V Sebastian  <br/><br/>
Classical Languages and the Ideology of Class and Privilege  
 Economic and Political Weekly  Vol.61; No.7 -   14 Feb. 2026   pp. 66-72 

<br/><br/> The decision by the union government in 2004 to create a new category called the “classical language” tends to privilege a handful of Indian languages over numerous others. Constituting some languages as classical entails cultural marginalisation of other languages since it involves the creation of hierarchies, prestige, privilege and cultural inequalities. Often overlooked in discussions about the classical is the ideological framework within which it functions. Hidden within the classical—so apparent yet so concealed—is the category of class and caste as a definite material basis. This ideology has not received the attention it deserves in the discussions on the classical language status in the wider public sphere. 
<br/><br/><label>Subjects--Uniform Titles: </label><br/>Malayalam
<br/><br/><label>Subjects--Topical Terms: </label><br/>Language <br/>Linguistics <br/>Indian languages <br/>Classical language