“I am very happy that the great Bengali language has been conferred the status of a Classical Language, especially during the auspicious time of Durga Puja. Bengali literature has inspired countless people for years. I congratulate all the Bengali speakers all over the world on this,” Modi posted in his X Handle.
Taking to her X Handle, Banerjee posted, “Most happy to share that Bengali/ Bangla has been finally accorded the status of a classical language by the Government of India. We had been trying to snatch this recognition from Ministry of Culture, GOI and we had submitted three volumes of research findings in favour of our contention. Union government has accepted our well-researched claim today evening and we finally reach the cultural apex in the body of languages in India.”
Meanwhile the leader of the opposition in West Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari has described the development as the Durga Puja gift for Bengali-speaking people by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The Union Ministry of Culture in a press release have confirmed that the Union Cabinet under PM Modi’s leadership have accorded “Classical Language Status” to Bengali language. It is indeed the best Durga Puja gift for all those who speak Bengali. The inclusion of Bengali language as a Classical Language will promote the preservation, documentation, and digitization of ancient texts and would also create significant job opportunities in archiving, translation, publishing, digital media and in academic & research fields,” Adhikari said in his X Handle.