Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Deputy Chief Ministers Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida extended their warmest congratulations to Odia-speaking people on the 11th anniversary of the Odia language being recognized as a classical language.
Taking to Twitter, CM Majhi wrote: “Greetings to everyone on the occasion of Odia Classical Language Day. Odia language is our pride. Let us pay tribute to the unparalleled contribution of our great men towards granting classical recognition to the glorious Odia language and further strengthen our resolve towards the spread, protection and prosperity of Odia language.”
Singh Deo took to his X handle to express his sentiments: “Eleven years ago, the Central Government granted classical status to the Odia language. On this occasion, I would like to congratulate all the Odia-speaking people and pay my heartfelt tribute to the great personalities who have strived to enrich our glorious language.”
Pravati Parida also tweeted, “On the 11th anniversary of the Odia language being recognized as a classical language, I would like to congratulate all Odia-speaking people and pay tribute to the great personalities who have strived to enrich our glorious language. ‘Vande Utkal Janani’.”
This milestone anniversary celebrates the rich cultural heritage and literary significance of the Odia language, which is spoken by millions of people in Odisha and beyond.
Notably, the classical language status is a result of criteria established by the Government of India in 2004. The Ministry of Culture established a Linguistic Experts Committee (LEC) under the Sahitya Akademi to examine the proposed languages for the prestigious status.
A classical language is an ancient language with a rich literary history and independent traditions that continue to influence other languages and philosophical texts. Tamil became the first language in 2004 to be declared as India’s classical language.
