Marathi Earns Classical Language Status Amidst Political Strife

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut welcomed the Centre's decision to grant Marathi classical language status. He emphasized that this achievement was a result of collective efforts over decades. The announcement comes before Maharashtra's legislative polls, with past and present political leaders contributing to this milestone.

The Centre has granted classical language status to Marathi, a decision welcomed by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, who emphasized the collective efforts spanning decades behind this achievement. This acknowledgment precedes the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.

Despite the achievement, Sanjay Raut cautioned that the BJP might be leveraging the announcement as a political strategy, particularly following their Lok Sabha performance in Maharashtra. He urged the focus to remain on maintaining Marathi's cultural and industrial significance.

The classical language status move for Marathi, alongside languages like Pali and Assamese, fits into a broader timeline initiated in 2004 with Tamil. This demonstrates the ongoing evolution of India's linguistic prestige, though Raut stresses it shouldn't be politicized.

(With inputs from agencies.)