Though Gujarati is our mother tongue, it has begun to feel abandoned within its own society. Parents and the education system increasingly value English over Gujarati, and children and youth have started to see their own language as unnecessary. Families speak less Gujarati at home, young people feel hesitant or even embarrassed to speak it, and slowly the language — and the literature woven into it — fades from daily life. This is a deeply painful truth.

The reality, however, is that there is no situation that demands Gujarati be pushed out of everyday conversation. Any language that is understood is equally capable of expression and entertainment.

Devoted to Gujarati music and literature, the artists Aarti Munshi and Shyamal–Saumil have resolved to dedicate the coming years of their lives to society, to the world of art, and to future generations. Pradan Charitable Trust was formed to give shape to this resolve.