Malayalam -- a classical language ?

       In The Asian Age Teena Thacker reports that Malayalam may get classical language status.
       Maybe a sign that they've gotten a bit too bureaucratic in India, that the government actually meddles in this sort of thing ?
       In any case:

According to the rules laid down by the government, a language can be accorded classical status if it has a history over a period of 1,500-2,000 years, has a body of ancient literature/texts which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers. The criteria for declaration of a language as classical also say that the literary tradition should be original and not borrowed from another speech community and classical language and literature being distinct from modern.

       Malayalam -- spoken mainly in the south Indian state of Kerala, and not to be confused with the very different Malay/sian -- wouldn't be the first to achieve this official status:

Classical language status has already been conferred upon Tamil (2004), Sanskrit (2005), Telugu (2008) and Kannada (2008).

       And what good is that official stamp of classical approval ? Ah, "the classical status will get Central funds for those promoting the language" .....

       There are only three works originally written in Malayalam at the complete review: O.V.Vijayan's novels The Saga of Dharmapuri and The Legends of Khasak, as well as Nrittam (Dance) by Maniyambath Mukundan. Probably not enough for me to get a share of those Central funds, right ?