passion for the language.

He studied with his sister at SP College, Pune, where he was advised by mythological professors such as SM Met and KN Watway. His guidance intensified his interest in grammar and linguistics. Bachelor with top honors, she moved to Mumbai to teach, although it was in the city’s classrooms that her identity was often surprised.

After marrying Aziz Ahmed Ibrahim Sheikh, manager of a theater manager of a theater in Nashik in 1949, he named Yasmin Sheikh. Interfath Marriage – A Jew is marrying a Muslim – Chelgged criteria. In Mumbai, every academic year began with similar moments: as he entered the classroom to teach Marathi, some students, hearing his name, would come out, assuming that he had accidentally entered a class of English or Urdu. “Is this really a Marathi class?” They will ask loudly. The vision of a Muslim woman teaching Marathi grammar shocked her.

“But once I started teaching, the same students were imprisoned and grew to honor me,” he remembered. “There is no religion of language. Where the language of the nation was born and raised, it becomes your mother tongue. I only follow the same religion-which is of humanity. I believe in all-religion-philosophy-equality of all religions.”

Beginning of language

Sheikh believes that every language begins as a sound. In an article published in Loksatta, she wrote: “Before the speech, humans communicated using hand gestures. Over time, these sounds developed in spoken dialects. But since the dialects are fleeting and changing, scripts were invented to preserve them.” He said, as spoken words, their forms, and sentences began to take shape, a sense of structure came to light, which developed in grammar.

Interestingly, the Marathi language was devoid of a clear system of grammar until the arrival of the British. This is when the need to organize Marathi grammar was felt. The British approached the then Sanskrit scholar Dadoba Pandurang Tarakhadkar, and asked them to organize Marathi grammar. Takhdkar, who was very influenced by Sanskrit Gramian Panini, adopted the Sanskrit alphabet as it was. As a result, the letters that could not be pronounced even in Marathi found their way in the script, only the symbols of no phonetic use remained.

After establishing Maharashtra as a separate state in 1960, a committee of experts was formed to work on the development of Marathi language and literature. Sheikh was a member of this committee, who was known as Marathi literature Mahamandal. One of the major goals of the committee was to bring continuity to written Marathi and ensure its accurate use in official government communication.

The committee was assigned to make new rules for written Marathi. In 1962, the state government officially accepted a set of 14 rules prepared by this committee, which marks the onset of formal regulation in the language. The committee also made specific suggestions on how Marathi should be used in government communication.

In 1972, four more rules were added, and a new set of comprehensive language guidelines was established. Sheikh later wrote a book, explaining these rules in detail, making the principles of standardized Marathi accessible to all.

For many people in the world of linguistics, she represents a bridge between tradition and modernity. Marathi language expert and researcher Dilip Faltankar, who has been closely documenting Sheikh’s work for years, said, “Sheikh is not just a grammar teacher – he is a mentor of linguistic culture. His lifetime devotion has served as an art, which is in his accurates. Marathi’s guard.”

Remaining vigilant and fast

The centenary today lives independently, blessed with a sharp memory and a cautious mind. “Entering my 100th year, I still find great pleasure in writing by hand. It gives me a new purpose and a new purpose,” he said. “As I am blessed with good health, I continue to do research, read the books sent to me, and from India and abroad, often answer grammar related questions on phone.”

His mantra is simple for life – be happy. “I tell the older people to focus on positivity in life instead of living on negative. I have also faced pain and difficulty, but I have chosen to see the bright side. You have to do what you love, stay, and find happiness in it.” His family said, he said, “Laughter Jerusha.” “And I still take that soul.”

To date, Sheikh answers questions on grammar, lives with new publications, and encourages students with the same gentle firmness that once changes skepticists in his lifetime fans. As Marathi continues to develop, Sheikh’s devotion to the century reminds that language is not just a tool of communication – it is an inheritance, and in its case, a lifetime love story.

Box: Knowing Marathi

-Masin Sheikh published by Harmis Prakash in 2007, a comprehensive dictionary of Marathi Shablakhan Kosh, spelling and orthography, and was revised in 2015. This work became a fundamental reference to use Marathi.

For the use of “standard Marathi” in literature and formal writing, emphasizing the need to avoid excessive borrowing from foreign languages ​​to preserve linguistic purity.

-Marathi grammar and linguistics for 34 years at school and college levels. She was the head of the Marathi department at Sies College, Mumbai for six years.

For a decade, focusing on grammar and linguistics to IAS candidates at the State Institute of Administrative Career, Mumbai.

-Marathi textbooks and a functional grammar book for Balabharti contributed to Kartakam Vyakaran.

As a grammar advisor for Marathi magazine ‘Antaranad’ for 15 years.

-You contributed to Marathi writing Marathi writing to Marathi writing published by Marathi Vikas.

-In the most, many articles were presented on grammar and language criticism.