Assamese Language: The ‘Assamese’ Language Will be Celebrated as a Classical Language

Bhasa Gaurav Saptah: In a meeting of the Central Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Assamese, along with Marathi, Bengali, Pali, and Prakrit, has been granted the status of a classical language. With this, the total number of classical languages in India has reached 11.

The Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, announced on Sunday that the state will celebrate for a week to mark the central government's decision to grant Assamese the status of a classical language. An official said that the festival will be celebrated in the first week of November.

The Chief Minister said that the state will organize a 'Bhasa Gaurav Saptah' from November 3 to 9 to celebrate the recognition of Assamese as a classical language.

'Bhasa Gaurav Saptah' Named

The Chief Minister wrote on Twitter, "On October 3, 2024, the Central Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, officially recognized Assamese as a classical language. To celebrate this historic achievement, Assam will observe 'Bhasa Gaurav Saptah' from November 3 to 9, 2024."

He said that during this week, universities, schools, and civil society organizations will organize programs to honor the contributions of Assamese writers and scholars whose work has shaped the language since the 4th century AD.

Classical Indian Languages

The Chief Minister said, "The people of Assam will express their heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this important step, which recognizes the state's cultural and linguistic heritage."

The Chief Minister appealed to all sections of society to make the 'Bhasa Gaurav Saptah' a success. Earlier, on October 3, the Central Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, granted classical language status to Marathi, Bengali, Pali, and Prakrit, in addition to Assamese. Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia had already received this prestigious title, bringing the total number of classical Indian languages to 11.

Some of the benefits of being recognized as a classical language include the establishment of centers of excellence for language studies, funding for professional chairs in central institutions, and global awards for outstanding contributors.