Classical language status to Marathi under consideration: Govt in Lok Sabha

The proposal for granting classical language status to Marathi is under active consideration, Minister of State for Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal said on Monday.

Replying to a supplementary question by BJP MP Gopal Shetty in the Lok Sabha, the Minister said a 8-member committee was set up which is deliberating on the subject.

"So far, Tamil, Telugu, Sanskrit, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia have been given the status of classical languages. Giving the status to Marathi language is under consideration and the Government will move forward with a positive attitude," Meghwal said during the Question Hour, which witnessed repeated adjournments amid opposition protest over Pegasus spyware and other issues.

The criteria adopted by the government to determine the eligibility of a language for classical status includes its recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years, body of ancient literature, whether its literary tradition is original and not borrowed from another speech community and other yardsticks.