Recently, the Union Cabinet elevated five more Indian languages namely Marathi, Bengali, Pali, Prakrit and Assamese to the status of classical language. Languages previously given classical status are Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telegu, Malayalam and Oriya. Sadly, Manipuri language which has a rich heritage and script of its own had been left out. Rajya Sabha MP and BJP leader Leishemba Sanajaoba who had been championing the cause of Manipuri Language in the Parliament was utterly disappointed, which he expressed through his social media posts. But he did not blame the BJP leadership for the exclusion.
On the other hand, it is being reported in local dailies that the state government did not officially send a recommendation to the Ministry of Culture seeking its elevation as a classical language. We all know that there are certain criteria for giving ‘classical’ status to a language.
The set criteria is that, the language in question should have high antiquity in its early texts and recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years; existence of a body of ancient literature texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers; that the literary tradition be original and not borrowed from another speech community, and that the classical language and literature being, distinct from modern, there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots. Local linguists say, Manipuri language fulfils all the four criteria set by the Union Government for eligibility as a classical language.
It is one of the oldest languages in Southeast Asia, which has its own script and written literature. It is one of the oldest languages in Southeast Asia, which has its own script and written literature. Despite being the lingua franca of the state, it is spoken in Manipuri populated areas in Bangladesh, Myanmar and other Northeastern states like Assam and Tripura. Also, there is no dearth of books in the form of manuscripts or Puyas written in old and archaic Manipuri by ancient scholars with subjects ranging from sources of historiography to indigenous knowledge systems, rituals and cultural practices, statecraft, geography and drainage system, genealogy, political allegory, principles of war and humanitarian traditions, and even studies in astrology and astronomy.
Many of these Puyas seems to have been compiled in later centuries, yet the content is ancient and there is every possibility of the knowledge being passed down orally through the scholars. As such, the qualification of Manipuri language should not be doubted. Besides its antiquity, it is a dynamic language still spoken among the populace in its modern. Manipuri language is a dynamic language and it has the strength to absorb foreign words into its fold and also adapt to change and modern realities.
Resilience of the language and its adaptability to modern linguistic changes has to be noted. So one must ask what more qualification Bengali and Assamese language has, which Manipuri does not have? As far as our understanding goes, politics is the only qualifying factor for Bengali and Assamese, besides Marathi. BJP has elections to win in Maharashtra and capture West Bengal from Trinamool while it has to consolidate its hold in Assam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was all praise for Marathi, Bengali and Assamese on social media when the classical status was approved, and he patted himself on the back. Why was Manipuri left out? Is it because Manipur did not elect BJP candidates or its affiliate in the recent Lok Sabha elections.