On the ground, classical language status has meant substantial funds and awards. The solution to such vexed claims and counterclaims may rest in the central government giving up its partisan patronage of Sanskrit and Hindi, and providing the wherewithal for all languages. What languages are classical or not is best left to the scholars. (via Is classical language status meaningless?- Et Debate-Opinion-The Economic Times).
It has taken India 60 years to start with some small investments in Indian languages.
The Indian education system excludes a vast majority of Indians from the higher education system - which is predominantly in English. This puts a premium on English - and discounts Indian languages in the educational sweepstakes. The disadvantaged students who have studied in Indian languages ensure that their children get the ‘advantage’ of English education.
The negative effect this on Indian self esteem is not even a point of discussion here.
The principle of exclusion (a colonial idea), is a dominant marker of the entire Indian education system - rather than inclusion. British (and before that, Islamic rulers’) colonial-imperial practices supported foreign languages on the backs of the Indian taxpayers’ contribution - and actively worked on destruction of local cultures.
So, why does contemporary India persist with this policy.
Because all the high and mighty, finally want their children to ‘escape to the West’, with a good education from India - at the cost of India’s poor. This vested interest makes this policy go around.
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