The Union Cabinet has granted classical language status to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali, increasing recognized classical languages to eleven.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the move and tweeted:
“Our government cherishes and celebrates India’s rich history and culture. We have also been unwavering in our commitment to popularising regional languages."
I am extremely glad the Cabinet has decided that Assamese, Bengali, Marathi, Pali, and Prakrit will be conferred the status of classical languages! Each of them are beautiful languages, highlighting our vibrant diversity. Congratulations to everyone,” he posted on X.
This cabinet decision increases the number of recognised classical languages from six to eleven.
Previously recognised languages included Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia, which was the last language to enter the club in 2014
Information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the “historic” move aimed to “preserve the rich cultural heritage of India.”
“Until now, the notified classical languages included Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia. These languages were already recognised as classical languages. The new proposals have been examined within this framework and any future proposals will also be assessed in the same manner, based on proper scientific evidence, research, and historical data,” he said.
The Union government established the category of “classical languages” on October 12, 2004, initially declaring Tamil as a classical language based on three criteria:
High antiquity of early texts with a recorded history over a thousand years, a body of ancient literature considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers, and an original literary tradition that is not borrowed from another speech community.
In November 2004, the ministry of culture formed a linguistic experts committee (LEC) under the Sahitya Akademi to examine languages for this status.
The criteria were revised in November 2005, resulting in the declaration of Sanskrit as a classical language, with updated standards that included “high antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years” and emphasis that “the literary tradition be original and not borrowed from another speech community.”
In a meeting on July 25, 2024, LEC unanimously revised the criteria for classical languages. The NEW? (yes, new) criteria include high antiquity of (its) early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years, a body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a heritage by generations of speakers, the presence of “knowledge texts”, especially prose texts in addition to poetry, epigraphical and inscriptional evidence, and the stipulation that the classical languages and literature could be distinct from its current form or could be discontinuous with later forms of its offshoots.
The committee confirmed that Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali meet the revised criteria for classical language status.
The demand for granting classical language status to some of these languages dates back a decade.
In 2013, the Maharashtra government submitted a proposal for Marathi’s recognition. Former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan then established a committee of language experts in 2014 to assess the language. The panel confirmed that Marathi met all the criteria for recognition as a classical language, and its report reached the Centre.
The development came just days before assembly elections in Maharashtra are expected to be announced.
Calling Marathi “India’s pride,” Modi said,”This honour acknowledges the rich cultural contribution of Marathi in our nation’s history. Marathi has always been a cornerstone of Indian heritage. I am sure with the status of a Classical Language, many more people will be motivated to learn it.”
“Once a language is declared as a classical language, it garners significant international interest. Many international universities begin offering courses and research programs in those classical languages,” Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
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