Ashish Jaiswal
Jaiswal said the project, modelled on Pune’s Shivsrishti of Shivaji Maharaj, would require about 80 acres of land, which was being acquired. “I am sure that 90% of the people don’t even know about Kalidas’ rich history. We are also making a movie on Kalidas so that more and more people come to know about the great man,” said Jaiswal.
He said the proposed film would take Kalidas’s history to a generation that was reading less and increasingly watching reels. Jaiswal said apart from classical languages like Sanskrit, it is the onus of govt to preserve and take forward Marathi’s rich cultural legacy. Marathi established its place from Satavahana-era inscriptions to contemporary literature, and from Mahanubhav sect’s Leela Charitra to Tukaram Maharaj’s abhangs,” said Jaiswal. “We must also take efforts to preserve tribal languages, ancient culture, mother tongues and dialects and root them more deeply in society,” said Jaiswal. As co-guardian minister for Gadchiroli, which has a rich tribal culture, Jaiswal said the dialects in such regions need to be preserved. This threatens the existence of knowledge which resides within these languages,” said Jaiswal.
He was speaking at the inauguration of Abhijat Marathi Bhasha Saptah at Kavikulguru Kalidas Sanskrit University in Nagpur. He asked the university to lead and assume guardianship of the project. The Kalidas Festival (also known as Kalidas Mahotsav) is an annual two-day cultural celebration held in Ramtek to honour the legacy of the legendary 4th-century Sanskrit poet and dramatist. “I thank the Central govt for granting Marathi classical language status. The govt fulfilled a longstanding demand by Maharashtra and Marathi speakers. He urged people in Maharashtra to speak to one another only in Marathi, saying Hindi had become mixed into everyday speech. “Among the languages and dialects of tribals, we have a situation where the generation which had the knowledge is no more.
Ramtek MLA and Maharashtra minister of state (MoS) Ashish Jaiswal on Sunday said the funds have already been allocated for the project which shall also include a movie on Kalidas’ life.