Wednesday, February 23, 2011

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.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Varanasi, BHU, and Me

Varanasi, BHU, and Me



Varanasi is said to be on the trishool of Lord Shiva and probably for me is the city which had changed the course of my life.

The dates (4-6,1977; 18-21.12.1984; 21.9.199; 5.11.2001; 30.4.2002, 10-16.1.2003; 23.8.2003, 9.2.2006, 13.11.2008, 20.12.2008; 29.1.2009; 13.1.2010; 1.3.2010, 20.2.2011) when I had been there, starting from my 22nd year when I had gone there to found the National Medicos Organisation to 20.2.2011 when I was there amongst a galaxy of Maithil teachers and students for rejuvenating Mithila Manch.

Maithili was taught there as a subject in the BHU till 1940s and still students from Mithila celebrate Saraswati Puja.

I reached there and went to meet them and had a small reunion and we exchanged pir views on Mithila and Maithili.

I was surprised to note that the institution of pristine glory has been made a dumb by officialdom and felt it was insult of Mahamana’s ideas of rejuvenating India.

There are some 83 hostels named on various great persons and places of importance which need a Hostel day dedicated to that name and in fact round the year there should be functions in the evening where anybody should be allowed to speak on that place and or person’s glory and idea for developing our nation.

Making a graduate was not aimed by Mahamana who had asked my father about the rituals of Mithila when he had visited Bikaner’s Brahmcharyashram in 1920s.



We must acknowledge the contribution of KHV(BHU) in the social and political life of India and should encourage freedom of thought there.

I am rather surprised to know that people do equate student union election with party politics and goondagardi which probably forced management to shun that but that will be counterproductive in the encd.

After all these young boys and girls will shape the destiny of our motherland and above 18 the students have a voting right also. CEC wants it to be reduced to 16 which may be controversial but university teachers are not like other government servants must be thought of. They are to i8nculcate a sense of nationalism and values of democracy among the students which cannot be unless chance was given.

I was surprised when a young student asked me as to when and how Mithila state can be made as he wanted to choose politics as his career.

Politics is not the political science but ramifications are there and a good teacher should fearlessly prompt up such young to shoulder the responsibility of nation which will add to the glory pf the institutions as well.

I suggested the boy ,’ those who think for nation, devote their lives and it takes generation at least(27 years) to have a change(it is not like sowing seed of any vegetable or planting a fruit yielding tree.(Saag ke lie kucch mahine, fal ke vrikshke liye kuchh saal , rastranirmanke liye jinding lagaini hogi) and as such I have been working for Mithila’s statehood since 1992, maybe a further work for 10 years(by youth) may yield the fruit.

Having one more state or some states would not be detrimental to national unity rather would add to that as India has been defined in our Constitution as Union of States.

How the states be formed? Let us discuss and I had given them a plan for national reorganization (2.5 to 5 percent of area and or population keeping a base) and Mithila fits that for which if some student takes up subject on my contribution for Mithila’s statehood demand probably many papers will come out of national importance( probably I am the most traveled person in country, at my own expense, at least),



I am always caught by the serene campus of the BHU where I could not go for study due to my ill health in 1970 li9ke my father too had returned even taking his admission there in 1930s .

I do not know whether there was any hostel named as Mithila and many on many of its great sons and daughters and many shrines and rivers there which has contributed to the fullness of Indian diasporas but surely some I passed like Thygraja, I felt Mahakavi Vidyapati was like him and can be discussed in any such festive day. I talked with students on contribution of Mithila starting from Vishwamitra’s Gayatri and Balmiki’s Ramayana to Gautam’s Nyaya, and different branch of logic.. and distinctiveness of Maihtili language to which some teachers added that it was the sweetest language of the world- the polite, more polite than japanese and Koreans..

Here ‘Tu, Tonhe,’ is spoken not for disrespect but for telling them closer to the caller..as to God and Mother.

In Mithila a little child is called,”Anha (equivalent to Aap)..

BHU needs discussion on such marvel aspects of Mithila as a series of lectures. I hope someday t will be done and that was the idea of my short visit,

Let me remind it was Maharaja of Darbhanga who had presided over the meeting of Rajas of all over India for donation to make university where Gandhiji had spoken first in India after he had returned from Africa. When Gandhiji had asked kings to give their golden clothes as charity there was a furor and an unknown Gandhi was about to be sent to jail as if he had made disrespect to kings assembled there.



Varanasi has so many things to visit but this time I could not go to Lord of the world..(jagdeeshwara) and Sankatmochjan as I had little time.



I came railway station in time but my train was delayed for three hours and in my lifetime first time I saw that my train already started from platform was halted at next signal and was brought back on the same platform to give pass to other train(Farakka) whicvh was also an express only! It is possible in India only and that too in Varanasi.

Anyway I reached Ranchi 3 hours late- better for me instead 415 AM chilly time to 730 AM!
































Dr. Dhanakar Thakur
Spokesman,
Antarrashtriya Maithili Parishad

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Prayag (Allahabad) Maghmela 2011

Prayag (Allahabad) Maghmela 2011

The woods are lovely dark and deep
....
Miles to go before I sleep..
Though I discontinued my padyatra from Koilakh in 1993 my , yatra is continuing amid sorrows and despair..

While writing my diary for Feb.12,2011, I could relate the meaning of
“Bhel prat lagi gel lohi
Ram, Ram kay chalal Batohi
He Hari madhav bhetab kanha
Ganga Jamuna sang me janha,,”

I listened to it from my father in 1960s at Forbesganganj(araria) where I born in 1955. He used to say this in the early chilly winter morning(Lohi.. is fog) and at times used to ask a vender to have chhola for us..

I had uttered this song many times in past but could know only today that the pilgrims from Mithila used to go to Prayag(Allahabad or Alla bad where God resides) on the sangam of Triveni(Ganga, Jamuna and antahsalila, not seen but internally connected Sarswati)..

Sarsawati is the mystical river of which telescopic pictures obtained and analyzed for which Wakankar, a RSS activist who was awarded Padmashree even during national emergency of 1975.. Sindhu Valley civilization was in fact Saraswati valley civilization.

Then Himalaya was in fact a salty lagoon in several rivers drained (from south to north as opposite to now, only one Jhaggar in afganistan is draing that way still)
Geological changed did erected Himalayas and rivers became southwards to the oceans( Sindhu sagar/ Arabian sea and Gangasagar to bay of Bengal)..

Hindus had Triveni in mind and they use to have a kalpwas(one month stay at the Triveni bank in tents0 in Magh(Jan-Feb) since time immemorial..

I had snan and sandhyabandan and tarpan there and within 30 minutes of notice by Bablood Pandit of Maithils there in the Maithilwada so called because some 200-300 small tents had almost all Maithils from Madhubani, Darbhanga, Samastipur and Saharsa to quote a few I could know ..
I was a preacher..though not a sain..
There were ladies mostly aged and some young..

One of them from Chikana village of Madhubani district Nirupa Devi shoed Mithila Samad from Kolkata, Maithili’s only daily in which her writing was also published.

One of the retired person from saharsa’s bangaon knew my mother’s maternal uncles..and he was very much sorry that ground work was not done for Mithila movement.
Some others too took my phone number and gave theirs when I said I wished to go their village if they called me.

One of the old lady was also expecting some help(financial)..
I was in dhoti and was in a preaching mood with a mix of Maithili’s enumeration in cesus as mother tongue and among two other languages Sanskrit and Hindi.

I pointed out that Rishi Yajnavalkya had come for such a maghmela and use to listen to Rishi Bhardwaj’s Ramkatha..and when sankranti came(like today) and he was to depart Rishi Bhardwaj clasped feet of Yajnyavlakya and requested him to deliver Ramkatha which has been written in Ramcharitmanas by Goswami Tulsidas..

I explained them the awatar’s and in Mithila(like Narsingh at Sikaligh_Dharhara near Banmankhi in Purnea) which I could know at Porbandar’s Bharat mata mandir..(and in a train a village old lady had told me the place when I enquired that) and later I visited there..

I counted many shrines like Phulhar(Girijasthan) where Seeta saw Lord Ram first(near Basopatti from where village Fent one person was there in the audience)..and so I narrated my view that beng one arm of Bhagwati fallen in Mithila we are not vammargi as in Patnadevi Her one of thighs had fallen which are shaktipeeth( below naval parts.. Vammargis)..

I also sang my Maithili rendering of Jagjanani Jay Jay and Jay Ambe Gauri..

In fact I had promised Swami Chidatmanananad of Simariaghat that I would speak in Maghmela,Mithilak Bhartiya sanskritime avadan” during 12-12 February but when I contacted on Feb.10, iwas informed that it was preponed to Feb.9-11 and my ticket was for Feb.12 which I thought still to utilize with the help of Vidhuynath Mishra (grandson of MM Umesh Mishra) who had contacted at Maithilwada..

In 2010 also I had gone to this Maghmela but could not find Swami Chidatmananada’s tents but had only snan and then had gone to meet Jaykant Mishra(son great uMesh Mishra) but he had been shifted to his residence where I had his last darshan and he expired only after two days..What a coincidence..again on Feb.12, his statue was to be inaugurated at Gajhara in Mithila and I was at his karmbhoomi Prayag whith his nephew Vidhukant Mishra..

The journey to Allahabad was also educative. From Mugalsarai I took weekly Bikaner superfast in which had not many passengers. I found one Youngman smoking and I changed to other coach where I was introduced to a Rajasthani Vijay Singh Duggar from Rajalsesar who though worked at Kolkata was a frequent visitor to his native village which has now a population of some 75000. He informed me that at Kolkata almost every village had a group and so at other cities and they use to make public schools, roads, dispensaries and hand over to Government. The development of villages were due to those non-residents, Whether Maithils can do that. Now people do not migrate from Rajasthan villages because it has water and cash criops. It needed to be replicated by Maithils also.

And similarly whether maithils can leave ‘service orientation,?” A Marwadi does not go for menial work. In GD Birla’s time every person coming from’Desh(Rajasthan) was immediately given a job(now they too ask for merit etc?)

A marwadi will do job of high quality only otherwise business. He had low opinion for Sindhis as they were to earn anyhow. He quoted one person Bhaiji of Sardarshahar who had not evben a kg of suigar from PDS shop(Kota) not to talk of any unaccounted money though had kilos of gold..

Duggar was knowing many persons of my town Fornesganj(and base sardasahar where my uncle had been) and named a few of them which I also knew like ‘Raka Vastralaya.
He had traveled from Nepalganj to0 Biratnagar in neal and had many memores to share.
He was a Terapanthi follower Jain and explained me about the genesis of them and of others like 22 panthis ,etc. which I had little information. Now he devoted his time for religious organization and would go for a padyatra with his Jaini swami at his native after attending last rites of one of his relatives.

I told that I consider Jains also Hindus as they believe on ‘AUM.”
They are nastk only because they did not follow Vedas otherwise they are like us , the Samnatanis.

In my return jouney, Vidhuji dropped me at Rambagh(Allahabad city) station for Bibhuti Expres which was almost vacant. One young student of fine arts from BHU had told me many things about idols. He had come for duplicate admit card for teachers examination. He had spent one night in maghmela in any akhada oine can have free food and shelter,if you have a blanket. He had enjoyed some pravachan and Ramleela in the night and had bath in chilly water in early morning in the sangam. What devotion he had- a boy from Sheduled Csate(even me, a Brahmin had not of that temper!). I had asked his caste in fact when he said that his younger brother of calss VIII had gone out of room in his absence and never returned, I thought whether he had been a saint! Or he met with any accident! His father was a farmer. If I see that bearded Fine Arts boy anytime I will recognize.

And there came a girl of teen who was alone without a ticket as if going to her home Luckisarai in a suspense. At Luckisarai though train stopped, I found her at next station Kiul sleeping with blanket on her mouth when after ticket and a lot of wandering I had come to sit at a place. I thought it was she though she may be different!

There was a bit rush in Muzaffarpur-Bhagalpur intercity and a young boy was objected by some one whom I chided. This is normal happening in that part, people do not want to cooperate.

Ang _Mithila samanvay: demand of time 13.2.2011, Putak Mela, Bhagalpur)

Ang _Mithila samanvay: demand of time 13.2.2011, Putak Mela, Bhagalpur)

When I got down Bhagalpur early morning it was Bhagalpur without Vinay Tarun..who had met with a fatal rail accident on June 23rd at Nathnagar.
I had no way initially to go and thought to be ready at station itself and go to book fair directly but later I changed my mind and phoned my mother’s sister’s son and went to his house and became ready and talked with many for the meeting at Pustak Mela.

‘Mithila Ang Samnway-Demand of Time,’ was a topic chosen by me and Narendra K Jha, the convener of Pustak mela had done a lot of publicity. At due time only few came- one was president of Maithuili Parishad, Bhagalpur( Vivekanand Jha who later presided symposia). Maithili Parishad people had some feeling about my work that ot was political which I had clarified to Dasji( who was introduced to me by Vinay) on phone and he was at Bhopal.
In the meeting many persons spoke.

Shri Narendra K. Jha informed that Nagri pracharini sabha had first book fair in Bihar in 1913 at Bhagalpur.
Shri Kailash Thakur, ex-jt.commissioner, spoke about Vikramshila’s great contribution and demanded sub-capital status of Bihar to Bhagalpur.
Shri Nabonath Jha said Angika is sahchari of Maithili and the demand is genuine.
Dr. Kailsh Jha, president, Brahmin Sabha spoke in Angika said that there was not much difference with Maithili ,only pronunciation is changed. He said Mithila was more ancient (TretaYug) than Ang (Dwapar Yug).

Shri shardanand Jha said- Vidaypati had written, Tunhe je kaahe gauda, Hame kena nachab! ‘ Is just the Angika spoken today!

Dr. Shiv Prasad Yadav, HOD, Maithili demanded Maithili’s State language status in Bihar and transmission language of All India Radio’s Maithil’s centrea,
The programme was scholarly conducted by Shri premchandra Jha.
It was attended by Prof.Ugramohan jha, Prof,Ramsevak singh, Mahesh jha, and many seniors.
Dr.Rekha Jha spoke very well. She contradicted one speakers’ view that from Pashupatinath to Baidyanath one Mithila should be. She asked to unite us for the cause of Mithila and Maithili.to be united and then only we can prosper. She appreciated people of Darbhanga that they speak Maithili in shops and street which she appreciated while she was studying there.

I had spoken just before her and though was afraid of missing my train I deliberated mainly economic loss to Bhaglpur region while presently in Bihar. Banka had only one computer centre for BPL students while Nalands 9 and Patna 70?

I asked Ang people to come in Mithila, the land of Janki8 than in Bihar of Jarasandh.
Ganga water is of Mithila region and they can utilize that otherwise Mithila can not allow free access and also the STs(Santhals) will get full reserved seats which now go to Chhotanagpur tribal.

And after 50 years Mithila may again be bifurcated and Ang created which will not be possible if they remain in Bihar.

I replied to query of Dr.Rekha that whether Bihar remains of few districts or a UT of Patna was not my concern. I wish Mithila(and also Magadh and Bhojpur) to come up in the map and I sincerely request all Angwasi to be in Mithila.

I saluted late Vinay who had taken me to Ang youth for a talk. I had phoned to maker of Ang diagrme pandeyji who did not come to share atill such a talk need continued.
I had spokejn that if Ang diagrame has upto Supaul(though thast is Angartup- north of Anga as per Buddhist Majjhimkai) let Mithilka;s capital in their map- be at Saharsa or barauni which we maithils will agree happily or they have a Ang state with capital at Madhubani or Darbhanga,,(Ang map has minus Darbhanga and Tirhut commissionaires all areas upto Devghr and also Giridih).

Languages should unite us not divide I spoke with stress and read out census message in different dialects of Maithili(including Angika) and promised welfare and prospersity of Ang in Mithila far better than they could dream in Bihar.

President Vivekand Jha spoke well and it was sure that I will miss my train as driver of Narendrababu could not be spotted and medico of JLNMC who had come to meet me had gone to college for a bike; luckily I got a rickshaw who took only 20 minutes and I could get departing train remembering Vinay Tarun whi used to be ready with his bike to see me off and to round areas up to Munger. A loss irreparable! I had not taken Farakka train previous day in which he was killed. Mithila-Ang unity, if happens will remember him long.