Building a case for Marathi

MUMBAI After a two-decade long endeavour, Marathi was granted the status of a classical language by the central government three days ago.

The discourse for its elevation began in 2002, when the Indian government first considered conferring the status of a classical language to Tamil. It spurred Marathi scholars and politicians into thinking about obtaining a similar status for their own language, which boasts a rich cultural and literary heritage.

The term “classical language” acknowledges a language’s antiquity and cultural significance. In 2004, Tamil became the first Indian language to be officially recognised as a classical language by the central government. Following this development, then-chief minister of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh, initiated discussions with central authorities to pursue a similar status for Marathi. Over the next decade, other languages such as Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013) and Odia (2014) were also granted this prestigious recognition – but the similar request for Marathi remained unattended, frustrating its advocates.

While some critics have argued that granting the classical language status in an election year is a political move rather than a recognition of linguistic development, a substantial number of scholars have rallied behind the cause, asserting that Marathi’s cultural and historical significance makes it deserving of such a title.

The first move

In 2012, Prithviraj Chavan, then chief minister of Maharashtra, appointed a committee led by senior literary figure Ranganath Pathare to compile and submit a proposal to the central government advocating for Marathi’s classical language status. This committee’s report, along with a paper presented by linguistic scholar and retired professor Bhalchandra Nemade, played a crucial role in bolstering Marathi’s case. Nemade was also a key member of the Sahitya Akademi’s committee of linguists that oversaw the evaluation of languages seeking classical status.

By end of 2013, the Pathare Committee submitted its report to the central government, detailing why Marathi met all the necessary criteria for the upgrade. The Sahitya Akademi, the country’s national academy for literature, soon extended its approval. And yet, despite these efforts, the request was ignored. In fact, no language was granted such an elevation in the last decade.

Shripad Bhalchandra Joshi, a literary scholar and former president of All India Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal who advocated for the status after submitting the Pathare committee report, explained what granting such a status means: “Classical language status recognises a language’s deep historical roots and its role in shaping cultural identity. It’s not limited to elite or scholarly use; it acknowledges the everyday language of common people. For the first time, Maharashtri Prakrit, the language of the people would achieve this prestigious recognition.”

However, Joshi expressed disappointment over the delays in granting Marathi the status, adding that no language has been awarded classical recognition in the past decade. “It’s surprising, given the strong case Marathi has. The evidence and documentation clearly meet the criteria,” he said.

The key criteria for classical language status include a distinct literary tradition that is not derived from other languages and a significant body of ancient literature. Additionally, the language must have existed for over 1,000 years. “Marathi’s history spans more than 2,000 years, so it clearly meets the historical criterion,” Joshi emphasised.

Linguistic and epigraphical evidence

Nemade’s paper, presented to the Linguistics Experts Committee (under Sahitya Akademi), pointed to compelling evidence from ancient stone inscriptions. “There are around 100 inscriptions, the earliest of which date back to 20 BCE, found in the Naneghat Caves,” Nemade explained. These inscriptions, which contain Marathi commands and curses with Sanskrit benedictions, reflect the early use of the language by kings, queens and commanders, establishing Marathi’s antiquity.

“It took six months of rigorous research with the help of scholars to prepare this paper and provide concrete evidence supporting Marathi’s claim as a classical language,” Nemade told Hindustan Times.

The research also revealed that the word “Marathi” appeared in various forms across inscriptions found south of the Vindhya mountains, including Marhati, Maharashtri Prakrit, Jain Maharashtri, and Prakrit Marathi. “These different terms point to Marathi’s evolution and its socio-cultural significance across regions such as Goparashtra, Vidarbha, Desh and Marathwada,” Nemade said.

Despite these findings, Nemade acknowledged the challenge of locating systematic documentary evidence until the 12th century AD. He cited the works of the Satavahanas (3rd century BCE to 3rd century AD), patrons of Prakrit literature, as well as the Vakatakas and Chalukyas of Badami, whose courts produced several Marathi works of merit.

Nemade also highlighted the flourishing literary output during the Yadava period (12th to early 13th century AD), including classics such as ‘Leelacharitra’, a biography of Chakradhar Swami, a Hindu saint and philosopher who was the founder of the Mahanubhava sect of Krishnaism, and the ‘Dnyaneshwari’, a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita by Sant Dnyaneshwar. “These works were critical in establishing Marathi as a new Indo-Aryan language by the 11th century AD, as supported by both epigraphical and literary evidence,” Nemade added.

A decade-long wait

The long delay in conferring classical status on Marathi has caused frustration among its advocates. Joshi, reflecting on the protracted process, remarked, “Even after presenting all the necessary documentation, we’ve had to continuously campaign to keep the issue alive. During my tenure as president of the All India Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal, we launched a massive campaign with the Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad, sending 500,000 postcards to the Prime Minister demanding classical status for the language.”

In February 2024, after years of back-and-forth, the central government finally sought additional details on the proposal. The state government responded by appointing a follow-up committee led by former Indian Foreign Services officer Dnyaneshwar Mulay to address the administrative hurdles and push the proposal forward. “We presented a strong case to the central government, emphasising that Marathi is not just a language but an integral part of India’s cultural heritage,” Mulay said. “Achieving classical status would help elevate Marathi on a global stage, promoting it as a technological and global language.”

Scholars raise concerns

While many celebrated the progress that was being made, not all scholars agreed. Chinmay Dharurkar, assistant professor in the department of humanities and social sciences at IIT Kanpur and a specialist in linguistic historiography, offered a critical perspective. “I think the search for classical status reflects a broader attempt by Indians to reconnect with their cultural history in the face of colonial modernity. We seem to believe that while the West embodies industrial modernity, India is the custodian of spiritual and historical heritage,” he said.

Dharurkar pointed out that languages like English, which are not considered classical, dominate global discourse, while Indian languages remain stuck in debates over heritage without addressing their modern-day relevance. “Labelling our languages as ‘classical’ might boost cultural pride, but it does little to enhance their practicality or integration into modern life.”

He also questioned the political motives behind the push for classical language status. “Language has always been tied to regional identity in India, and politicians often use linguistic achievements as a political tool,” Dharurkar noted.

He feels that the focus should be on preserving the rich knowledge traditions embedded in languages like Marathi rather than awarding titles. “We need to study and preserve the intellectual traditions of these languages. That’s what really matters, not just a label. Even if Marathi gets classical status, I doubt it will benefit the language in any meaningful way,” he said, citing the example of Sanskrit, which despite having universities dedicated to it, has not seen widespread revitalization.