Marathi language officially granted classical status

The Marathi language has officially been granted the status of a classical language following the issuance of the Government Resolution (GR) on Wednesday. Maharashtra’s Minister of Marathi Language, Uday Samant, met with Union Minister of Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in Delhi. Shekhawat formally handed over the GR, officially recognising Marathi as a classical language. Speaking to the media, Samant expressed that this is a dream come true for the people of Maharashtra and Marathi speakers worldwide. He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for their support. Furthermore, he announced that the Maharashtra government would soon submit a proposal to the central government outlining the benefits available to classical languages according to established rules.
The demand to include Marathi in the list of India’s classical languages had been pending for 11 years. Samant added that Shekhawat would visit Pune on January 31, February 1, and 2 for the inauguration of the Marathi World Conference. “A decision was made last year to provide a fund of Rs 2 crore to the Sahitya Sammelan. Similarly, the same fund will be allocated this year as well. There are Marathi schools in Delhi and other areas, and we are also working to strengthen those schools,” he added. "Marathi language has a history of 2,000 to 2,500 years. Maharashtra Prakrit has influenced Sanskrit literature. It will now be possible to work for Maharashtra Prakrit and the Marathi language. It is gratifying that the earlier version of the Marathi language, known as Prakrit, has also been granted the status of a classical language,” he said.