×
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Prakrit language needs recognition, says scholar Nalini Balbir

Last Updated 03 November 2017, 20:25 IST

Prakrit scholar and professor at Paris University Nalini Balbir on Friday, lamented that Prakrit language has not got recognition like other languages.

She was speaking during the inaugural ceremony of International Prakrit Conference, organised as part of Mahamastakabhisheka for Gomateshwara statue in Shravanabelagola, at Nemichandra Siddhant Chakravarthi Saba Mantap.

The professor said, Tamil and Kannada languages have been recognised and have obtained the 'classical status', but, Prakrit, one of the oldest languages, has not been recognised. Even Pali language has not been recognised, despite all its qualities, she said.

Balbir said that Sanskrit and Prakrit are two different languages and Prakrit language has its own significance. The professor said that it is not appropriate to discriminate Prakrit language as it is not popular. Major Jain literature works are produced in Prakrit language and treating it as second class is unjustifiable, she said.

Union Minister Ananth Kumar released the works 'Charuvasanta' and 'Gomateshwara Bahubali'. Scholars from the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Belgium, Russia, Sweden, Poland, Italy, Japan, and China took part in the sessions.

As many as 25 sessions on Prakrit language have been scheduled for the four-day conference. Around 250 scholars from parts of the world are participating in the conference. Shravanabelagola Jain mutt pontiff Charukeerthi Bhattaraka Swami and conference president Prem Suman Jain from Udaipur were present.

ADVERTISEMENT
(Published 03 November 2017, 18:52 IST)

Follow us on

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT