Noted personalities laud classical status for Bengali language

New Delhi: A group of noted personalities on Thursday hailed the government's decision to confer the status of classical language to Bengali as a "profoundly historic moment for all Bengalis and Bengali speaking people".

The Bengali language, which is more than a thousand years old, has evolved and flourished because of the sincere efforts made by many thinkers over a long period of time, they said in a statement.

The 90 signatories to the statement included economist Bibek Debroy, Dilip Kumar Chakrabarti, historian and professor emeritus at the University of Cambridge, economist and BJP MLA Ashok Kumar Lahiri, and former IFS officer Bhaswati Mukherjee besides several scholars and academicians.

Hailing Bengali as a vibrant and lively language, they said renowned figures like Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam and countless other creative minds and thought-leaders, have played a key role in enriching and propagating the language.

"Our National Anthem is also composed in the Bengali language. Bengali literature has inspired countless people over the centuries. The sweetness of this language touches our hearts. With the passage of time, the Bengali language has also integrated dimensions of other languages within itself," the statement said.

Bengalis across the world are delighted with this historic decision of the government, they said, thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the decision.