List Bengali as classical language: Mamata Banerjee writes to PM Modi

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking the central government to officially list Bengali as a “classical language”.

The Chief Minister said that based on scientific research, it has been established by her state team that Bengali had its origins 2.5 thousand years ago.

“I have written a letter to the Prime Minister. We have done research and assembled scientific facts that show that the Bengali language originated in the last 2.5 thousand years. We feel that this deserves to be classified as a classical language by the government,” Mamata said in a press conference on Friday.

The Chief Minister said that her government has sent “four bulky volumes” of scientific evidence to the central government, which establishes that Bengali is an ancient language.

“We took time to assemble all the scientific facts. We will be sending the four bulky volumes of scientific evidence to the government,” Mamata said.

Hitting out at the central government, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo said that though the central government has given several languages the acknowledgement of a “classical language” it has deprived her state of that respect.

“Though they have given the acknowledgment of a classical language to several languages, they have deprived Bengali of that respect. 2.5 thousand years is not a joke,” Mamata said.

Questioning the central government that when languages from different states are recognised as a ‘classical’ languages then why can’t Bengali language can be given recognition of the same level? “Bengali is already acknowledged as an international language. If languages from other states are notified as classical languages, why can’t our language?” she questioned.

Lashing out at the Communist Party of India (Marxist) government that had ruled the state before Mamata Banerjee came to power, she said, “Those who were in government earlier had not thought of it and did not discuss it. They had not shown any interest.”

The Chief Minister said that if Bengali is given the acknowledgement of a classical language, a Centre of Excellence will be set up in the state.

“If Bengali is acknowledged as a classical language, a Centre of Excellence will be formed. Bengali is one of the world’s most important languages. We have been able to establish how ancient it is through our research,” Mamata said.

This is not the first time that Mamata Banerjee has supported Bengali as a classical language. Earlier in 2020, Mamata urged the Centre to give Bengali the status of a classical language, just as the state government has given recognition to Hindi, Urdu, Gurmukhi, Ol Chiki, Rajbanshi, Kamtapuri, Kurukh languages.

“GoWB has constantly persevered to undertake inclusive development for all by giving recognition to Hindi, Urdu, Gurmukhi, Ol Chiki, Rajbanshi, Kamtapuri, Kurukh languages. I urge the Centre to follow suit by also including Bengali as a classical language in NEP 2020,” Mamata said in a tweet on Hindi Diwas in 2020.

Tamil was the first language in India to be accorded classical language status in 2004. Sanskrit, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia are the other languages that have been declared classical languages in India by the central government.

To be accorded classical language status a language must have high antiquity of its early texts or recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years; a body of ancient literature or texts which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers; the literary tradition should be original and not borrowed from another speech community and lastly, the classical language and literature being distinct from modern, that is, there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.