Maithili’s 2nd official language (Dwitiya Rajbhasha) of Jharkhand demand is for the social status Maithils deserve for its creation and developmen

Maithili’s 2nd official language (Dwitiya Rajbhasha) of Jharkhand demand is for the social status Maithils deserve for its creation and development

Maithili is spoken by around 50 lakhs of Jharkhandis and is a native language of Jharkhand as almost whole area of Santhal pargana speaks the southern dialect of Maithili as per George A Grierson’s linguistic census of 1902.

Some persons have started calling it Angika though historical Ang was Munger where Karn was granted kingdome during Mahabaharata period. At present people of Munger call their dialect as ‘Thethi’ as I had experienced during VIII Maithili Worker’s Training Camp at Kuangarhi (near Tarapur) during Oct. 22-25, 2004 . Area of present Bhagalpur was called Champapur.

Jharkhand’s second language was accepted Urdu on Bihar pattern with no reason to follow that. Here demand for Bangla is also on a wrong notion that 42 per cent of Jharkhandis do speak Bangla.
Maithili has no opposition with Bangla which is Maithili’s daughter language but in the state of Jharkhand Maithili and Santhali’s claims for second language status has higher legal and logical marks than for Bangla and Oriya. AMP also demanded Sanskrit be made as one of the second language of the state.

There was a meeting today for all Maithili organizations of Ranchi on the second language issue. The idea of such a meeting was mooted by Satyendra Mallick who is a social worker since JP agitation day and president of Sanskritik Parishad and Manoj Mishra ,general secretary of Jharkhand Maithili Manch and when they contacted me I happily agreed. In fact I had suggested Manoj sometimes back during release ceremony of annual calendar that being a young and dynamic political worker he should take up such issues for which probably I am not so much fit.

Since I was asked to preside over I asked there views for forming a Sangharsh Samiti but the house was of the opinion that under AMP banner they would represent and I had to accept despite AMP Ranchi’s president B. Jha, retd.GM,HEC’s appeal to accept Sangharsh Samiti.. There were many senior Maithili workers like Subodh Choudhary, Lekhanand Jha, Amarnath Jha Premchand Jha, Arun Jha, Chhatar Singh, IN Bhagat, Asha Devi etc. who spoke from their hearts. The meeting ended with Yatriji’s prathana.


I hinted them that I have already decided to limit my involvements due to many reasons but I will always be to promote Maithili cause. Being in Ranchi,it was my privilege to rejuvenate Vidaypati Smark Samiti which had a long tradition and likewise to organize Harmu’s dyanamic Maithils for Maithili Manch or of Dhurwa’s Maithils and have no organizational preferences for this or that. In any such meeting the idea should be,’ either to lead or follow,’ instead of dissension on this or that point which were endless.
Satyendra Mallick finally spoke his mind in favour of fight under AMP banner which I had to announce as president of the meeting.

True, AMP is a collective forum for all Maithili organizations for such work but we do not want to thrust it and it should be accepted by all by their self will. I announced the names for a coordination committee for this purpose Manoj , Satyendra mallick and Asha Devi as convenors and Dr.Guneshwar Jha, Lekhanand Jha, Subodh Choudhary, Bishwambhar Jha as advisors, of course I will be available whenever asked.

Since Jharkhand Maithili Manch had already planned for a dharna for it in March which was accepted to be held on Friday, March 11 for which Maithili organizations from all over the state would be contacted.

It is a matter of regret that peace lover Maithils are asked to stage Dharna for their natural rites. In every Jharkhand town and cities a sizeable number of Maithili speakers are living and in fact Maithils are more than any regional language or dialect speakers but only because Maithils are not united their language is deprived of the status it deserves and despite being in the VIII Sceduke of Indian Constitution Maithili is yet to be accorded official language status in in its native states(Bihar and Jharkhand).

Hope such a point to point coordination will also embolden Maithils for their other legitimate demands like inclusion in the JPSC and Maithili Academy, Maithili teaching facilities in all colleges and schools, etc.
It is not mere a demand for some gains but for the social status Maithils do deserve in this state which they should be given for working sincerely for its creation and development. Let me remind that Maithils have been with the demand of the formation of Jharkhand state which is on record in newspapers and we have always been part and parcel of its evolution.