PMINDIA

Governor of Maharashtra, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan ji, Chief Minister Shri Eknath Shinde ji, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis ji and Ajit Pawar ji, all my colleagues in the central government, Asha Tai ji, who has left an imprint on multiple generations with her singing, renowned actors Bhai Sachin ji, Namdeo Kamble ji and Sadanand More ji, Ministers in the Maharashtra Government Bhai Deepak ji and Mangal Prabhat Lodha ji, BJP’s Mumbai President Bhai Ashish ji, other dignitaries, brothers, and sisters!

At the outset, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all Marathi-speaking people in Maharashtra, outside Maharashtra, and across the world for the Marathi language being granted the status of a classical language.

The central government has given the Marathi language the status of a classical language. Today is a golden moment in the history of the Marathi language, and More ji has summed it up very well. The people of Maharashtra and every Marathi-speaking person have been waiting for this decision, this moment, for decades. I am happy that I had the privilege of contributing to fulfilling this dream of Maharashtra. I am here among all of you to share this moment of joy. Along with Marathi, Bengali, Pali, Prakrit, and Assamese languages have also been granted classical language status. I also congratulate the people associated with these languages.

Friends,

The history of the Marathi language has been very rich. The streams of knowledge that emerged from this language have guided many generations and continue to show us the way today. Through this language, Sant Dnyaneshwar connected the masses with Vedantic discussions. Dnyaneshwari (book) reawakened Bharat’s spiritual wisdom through the knowledge of the Gita. Through this language, Sant Namdev strengthened the consciousness of the Bhakti movement. Similarly, Sant Tukaram led a campaign for religious awareness in the Marathi language, and Sant Chokhamela empowered the movements for social change.

Today, I offer my deepest salutations to the great saints who have elevated Maharashtra and the Marathi culture. The recognition of the Marathi language is a salute of honour from the entire nation to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the 350th year of his coronation.

Friends,

The history of Bharat’s freedom struggle is enriched by the contribution of the Marathi language. Many revolutionary leaders and thinkers from Maharashtra used Marathi as a medium to awaken and unite the people. Lokmanya Tilak shook the very foundations of foreign rule through his Marathi newspaper ‘Kesari’. His speeches in Marathi ignited a desire for ‘Swaraj’ (self-rule) in the masses. Marathi language played a crucial role in advancing the fight for justice and equality. Gopal Ganesh Agarkar brought the campaign for social reforms into every household through his Marathi newspaper ‘Sudharak’. Gopal Krishna Gokhale also used the Marathi language to guide the freedom struggle.

Friends,

Marathi literature is a priceless heritage of Bharat, preserving the tales of our civilization’s development and cultural excellence. Through Marathi literature, the consciousness of ‘Swaraj’ (self- rule), ‘Swadeshi’ (self-reliance), ‘Swabhasha’ (the native language), and ‘Swa-Sanskriti’ (self-culture) spread across Maharashtra. The programs of Ganesh Utsav and Shiv Jayanti that began during the freedom movement, the thoughts of revolutionaries like Veer Savarkar, the social equality movement of Babasaheb Ambedkar, the women’s empowerment campaign of Maharshi Karve, Maharashtra’s industrialization, and the efforts for agricultural reforms—all drew their vital energy from the Marathi language. The cultural diversity of our country becomes even richer when connected to the Marathi language.

Friends,

Language is not merely a means of communication. The language has a deep connection with culture, history, tradition, and literature. We can take the example of the folk singing tradition of Powada. Through Powada, the heroic tales of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and other heroes have reached us even after several centuries. This is a wonderful gift of the Marathi language to today’s generation. When we worship Lord Ganesha, the words that naturally resonate in our minds are ‘Ganapati Bappa Morya’. This is not just a combination of a few words, but an infinite stream of devotion. This devotion connects the entire nation with the Marathi language. Similarly, those who listen to the ‘Abhangas’ of Lord Vitthal also automatically connect with Marathi.

Friends,

The recognition of Marathi as a classical language is the result of the long efforts of Marathi litterateurs, writers, poets, and countless Marathi lovers. The status of a classical language for Marathi is a tribute to the service of many talented literary figures. The contributions of personalities like Balshastri Jambhekar, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Savitribai Phule, Krishnaji Prabhakar Khadilkar, Keshavsut, Shripad Mahadev Mate, Acharya Atre, Shantabai Shelke, Gajanan Digambar Madgulkar, and Kusumagraj are invaluable. The tradition of Marathi literature is not only ancient but also multifaceted. Vinoba Bhave, Shripad Amrit Dange, Durgabai Bhagwat, Baba Amte, Dalit writer Daya Pawar, and Babasaheb Purandare have made significant contributions to Marathi literature. Today, I also remember the contributions of literary figures like Purushottam Laxman Deshpande, popularly known as P. L. Deshpande, Dr. Aruna Dhere, Dr. Sadanand More, Mahesh Elkunchwar, and Sahitya Akademi Award winner Namdev Kamble. Many greats like Asha Bage, Vijaya Rajadhyaksha, Dr. Sharan Kumar Limbale, and theatre director Chandrakant Kulkarni have dreamt of this moment for years.

Friends,

Marathi cinema has also made us proud, along with literature and culture. The foundation of Indian cinema as we see it today was laid by stalwarts like V. Shantaram and Dadasaheb Phalke. Marathi theatre has amplified the voice of the oppressed and marginalized sections of society. The legendary artists of Marathi theatre have proved their talent on every platform. The traditions of Marathi music, folk music, and folk dance carry forward a rich heritage. Legends like Bal Gandharva, Dr. Vasantrao Deshpande, Bhimsen Joshi, Sudhir Phadke, Mogubai Kurdikar, and in the later era, Lata Didi, Asha Tai, Shankar Mahadevan, and Anuradha Paudwal have given Marathi music a distinct identity. The number of individuals who have served the Marathi language is so vast that if I were to talk about them, the entire night would pass.

Friends,

I have had the privilege—some people here felt hesitant about whether to speak in Marathi or Hindi—that I once had the fortune of translating two or three books from Marathi to Gujarati. Although I lost touch with the language over the last 40 years, I could once speak Marathi fairly well. But even now, I don’t feel much discomfort. This is because, in my early life, I lived near the Jagannath Ji Temple in Ahmedabad, close to the Calico Mill. In the mill workers’ quarters, there lived a Maharashtra family named Bhide. They had Fridays off due to the power supply issues. I am not making any political comment, but those days were like that. Since he had off day on Fridays, so I would visit that family on Friday. I remember there was a little girl who lived next door, and she spoke to me in Marathi. She became my teacher, and that’s how I learned Marathi.

Friends,

The recognition of Marathi as a classical language will promote the study of Marathi. It will encourage research and literary collections. Most importantly, it will facilitate the study of Marathi in Indian universities. The central government’s decision will provide support to organisations, individuals, and students working for the development of the Marathi language. It will also create new job opportunities in education and research.

Friends,

For the first time since independence, we have a government that prioritises education in one’s mother tongue. I recall visiting a family in the U.S. many years ago and I was touched by a habit of that family. It was a Telugu family. Despite living an American lifestyle, they had two family rules: first, everyone would sit together for dinner in the evening, and second, no one would speak anything other than Telugu during dinner. As a result, even their children, born in the U.S., spoke Telugu. I’ve noticed that when you visit Maharashtrian families, you can still naturally hear Marathi being spoken. But in other families, this isn’t the case, and people start to enjoy saying “hello” and “hi.”

Friends,

Under the new National Education Policy, it is now possible to study medical and engineering courses in Marathi. Not only this, I even made a request to the judges of the Supreme Court. I said, when a poor person comes to your court and you deliver a judgment in English, how will he understand what you’ve said? I’m happy that today the operative part of judgments is delivered in the mother tongue. Books on science, economics, art, poetry, and various other subjects written in Marathi have been and continue to be available. We need to make this language a vehicle for ideas so that it remains vibrant. Our aim should be to ensure that Marathi literary works reach as many people as possible, and I want Marathi to reach a global audience. You might already know about the government’s ‘Bhashini’ app for translation. You should definitely use it. With this app, you can easily interpret things in Indian languages. The translation feature can break down language barriers. You speak in Marathi, and if I have the ‘Bhashini’ app, I can listen to it in Gujarati or Hindi. Technology has made this very easy.

Today, while we are celebrating this historic occasion, it also brings with it a great responsibility. Every person who speaks Marathi has a duty to contribute to the advancement of this beautiful language. Just as Marathi people are simple, the Marathi language is also very simple. We should all strive to ensure that more and more people connect with this language, that it expands, and that the next generation takes pride in it. You have all welcomed and honoured me, and I am grateful to the state government. It was a coincidence because I was supposed to attend another program today, but suddenly, friends here requested me to give an additional hour, and this event was planned. The presence of all of you dignitaries, whose lives are closely connected to this, in itself highlights the greatness of the Marathi language. I am very grateful to all of you for this. Once again, I congratulate you all on Marathi being granted the status of a classical language.

I extend my warm greetings to all Marathi-speaking people in Maharashtra and around the world.

Thanks.