Why Marathi does not have classical language status, Congress asks PM Modi

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also raised the issue of demand for change in the category of reservation of the Dhangar community.

Mumbai: Hitting out at the Narendra Modi-led NDA government for not according classical Indian language status to Marathi, the Congress on Thursday compared it with Dr Manmohan Singh-led UPA government when six languages were given such recognition. 

Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Dr Jairam Ramesh, who is the AICC General Secretary in-charge Communications, raised the issue coinciding with the planned visit of Modi to Pune, which was later postponed because of weather conditions. 

“When Dr Singh was Prime Minister, Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Odia were declared classical Indian languages. In the non-biological PM's tenure, zero languages have been accorded classical language status,” Ramesh said in a post on X. 

He said that for the ten years, Modi has done nothing on the well-argued case submitted by then Chief Minister of Prithviraj Chavan, on 11 July 2014, to declare Marathi as a classical Indian language. 

“What explains the non-biological PM’s special apathy to Marathi culture?” he asked. 

Ramesh also raised the issue of demand for change in the category of reservation of the Dhangar community.

The Dhangar community - traditional nomadic shepherds - who get 3.5 per cent reservation in education and jobs under the NT (C) category demand that they be placed under STs, which has a 7 per cent quota. 

The community leaders claim that ‘Dhangar’ and ‘Dhangad’ are the same and a "typographical error” has deprived them in Maharashtra to get the ST benefits, unlike other states. 

“The Dhangar community, which constitutes almost 9 per cent of Maharashtra’s population, has been demanding ST status for years but in vain. Effects of caste-based marginalisation are evident from the Dhangars’ poor performance on Human Development Index indicators, but they have received no support from the Mahayuti government,” said Ramesh.

Hitting out at the Eknath Shinde-led Maha Yuti government, he said: “ Last year, Shinde made vague commitments about studying other states’ methodologies to address their demands for reservation but no meaningful progress has been made.

”However, he pointed out that the Congress has consistently promised to conduct a nationwide caste census to ensure that every backward community in India is able to access the opportunities they deserve. What is the  PM doing to ensure the well-being of the Dhangar community? Why have the BJP and their allies ignored the plight of the Dhangars?” he wanted to know. 

Raising the concerns of the sugar industry, Ramesh said: “Expecting a shortage in sugar production this year, the Central government has imposed a blanket ban on the production of ethanol because of which millers in Maharashtra are sitting on stocks worth at least Rs 925 crore. The Centre’s predictions, however, are flawed as the per acre yield of sugarcane has actually increased by over 15 per cent.”

According to him, now the sugar mills find themselves in a fix - in addition to the financial burden imposed by this ban, they are also worried about the fire hazard posed by their existing stocks of ethanol and spirits, which are incredibly combustible materials.

“Neither has the Centre’s reactionary policy helped the farmers - the greater than expected supply of sugarcane has lowered prices for the crop, especially given the drop in demand due to the ethanol ban. Is the PM going to take responsibility for this disastrous shift in policy? Does the BJP have any plans to rectify the problems they have created for the sugar industry,” he asked.