Kolkata is the Mecca of Maithili Movement(Kolkata meetings Nov.28-29,2009 ).” I am neither a leftist or a rightist but a ‘Maithilist’

Kolkata is the Mecca of Maithili Movement(Kolkata meetings Nov.28-29,2009 ).” I am neither a leftist or a rightist but a ‘Maithilist’


Kolkata always excites me for many reasons-it is portal of eastern India I belong and had been most of the part of my time; migrant Maithils had Calcutta, the first destination-one of my uncle was a Vaidya in Kalakar Street till he returned to village; I was married to a Calcutta born Maithil MBBS bride who deserted me and took divorce for no sound reasons; Calcutta had first Medical College and Kolkata is the cheapest city where one can have taste of sweets in few rupees and can have many historic book on the foot paths of College street and so many others that I had some time a fantasy to have lived there.
First I had gone there in 1977 Dec. while going to south first time to serve in the Andhra Cyclone and had been deep in city till Strand Road’s SE Railway office where I was trapped in a lift using first time.
Then I had felt Kolkata ‘a rush’ and that is continued till date however, no one tells us now ‘Hindustani’ which then Bengalis telling us thinking as Hindi speakers.
It took me long to understand that I was not a Hindi speaker rather whole Bengal was my Maithili derivative speaker and when since 1992, I jumped in Maithili movement, I could unfold several pages of our ancestors that ‘Kolkata is the Mecca of Maithili Movement.”

It was Calcutta where Mithilenduji of Habibhaur started Mithila Navyuvak sangh way back in 1930s. He was also working for Maithil Mahasabha started by Darbhanga raj which allowed only Maihtils Brahmins and Karna Kayasthas.
However, when Babu sahib Choudhary of Dularpur(Darbhanga) came he for some instincts, unexplained, enthused by Bengali’s language love probably started a neo-movement collecting all shades of Maithils coming to Girish Park and asking them to join Maithili movement. He was a time -keeper in a private bus and he soon got his friend, also a time-keeper, Devnarayan Jha of Sundarpur( Darbhanga) who was an influential speaker and soon Maithils were united(a bit different from jaipur-Ajmer’rs or Kashi’s who had already lighted candles) and bringing in folds persons like Prof.P.N.Singh and others soon Maithili knocked Sahitya Akademy and that credit goes to Kolkata Maithils that they supplemented Dr.Jaykant Mishra’s wisdom to who had already influenced Nehru in Maihtili’s favour. Kolkata Maithils left no stone unturned influencing Dr.Suniti Kumar Chatturjya, the then President of Sahitya Akademy to have Maithili as one of the languages in 1965.
However Kolkata had already golden page in Maithili’s history where in 1917, Maithili was listed as a subject in MA - thanks to Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee and it could have been due to Babuaji Mishra and one other Thakur(at the moment I am forgetting his name) who were teachers in Calcutta University and fund for the University was provided not by Darbhanga maharaja but by Rajas of Purnea.
I am not intending to write history of Kolkata’s contribution to Maithili which many need many volumes for its completeness rather a link only to my recent visit there during Nov.28-29,2009.
Not that in past I had not such meetings. Many times rather but impressive one was at Muktam Vidya Mandir. Maithils of Kolkata are conscious enough to listen a person like me even then when I was a new comer in this field and hopefully they could judge my work in the intervening years and that was honoured by the garland Ashok Jha,president of Mithila Vikas Parishad offerrd me of fresh Rajanigandhas(so much liked by my ex-wife,Suman) though I feel I am almost like a nagphani(cactus) devoid of the qualities of love and gesture.
Not only I might have been irritating to her- unknowingly even in this meeting I chided a young man not to speak in between when I had already asked them to put questions before I started. He probably can have questions in the end.
In between years I remember once Ashok Jha had organized a press conference for me and might be first time I would have gone on TV due to that.
This time many questions were put before me like what I wanted from Kolkatian Maithils anfd what they would get out of Mithila movement.
Why Tarababu, Baijuji and I are not one platform?
What happened to Maithili teaching in primary schools after writ by Jaikant babu ?
Why Maithili is not spoken in Benipatti regions etc.?

I dealt with the history and necessity of Mithila state in details and said I had no difference with Tarababu or Biju theoretically except of maps(WE in AMP follow Grierson’s a bit enlarged map while Tara bau had left south of Ganga but he had due to his ill health also left the movement in between and is with us in all ways; however with Bbaij we do not agree on making one Mithila(as pre-Sugauli) rather we want Mithila states separately in India and Nepal and further Baijuji’s objectives of Antarrashtriya Maithili sammelan we feel is a copying and fraud when AMP has been doing it since 1993 which was known to him and he could have chosen different words even if he insisted for having such conferences.
AMP has a definite line of action and it is working on village level to build leadership for coming generations.
It was a gala meeting attended by many including- Prof. Shankar Jha(Sajhuar), Ashok Choudhary(Nadiami);Bishnudev Mishra(Sugauna),NK Jha(Ladari),VInay K OPratihast(Hissar),GOPikant Munna(Susali),Vedanand Jha(Navkarhi),Durganand Jha9Baghant),Haribans N.Jha9Paigambarpur),Arun K Jha9Bithauli),Anjay K,Ch.(Jhituki),Jaykrishna ‘Jagat’(Tumaul),Gaurishankar Jha(Damodarpur),Raghunath Ch.(Chahuta0, Ashok K Jha(Loha),S Jha(Barha), A Jha (Barha famous as Netaji somebody had told me in the way while I was asking for his 243, Rabindra Sarni), Vijay Jha(Jajuar), Basukinath Jha(Dulha), Shailendra pathak(Koili Nanpur,Sitamarhi),Satishchandra Jha(Tumaul), Anhay Rai(who signed in Tirhuta of Pariharpur), Premchand Jha(Lagma goimishra0, Vinay Bhushan Thakur(Barhser,Saharsa).
The list gave me remembrance of most of the villages I could see during my Mihtila Jagaran yatra.
I asked them not to think for return from Mithila but as Maithiliputra they should do work for Mithila supplying posters and pamphlets for enumerating Maithili in Census 2011 and for Mithila state. They should give time for Mithila adopting a district or two on the eastern borders or southern boarders pf Mithila which is receding by exploiters on different names.
I said that Maithili teaching etc. can only be done to the satisfaction once Mithila is a state.
I am nether a leftist or a rightist but a ‘Maithilist’ now and I feel regionalism for developing least developed region is the best way of nationalism though I work for National medicos Organisation nationally as well.
It was late and Basuki babu, Vijay and Shailendra were with me in Metro till Kalighat and they had made a social service organization for which I will spare a day any time in future.
Next day too, young Vijay and Shailendra had come to Pradeep Choudhary(AMP, Kokata Secretary’) software office (where I was busy whole day in making a blog on wordpress, on the Username: maithiliparishad at http://wordpress.com
And so I could not go to the rsodence of Sudhakar Jha,ex-ED,SAIL where I had to reside that night nor I could go to meet ailing mother of Prakash N.Jha of Purnea, a veteran Maihtili worker nor I could go to pay my condolences to Mrs Sujit Dhar for demise of Dr. Sujit Dhar, the former National president of NMO.

Next day I was busy as editor of a medical journal in II Assembly of Medical editors of India about which I will write some day but saw Salt Lake City and Science City first time.
In the evening there was as said a meeting in Pradeep’s office where Shailendra,Vijay,reetesh, Mukesh,Rajesh were also present. A meeting with youth filling the quorum of previous meeting. Old guards were restive that Maithili movement in Kolkata will die but no there are young.
And while in bus to Howrah, I met one Mahesh Rai of Ghanshympur leaving in Uttarpada and he promised to work-a coincidence again if it happens so .
I purchased Jagaran, Rajathan patrika where news had appeared, already pradeep had give me Viswmitra(scans will be loaded afterwards) of previous days meeting.
In train took my meal after pradosh packed by Pooja, Pradeep’s wife who had lost her father recently. In the bus from Saltlake I had taken ground nits and in the way to golf club office 3 bananas(which are not so cheap there).
I could reach in time despite Naxal bund reached Ranchi in time.

Dhanakar Thakur