Nashik, February 27 Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Friday that efforts will be made to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the development of the Marathi language and to promote it on a global stage.
In his inaugural address at the 4th World Marathi Conference here, the CM also said that a language laboratory will be created for schools to develop communication skills among students, and that, through this, everyone living in Maharashtra will be able to speak and understand Marathi.
"Simply celebrating the language will not ensure its survival. When it becomes a language of livelihood alongside a language of knowledge, it will survive. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has created many challenges and opportunities. But despite that, it cannot pose a challenge to a classic language because AI is machine-fed literature. It does not have originality," he said.
"We can use AI as a platform for development. The Marathi language department will need to think about how AI can help in the development of Marathi so that it can be taken to more people at the global level," he added.
Fadnavis said that people from the US, Germany, Norway, France, the Netherlands, and other countries have come here for the conference, adding that all the participants are ambassadors of Marathi and Maharashtra in their respective countries.
Fadnavis praised Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Veer Savarkar for their contribution to the language.
"Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj taught us the importance of language purification. He created the 'Rajkosh' dictionary of words to run the administration when the language was influenced by Urdu, Farsi, Arabic, and other languages. Savarkar did the same in the post-independence era. The words 'Mahapaur' (mayor) and 'Vidhan Sabha' (legislative assembly) were coined by Savarkar," he said.
He said that the plan was to organize the fourth World Marathi Conference in a foreign country, but Marathi language minister Uday Samant wanted it to be organized here.
"I urge him to organize the next conference in Vidarbha, and then it will be held in a foreign country," the CM said.
Fadnavis also said that some people protested over the issue of onion prices while his convoy was on its way to the venue.
He said that the Mahayuti government will take all efforts to give onion cultivators relief.
During the inaugural ceremony, veteran litterateur Dr Bhalchandra Nemade was honoured with the 'Sahitya Bhushan Award', Srinivas Vinayak Kulkarni with the 'Vinda Karandikar Lifetime Achievement Award', and Shantibrahma Guruvarya Maruti Baba Kurekar with the special award of the 4th Vishwa Marathi Sammelan.
"We have given awards to such people who have increased the value of these awards. I thank Kurekar Maharaj for accepting the award as he is above all awards. Nemade has taken human feelings to us through his literature. He gave new wings to the pride of Marathi people. Every awardee added something in his way for the growth of Marathi," Fadnavis asserted.
In her address, deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar stressed the need for Marathi to become the language of livelihood alongside a language of knowledge.
Speaking on the occasion, industries and Marathi language minister Uday Samant offered tribute to Ajit Pawar by mentioning that the departed leader, as deputy CM and finance minister, increased the budget of the Marathi department from Rs 65 crore to Rs 265 crore.
Samant also said that the first phase of Marathi Bhasha Bhavan in Mumbai will be completed by February 2027.
A global centre in the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will be established in London, while a Marathi Translation Committee in the name of the late Yashwantrao Chavan will be re-established in the next three months, Samant added.
Earlier in the day, a procession of books was taken out to celebrate the language. It began from the residence of Dnyanpeeth Award winner poet and Nashik's own VV Shirwadkar alias Kusumagraj. Thousands of citizens and students participated in this procession.
The procession, which started from Kusumagraj's residence, culminated at the venue of the conference. Vintage cars were also an attraction of the event.
