Hyderabad: After the Tamils, it is now the turn of the Telugus and Kannadigas to claim classical language status to their languages.

Though the demand is being voiced since long by various quarters, the absence of a concrete response from the political establishment is bothering the language promoters.

The status of classical language will facilitate the States to get an annual grant of Rs. 100 crore from the Centre for devising programmes to popularise the language. It will also help establish research centres in teaching institutions.

Lagging behind

The general opinion among promoters of Telugu and Kannadiga languages is that they are lagging behind Tamils, as their political parties don't pursue the cause. Chairman of the Official Language Commission A.B.K. Prasad, regrets the lack of commitment among Telugus just as the Kannadigas do.

The Chief Minister reiterated his Government's commitment to promote the language at the recently concluded Collectors' conference. The TDP leadership said it would launch an agitation to secure the status to Telugu soon.

Minister's take

On the other hand, the Kannadigas too were asked to replicate Tamils' linguistic fervour by Union Minister of State for Planning M.V. Rajasekharan on Tuesday. He was addressing a seminar on `Vachana Chaluvali - Kannada Sahitya' at the Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies at Mysore, according to reports.

Four parametres are applied to accord classical status to a language - antiquity, ancient body of literature, original living traditions and continuity. Both Telugu and Kannada qualify for the classical language status under these categories just as Tamil does, as both languages boast of rich literary histories.

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