Marathi, Assamese, Bengali are now ‘classical languages of India’: What does this status mean?

India is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world, with over 121 languages and more than 19.500 languages or dialects spoken as mother tongues.

However, only a few of these languages enjoy a special “classical language” status.

On Thursday, the Union Cabinet approved giving the status of “classical language” to five more languages: Marathi, Bengali, Pali, Prakrit, and Assamese.

With this, the number of languages on the list nearly doubles from six to 11.

New languages get classical status

The Centre has added five languages, Marathi, Bengali, Pali, Prakrit, and Assamese, to the list of classical languages.

This move is a component of the government’s continuous initiatives to protect and advance India’s rich linguistic and cultural legacy.

The decision advances the current system of classical language status, initially introduced in 2004, to recognise languages with deep historical and cultural significance.

Of the five new classical languages, Pali is spoken in some parts of India, as well as in Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. Assamese, Bengali, and Marathi are the most commonly spoken languages.

Some institutions, like those in Allahabad and Patna, teach it, and it is the language used in the sermons of the Buddha.

Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia were the languages that previously had this label. Odia became the final language to receive the status in 2014.

Welcoming the decision, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee posted, “Most happy to share that Bengali/Bangla has been finally accorded the status of a classical language by the Government of India. We had been trying to snatch this recognition from Ministry of Culture, GOI and we had submitted three volumes of research findings in favour of our contention. Union government has accepted our well-researched claim today evening and we finally reach the cultural apex in the body of languages in India (sic).”

Classical languages

Classical languages are ancient languages with independent traditions and a rich literary history that continue to influence various literary styles and philosophical texts.

The government first introduced the concept of classical languages in October 2004 by conferring this status to Tamil.

Earlier, five other languages also enjoyed classical status: Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014).

Over the years, the criteria for recognising a language as classical have evolved.

The current framework, as revised in 2024 by the Linguistic Experts Committee (LEC) under Sahitya Akademi, emphasises four key factors:

Benefits of status

Conferring classical language status to languages like Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali will promote these languages, their cultural preservation, academic research, and the overall recognition of linguistic heritage.

The move will enhance awareness of the language and strengthen the linguistic identity of speakers, fostering pride in their language’s contribution to national and global culture.

It will ensure that ancient literary texts, manuscripts, and works are conserved. Digitization of ancient manuscripts will make them accessible for future generations of scholars.

It will trigger establishment of dedicated research institutions, translation efforts, and publication of texts. Students pursuing higher studies in classical languages can benefit from scholarships.

Traditional arts, rituals, and festivals associated with the classical language will be safeguarded.

The conferral of the status not only enriches cultural identity but also creates significant economic opportunities.

In the tourism sector, cultural heritage linked to these languages can attract visitors, enhancing local economies and providing jobs in event management, tourism, and hospitality.

Entrepreneurs can create start-ups or businesses focused on language learning platforms, educational tools, heritage tourism, and language-based publishing, which can generate employment.

Promoting these languages

Once a language is notified as a classical language, the Education Ministry provides certain benefits to promote it.

These include three Central Universities established in 2020 through an Act of Parliament to promote Sanskrit. The Central Institute of Classical Tamil was set up to facilitate the translation of ancient Tamil texts, promote research, and offer courses for university students and language scholars of Tamil.

The Centres for Excellence for studies in classical Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Odia were also established under the Central Institute of Indian Languages in Mysuru.

In addition to these initiatives, several national and international awards have been instituted to recognise and encourage achievements in the field of classical languages. Benefits extended to classical languages by the Ministry of Education include national awards for classical languages, chairs in universities, and centres for promotion of classical languages.

Political row

There have long been demands to grant certain languages the status.

In 2014, Prithviraj Chavan, the then-Chief Minister of Maharashtra, formed a committee consisting of linguists for this very purpose.

The panel reported to the Centre that Marathi met all requirements for recognition as a classical language.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh last month said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “ignoring” the demand for Marathi to be recognised as a classical language. “In the PM’s tenure, zero languages have been accorded classical language status. For ten years, he has done nothing on the well-argued case submitted by then Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan, on July 11, 2014, to declare Marathi as a classical Indian language,” He said.

Just in time for the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the demand has now been met.

Similarly, proposals for Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali to be granted classical rank had also surfaced from West Bengal, Bihar, and Assam.