Marathi Granted Classical Language Status: A Milestone for Maharashtra

After the Union Cabinet gave classical language status to Marathi on October 3, 2024, the Central Government released the official notification, as per Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant. It is the sequential result of a campaign stretching back nearly 11 years to have Marathi recognized as one of the classical languages of India.

Key points

Minister Samant emphasized the commitment to preserving and promoting the Marathi language globally:

• Research and Funding:

  • A study of its history and evolution as well as its linguistic profile will be conducted as the Union Culture Ministry has committed pathological funding for the task.

  • ₹2 crore have been earmarked for Sahitya Sammelan by the state government and a similar budget is expected for the next year.

• Education and Awareness:

  • Attempts are being made to improve Marathi schools in Delhi and other areas.

  • The Marathi World Conference to be held in Pune from January 31 and February 2 with Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat as the chief guest will highlight the global relevance of Marathi.

• Recognition of Maharashtra Prakrit:

  • When the classical status is granted to Maharashtra Prakrit, the further historical development of the Marathi language will be researched and artificially deepened based on its history, which reached 2,000 to 2,500 years ago.

Classical Languages of India 

• Background: 

  • The presentation of Classical Languages in India was first recognized in the year 2004 only. The standards for classifying a language as classical were elaborated again in 2024 as having a high age (1500-2000 years), numerous ancient texts, and inscriptions. 

  • It also might be a language that has a discontinuity from its corresponding later languages.

Languages with Classical status

• Tamil language started in 2004, followed by Sanskrit in 2005, Telegu & Kannada in 2008, Malayalam in 2013, and Odia in 2014.

• In previous years, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, Bengali, and Marathi have been granted the status of Classical.

Benefits of Classical Language Recognition:

• Preservation and Documentation: Measures involve scanning old manuscripts, and providing employment in catalogs, translation, and publication services.

• Academic Benefits: Most of the financial support for the scholars and research work is through the Ministry of Education that offers international Awards.

• Funding: Specific grants are provided for the promotion of research on and the development of these languages.

Marathi Language

• Origin: Marathi has emerged from the Maharastra Prakrta, which was spoken in the Satvahan era.

• Gathasaptasati: Patronized by the King Hala of the Satvahana dynasty, it is one of the oldest Marathi texts.

Broader Implications

The classical status not only recognizes the presence and potential of the cultural wealth of Marathi but also opens the gate for structured research and promotion of Marathi worldwide. This recognition is expected to prompt the same type of campaigns for other regional languages indicating the linguistic and cultural heritage of India.

Conclusion

The granting of Classical Language status to Marathi marks a historic achievement for Maharashtra, ensuring the language's preservation, research, and global promotion, contributing to the rich linguistic diversity of India.