Pune: A committee of senior scholars at the city-based Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad (MSP) began work in 2016 after putting together all the documentation for granting classical language status to Marathi . The members initiated a public movement in the state to prompt govt action and 40 renowned authors met. It was chaired by literary figure Raosaheb Kasbe .
The parishad then engaged in continuous correspondence with the Prime Minister's Office to seek recognition for Marathi as a classical language. It was a moment of glory for the fraternity of Marathi scholars when the central govt granted the language classical status on Thursday fulfilling a long-standing demand of the Marathi people pending for almost a decade. Executive president of MSP Milind Joshi said they initiated a people's movement in Maharashtra in 2016.
He added, "To draw the Prime Minister's attention to granting classical status to Marathi, the parishad staged a protest in Delhi in January 2018. Subsequently, we met leaders of all big political parties to appeal for a political will. The efforts made by the Parishad as an organisation to achieve classical language status for Marathi are unmatched.
Hence, this joy is beyond words." Other scholars said that the responsibility now lies with everyone to increase its use in everyday life and ensure the language thrives in future generations. The state govt had set up a committee headed by renowned literary figure Ranganath Pathare to pursue the matter.
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