CLASSICAL LANGUAGE STATUS FOR MARATHI: HOME MIN ALONE CAN DECIDE

That Marathi language must be accorded the status of a classical language is an old demand, but now Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has written a letter to PM Modi on the subject, thereby escalating the matter.

The Shiv Sena and several MPs from Maharashtra have often demanded this in Parliament. The Sena has met the Prime Minister and Home Minister in this regard but Delhi is yet to act on this matter. Former CM Devendra Fadnavis too made a fervent pitch in his time. The erstwhile education minister, Vinod Tawde, said all the administrative and political formalities had been completed and Maharashtra was soon going to receive happy tidings. But no such tidings arrived. Now, CM Uddhav Thackeray has raked up the issue again, but is it enough to merely write to the PM? The border conflict is still unresolved. Many Belagavi Marathi people still face atrocities from Kannadigas. In this regard too, many CM's of Maharashtra have written to PMs but evidently, not one letter has been noticed.

The language department comes under the home ministry. Therefore Amit Shah must take the decision to give Marathi the status of a classical language. Shiv Sena leaders must go to Modiji and BJP leaders must go to Amit Shah, demanding this. Because giving Marathi this status is not a political issue but it is about Maharshtra's self-respect and pride. We can understand how Delhi hates that now there is a Sena CM in Maharashtra, but what Uddhav Thackeray has expressed are the emotions of 11 crore Maharashtrians. While according the classical language status, the age of the language is checked. But don't calculate Marathi's age, look at