Patna, Oct 28 (PTI) The INDIA bloc manifesto for the Bihar assembly polls, released on Tuesday, promised to take initiatives to ensure that the Centre grants official language status to Bhojpuri, Magahi, Bajjika and Angika.
“Initiatives will be taken to include the Bhojpuri, Magahi, Bajjika and Angika languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution so that they can be accorded the status of official languages,” the manifesto said.
Bhojpuri, which is widely popular, is deeply rooted in the soil of the districts of Bhojpur, Rohtas, Kaimur, Buxar, Saran, East and West Champaran, Gopalganj, Siwan and Jehanabad districts of Bihar.
Bajjika, similar to Maithili, is the language of people living in the northwest Bihar areas of Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, West Champaran and Sheohar.
Magahi is the language of the people of Magah, formerly known as Magadha, which emerged as a small kingdom around its capital Girivraja (now Rajgir) in central Bihar. It is spoken in Gayaji, Patna, Jehanabad, Aurangabad, Nalanda, Nawada, Sheikhpura, Arwal, Lakhisarai, Jamui and some parts of Banka district.
Angika is mainly spoken in southeastern Bihar, including most of Munger, the whole of Bhagalpur division and some southeastern parts of Purnia division.
Speaking to PTI, “The NDA government in Bihar, as well as at the Centre, are meting out step-motherly treatment to Bhojpuri, Magahi, Bajjika and Angika languages. Neither BJP’s top leaders, nor ruling JD(U) leaders, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, are uttering even a single word about granting official language status to these languages.” “This is sheer injustice to the electors who speak these languages,” CPI(ML) Liberation MLA from Dumraon assembly seat in Buxar district, Ajeet Kumar Singh, said. PTI PKD ACD
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