Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate on February 21 the 98th Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, which will bring together authors and critics from across the country.The conference, which was first held in 1878 with noted scholar and social reformer Mahadev Govind Ranade as president, has been held almost annually since 1926 and brought together scholars, critics, and literary figures to deliberate on a range of issues, including the relevance of Marathi in changing times.Well-known expert of Marathi folk literature, culture, traditions, and theatre artiste Tara Bhawalkar is the president of the conference, which returns to the national capital after a gap of 71 years.The conference was last held in Delhi in 1954 with renowned lexicographer Tarkatirtha Laxmanshastri Joshi as the president. The conference was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.It is a coincidence that Bhawalkar, who had worked closely with Joshi on the Marathi encyclopedia, is the president of the conference—the first since Marathi was conferred the classical language status by the central government last year.In an interaction with PTI, Bhawalkar voiced concern over the indifferent attitude towards the Marathi language by the government and the people in general.
