This Diwali, despite its being historically significant, in view of Ayodhya celebrating Diwali with an unprecedented gloss and gaiety, the entire Mithila today, notwithstanding the ostensible, celebratory environment all around, suffers another serious mortification of being denied the privileged eligibility of Maithili, their language, being declared as a ‘ classical’ language, especially when its progenies like Bengali, Oriya and Assamese having being designated as classical– constitutes as much a serious indictment of the state of Bihar, as it is the vindication of intellectual hibernation of Maithils whose raison d’etre and summum bonum has become scathingly egotistical today.
Vivekanand Jha, Ranchi. How long will Mithila suffer the utter humiliation of being denied its due, for being the pioneer civilisation on earth, to have bestowed upon the world the priceless knowledge of ‘ Brahman, the Consciousness, which illuminates the universe? I ruefully pondered, on reading the news in The Hindu and, that too, on the sanctity of the occasion of Diwali. Regrettably, The Hindu, invariably and irreversibly establishes the fact in the public domain how government of Bihar, in the Machiavellian mindset, continues to suppress the profound urge and aspiration of Maithils, ever since the genuine aspirations of Maithils to have their own independent state was illegitimately and irrationally denied by the Union Government, especially when Mithila, more than any states carved out of their mother states, fulfilled the criteria as laid down by the State Reorganization Act, 1956. Significantly, notwithstanding the intermittent feeble voice raised by certain section of inhabitants of the state, the demand for the statehood of Mithila–both in India as well as Nepal- failed to gather steam to a degree it was desirable for a mass movement. Unfortunately, the sporadic protests emanating from certain pockets of Mithila– despite their demonstrations in Jantar Mantar in Delhi, time and time again–the movement remained confined to a small section of people, with the majority of inhabitants remaining apathetic to it. Apparently, the enthusiasm of a section of people, who began with a bang, finally ended with a whimper. The fringe voice of a section of enlightened people, failed to enlist the voice of the masses, resulting in Mithila’s genuine aspirations to have the new state carved out, fell into the deaf ears. Paradoxically, the tribals of Jharkhand, far less educated, yet highly culturally alert, had their aspirations fulfilled–
Jharkhand was carved out of United Bihar– yet, the unfortunate Maithils, straddling India and Nepal–continue to be denied their legitimate aspirations.
Significantly, Mithila has an illustrious history over thousand years, if its rich literature is taken at the face value, and if Bhagavad Gita is taken as an abiding evidence, Mithila existed since Treta Yuga when Sita, Kishorijee, consecrated the Punyabhoomi of Mithila by Her divine birth in Janakpur. Unequivocally, whereas Bihar as a state, was born in the year 1,912, carved out of the Bengal Presidency, Mithila has been existing since tens of thousands of years. Ironically, Mithila, with such rich and illustrious pedigree, where there was hardly any cultural affinity with Bihar, was expediently sought to be hooked on to the bandwagon of Bihar, was a Himalayan injustice meted out to the people of Mithila. And all this was feasible on account of the docile characteristics Maithils; they seldom rebelled against this grave injustice done, for the government of Bihar, with all its inherent hostility, would continue to deny Maithils their place under the sun. Their timeless cultural essence, with the passage of time, will fall casualty to antagonistic mindset of those presiding over the destiny of Bihar. Little wonder then the leadership falling in the hands of those having an antithetical mindset towards Mithila, will not allow the glory of Mithila and Maithili to persist; Mithila, those governing Patna, persisted with the sole agenda to ensure Mithila losing its quintessential part of its cultural gravity, for the glory of Mithila caused revulsion in the hearts and minds of rulers in Patna.
With the benefits of hindsight, the antagonistic mindset of politicians from outside Mithila, was evident when Maithili as a language, was removed from the syllabus of BPSC. This was deliberately done to ensure that lesser number of students qualify from Mithila in bureaucratic positions. However, after the massive protests unleashed by the inhabitants of Mithila against this arbitrary move, finally Maithili was included in the syllabus of BPSC. Worse still, Maithili, despite being the mother of such vernaculars as Bengali, Oriya, Assamese etc, since a long period of time, was not included in the eighth schedule of Indian Constitution, which recognises the official languages of India. However, the agitation of Maithils for recognising Maithili as the official language of India, finally attained fruition: Maithili became a part of the eighth schedule of Indian Constitution.
The latest blow struck to Maithili language by the Government of Bihar by withholding its recommendation to Central Government for Maithili being promoted as the classical language, is the glaring indictment of the government of Bihar going gung ho to put obstacles on its way towards its greater recognition which this grand language all along deserves( The report in The Hindu articulates the fact of the government of Bihar’s shenanigans to prevent Maithili’s most deserving elevation) Evidently, Maithili is the only language in Bihar, which has only scores of dialects. Small wonder then, the government of Bihar, which is headed by non- Maithils, where Maithils only play the obsequious role for their personal self- aggrandizement, is highly prejudiced against Maithili gaining traction or greater mobility or recognition. Thus this blatant act of prejudice openly exhibited against Maithili language, is the humiliation meted out to the inhabitants of Mithila, whose scathing egotism is preventing them from beholding how their mother Maithili is being subjugated and strangled by the very government they have been voting for. Regrettably, when Maithili could have brought glory to the entire state of Bihar, putting it to abeyance, when its recommendation was absolutely in the larger interest of the state, smacks of the conspiracy to strangle the ascendancy of Mithila and Maithili as the crowning glory of Bihar. Significantly, the mischief against Maithils in Nepal too is explicit: how Pradesh 2, which legitimately should have been designated as Mithila, was named as Madhesh, an open humiliation for Maithils in Nepal.
The nation today is celebrating an unprecedented Diwali: Sri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya bears a living testimony of the same. In fact, Diwali is celebrated to usher in light and banish darkness all around. Nonetheless the discriminatory treatment, a deliberate denial of the rights to Maithili by the Government of Bihar, by withholding the recommendation of Maithili language as a classical language, exposes Nitish Kumar government of step motherly treatment meted out to the inhabitants of Mithila. This is an open slap in the face of Maithils; they are made to realise that they seldom count in the statistical permutation and combination of the leaders ruling Patna today. Unequivocally then, when Maithils will be celebrating Diwali, they should keep in mind how their mother tongue has been given a deliberate shrift; how their collective identity of Maithils being condescendingly given a decent burial. This Diwali should engender the new awakening of Maithili Consciousness, where Maithils –in both India and Nepal– should note that their very ‘ Asmita’ is in jeopardy and they should rise to the occasion to extract their pound of flesh.
Vivekanand Jha is an author of The Living Legends of Mithila–a trilogy.
The Living Legends of Mithila–part 2 is on the verge of Publication. The Living Legends of Mithila–part 1 was published in the year 2017.
He is also an Author, Academician and a Public Intellectual.
