New Delhi: Odias have a reason to cheer as Union Cabinet today gave its approval for classifying Odia as classical language. It is the sixth Indian language to get such prestigious tag after Sanskrit, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam.
Even though the proposal of classical status to Odia language got approved in the National Language Commission, it was delayed for presentation in Union Cabinet due to some procedural delays in Home and Law departments. However, the proposal drew the attention of expert committee of the Ministry of Culture after MP Ramachandra Khuntia discussed the matter with the two ministries. Later, it moved to the cabinet secretariat.
The classical tag will give impetus to scholarship in this language. This apart, other benefits will be available for the Odia scholars like other five classical languages.
The benefits are- (i) Two major annual international awards for scholars of eminence in Odia language. (ii) A 'Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Languages' can be set up. (iii) The University Grants Commission can be requested to create, to start with at least in Central Universities, a certain number of professional chairs for classical languages, for scholars of eminence in Odia language.
There has been a long-standing demand that Odia, which is one of the oldest languages and has no resemblance to Hindi, Sanskrit, Bengali, Telugu, etc, be declared as a classical language.