Following the historic recognition of Assamese as a Classical Language by the Union Cabinet, Assam’s heartthrob Zubeen Garg on Friday expressed his strong views on the matter.
“What is an Indian Classical Language? It’s a misleading term. There is only one Classical Language in India—Sanskrit,” he asserted with conviction. “What is this new development? Assamese has a rich and enduring legacy. I’m speaking in Assamese. What recognition are we discussing? Who determines that?”
Zubeen continued, “I have penned countless songs in Assamese. Will the government acknowledge that? This is my language. This is Assamese. I am Assamese. I represent Assam. The Indian government cannot bestow recognition upon us.”
Highlighting the historical significance of Indian languages, he added, “Every language has its roots in Pali, Prakrit, and Sanskrit. The Indian government can’t simply decide what deserves recognition. What recognition will they truly offer us? We are the ones providing everything—tea, oil, rhinos, and artists like me, ‘Zubeen Garg’.”
The declaration on Thursday marks a pivotal moment for the Assamese language, which has a rich heritage of over a thousand years, now officially acknowledged as a Classical Language.
To achieve this status, a language must boast a history of 1,500 to 2,000 years, characterized by originality and an extensive body of ancient literature. Assamese meets all these criteria, paving the way for its rightful recognition.
In addition to Assamese, the Union Cabinet approved the classical status for four other languages: Marathi, Bengali, Pali, and Prakrit. This decision nearly doubles the number of languages with classical status from six to eleven.
The languages previously recognized include Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia. Tamil was awarded this distinction in 2004, while Odia was the most recent addition in 2014.
