India’s Linguistic Heritage Celebrated at Pravasi Parichay 2024 in Riyadh

The 2024 edition of the Embassy’s flagship diaspora engagement event, Pravasi Parichay, was inaugurated by Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan, the Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia, at the Embassy Auditorium in Riyadh. This week-long cultural celebration kicked off with a specially curated event titled “Classical Languages of India,” designed to showcase the country’s rich linguistic diversity.

Event Inauguration

• Location : Inaugurated at the Embassy Auditorium in Riyadh.
• Ambassador : Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan officiated the event, marking the significance of cultural initiatives for the Indian diaspora.

Welcoming Message

Minister of State for External Affairs :  Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh extended a welcome message, underscoring the importance of engaging with the diaspora through cultural events.

Cultural Activities

Theme 

• The inaugural event titled “Classical Languages of India” highlighted the linguistic diversity of the country.

Community Participation  

• The Indian community actively participated by presenting a unique play that showcased all 11 classical languages of India:

Languages Featured 

• Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Pali, Prakrit, and Sanskrit.

Play Presentation

• The play incorporated various elements, including narration, poetry recitals, conversations, dances, and songs, which resonated well with the audience.

Audience Reception

• The poetry recital in Pali and Prakrit received particular acclaim from attendees.

Additional Activities

• Quiz : An engaging quiz was conducted, enhancing the audience’s interaction with the theme of the event.
• Painting Exhibition : A showcase of artwork by women artists contributed further cultural depth to the inaugural day.

Significance of Pravasi Parichay

Cultural Celebration

• Launched last year, Pravasi Parichay has quickly become a significant cultural celebration for the Indian diaspora in Saudi Arabia.

Partnerships 

• The event is organized in partnership with Indian diaspora associations and the Diaspora Engagement Division of the Ministry of External Affairs.

First Edition 

• The inaugural edition took place in October and November of 2023, paving the way for future cultural engagements.

About Classical Languages of India

• Earlier, India had six classical languages Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia.
• Tamil was declared a classical language in 2004, Sanskrit in 2005, Kannada in 2008, Telugu in 2008, Malayalam in 2013, and Odia in 2014. 
• All the Classical Languages are listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
• In October 2024 The Union Cabinet granted classical language status to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali, increasing recognized classical languages to eleven.

Criteria for Classification as a Classical Language

Antiquity

• The language should have a high antiquity of its early texts or recorded history, spanning over 1,500 to 2,000 years.

Literary Heritage

• There must be a body of ancient literature or texts that is considered valuable heritage by generations of speakers.

Knowledge Texts

• The presence of significant “knowledge texts,” particularly prose, alongside poetry.

Distinctness

• The language and its literature should be distinct from its modern form.

Benefits of Classical Language Status

• The Education Ministry provides various benefits to promote classical languages, including Awards,

• Two major annual international awards for scholars of eminence in the classical languages.

Centre of Excellence 

• Establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Studies in the respective classical language.

University Grants Commission (UGC) Initiatives 

• UGC is encouraged to set up a certain number of Chairs for classical languages in Central Universities.