Does an ancient language that has sustained itself over centuries need an official acknowledgment of its status in India which is home to hundreds of languages and dialects? The Narendra Modi government appears to think so. In giving the status of classical language to five – Pali, Prakrit, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese – the government has strained to put its stamp on linguistic traditions and cultures that existed long before even the idea of India did. All the five date from 500 BCE to about a few thousand years ago, and join the elite club of six which had been accorded the status earlier – Tamil in 2004, Sanskrit in 2005, Kannada and Telugu in 2008, Malayalam in 2013, and Odia in 2014. In giving them the status, governments have acknowledged that these languages have a high antiquity of early texts with a recorded history, a body of ancient literature, and a rich literary tradition not taken from any other.
This move must be seen at two levels: cultural and political. The impetus in making Marathi, Bengali and Assamese classical languages cannot be the same as for Prakrit and Pali. The first three have vast populations with aspirations which must be stoked when elections are around the corner. This is most true of Marathi. Maharashtra goes to the polls for its state Assembly in the next six weeks. The Modi government and the Eknath Shinde-led government in the state have been rolling out programmes, promising investments, launching projects as if there were no tomorrow. Keen to hold on to power, grabbed through backdoor machinations in 2022, the Shinde-led government is on tenterhooks. However, the demand to accord classical status to Marathi is a long-pending one. The docket with evidence was submitted to the centre back in 2013 when Congress-led governments were in power. Whether the political move now pays Modi-Shinde is to be seen.
Pali and Prakrit, among the most ancient languages on this land, may benefit from cultural renaissance with this status. So will Marathi, Bengali and Assamese, but these have millions of speakers and living traditions that touch their day-to-day lives. The social media explosion has already brought back some of the older and forgotten dialects, recipes, poems and music in these languages. It’s not the same for Pali and Prakrit which could see a revival. The classical status means, among other benefits, two awards will be given to distinguished scholars in these languages and the University Grants Commission can be asked to establish Professional Chairs in central universities. The government’s move is self-serving and the timing is cynical, but it may help some languages, after all.
What Is Classical Language Status? Everything To Know About Special Recognition By Union Cabinet