Marathi Language Receives Classical Status, Strengthening Our National Identity and Pride

Maharashtra's Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, along with deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Centre's decision to grant Marathi the classical language status. Union Home Minister Amit Shah described this as a moment of great pride, highlighting Marathi's role in strengthening national identity. The Union Cabinet has also approved this status for Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali.

Political Reactions and Historical Context

The decision comes just before the Maharashtra assembly elections expected next month. Amit Shah noted on X that Marathi has contributed rich literature and reinforced the spirit of freedom. He congratulated the Marathi community on this achievement. CM Shinde thanked PM Modi, Amit Shah, and Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for their support, acknowledging ongoing efforts by his government.

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar called the decision historic, noting the decades-long struggle for recognition. Fadnavis recalled that during his tenure as Chief Minister, he had initiated discussions with the Centre about this status. The current administration under Shinde continued these efforts. NCP SP spokesperson Anish Gawande praised the decision but criticised the Shinde government for not promoting Marathi adequately across Maharashtra.

Efforts and Challenges Over the Years

Gawande pointed out that Maharashtra's cultural heritage is at risk due to closures of theatres, cultural centres, and over 700 public libraries in the past decade. In 2012, the UPA government established an expert committee led by Rangnath Pathare to evaluate Marathi's eligibility for classical status. After a lengthy 12-year Brishaspati Paribhraman cycle, the government acted on these recommendations.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena MLA Pramod Patil mentioned that party chief Raj Thackeray had demanded classical language status for Marathi while supporting PM Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The demand gained political traction ahead of state assembly polls. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh noted that the demand had been pending with the Central government for ten years.

Committees and Linguistic Criteria

Earlier this year, a committee led by former diplomat Dnyaneshwar Muley was formed by the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra to liaise with Central officials on this matter. The Linguistics Expert Committee of the Union Culture Ministry suggested changes in criteria for granting classical status to languages. Previously, India recognised six classical languages: Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia.

In 2014, then Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan set up a committee of Marathi experts chaired by Prof. Ranganath Pathare. This committee concluded that Marathi met all criteria for classical language recognition. Chavan also wrote to the Centre requesting fulfilment of this demand. MPs from Maharashtra raised this issue multiple times in Parliament.

Benefits of Classical Language Status

Union Culture Minister G Kishen Reddy informed Parliament in February 2022 that Marathi's proposal was under active consideration. Criteria for classical language status include high antiquity of early texts over 1,500-2,000 years and a significant body of ancient literature valued by speakers. The literary tradition should be original and not borrowed from another community.

Once a language is declared classical, it receives benefits from the Union Education Ministry. These include two major annual international awards for eminent scholars in these languages. A centre of excellence is established for studies in the classical language, and the University Grants Commission is asked to create Professional Chairs in Central universities for these languages.

The recognition of Marathi as a classical language marks a significant cultural milestone for Maharashtra and its people. This decision acknowledges its rich literary heritage and historical significance while paving the way for further academic and cultural promotion.