Mumbai, Oct 3 (IANS) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said that Marathi is not merely a medium of communication but a bearer of rich culture and a witness to a glorious history.
Endowed with a vast vocabulary, a rich literary tradition and diverse dialects, Marathi will be further empowered in the 21st century as a digital language and a language of knowledge, he said.
Along with increasing the everyday use of Marathi, he urged expanding its application in modern domains such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital technology, quantum computing, space technology and biotechnology.
Against the backdrop of Marathi receiving classical language status, CM Fadnavis was speaking at the launch of the “Classical Marathi Language Week” and “Classical Marathi Language Honour Day”.
Stating that Marathi is inherently ancient and classical, CM Fadnavis said that receiving official recognition as a classical language from the Central Government is a moment of pride for all Marathi speakers.
He noted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, conferring classical language status on Marathi has highlighted Maharashtra’s linguistic and cultural heritage at the national level.
Reminding the audience of history, he added that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj emphasised the native language alongside the vision of Swarajya, striving to promote Marathi in state administration and giving a new direction to its use in governance.
Noting that Marathi ranks 13th among the most spoken languages in the world, the Chief Minister highlighted its global character.
He mentioned that the Marathi Encyclopedia (Gnyankosh) and Shabdaratnakar, compiled in the 20th century, contained between 1.1 million and 1.3 million words.
By comparison, he pointed out that the Oxford English Dictionary contains around 600,000 words, while languages such as Mandarin, Spanish and French have roughly 300,000 to 350,000 words.
The official Marathi dictionary currently published by the state government contains around 300,000 words, and the Chief Minister stressed the need to work on subsequent editions to expand this vocabulary to 1.3 million words.
Citing Marathi’s rich lexicon, CM Fadnavis underscored the importance of its encyclopaedic and lexicographical traditions.
Millions of words recorded across various dictionaries showcase Marathi’s deep linguistic heritage.
He said this vocabulary should not remain merely a matter of pride but must be effectively used in modern knowledge generation.
Making concepts in science, technology, economics, education and research available in Marathi will truly elevate it into a language of knowledge, he added.
CM Fadnavis noted that communication channels are evolving rapidly because of digital technology.
In this landscape, Marathi should not be confined to traditional use but integrated with new technology.
He stressed the need to leverage “Marathi AI” to increase the language’s effective footprint in artificial intelligence, make information and knowledge resources available across digital platforms, and produce high-quality Marathi content on OTT platforms and social media.
He expressed confidence that providing knowledge resources in cutting-edge fields such as quantum computing, space technology and biotechnology would enable the younger generation to absorb modern knowledge in their mother tongue.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said Marathi is not just Maharashtra’s identity but also its self-respect.
Adorned with a rich legacy spanning from Saint Dnyaneshwar to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Marathi has now travelled across oceans and made its mark globally, he said.
The state government is committed to accelerating the global expansion of Marathi in the future, he added.
Expanding the use of Marathi in modern domains such as digital media, social networks, podcasts, gaming and coding is essential to connect the younger generation with the language, he said.
Minister of Marathi Language Uday Samant said the state government is committed to preserving, promoting and globally expanding Marathi language and culture, with several ambitious initiatives launched for its holistic development.
He informed that work is underway to establish a ‘Centre of Excellence’ for Marathi at Deccan University in Pune, a ‘Global Marathi Centre’ named after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in London, 100 dictionaries for various regional dialects across the state, and nine ‘Marathi Skill Development Centres’.
–IANS
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