India
Mahagathbandhan renews call for ‘official language’ status for Bhojpuri | India News – Times of India
Leaders of the RJD, Congress and CPI(ML) Liberation, all members of the Mahagathbandhan have promised to raise the issue in Parliament.
This renewed impetus came after the Union Cabinet’s decision to grant classical language status to Marathi, Bengali, Pali, Prakrit and Assamese, in addition to the previously recognized Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia.
CPI(ML) Liberation’s Lok Sabha MP Sudama Prasad highlighted the significant use of Bhojpuri in several Bihar districts and parts of Jharkhand. Prasad wondered, “Why is the Center silent on the inclusion of Bhojpuri in the Eighth schedule of the Constitution?”
Currently, the 8th Schedule of the Constitution includes 22 languages. Initially it listed 14 languages, and over time 8 more were added.
The Home Ministry mentions that 38 more languages, including Bhojpuri, have been proposed for inclusion.
Prasad called on the Bihar government to formally request the central government for the official language status of Bhojpuri. “We will raise this issue in the upcoming session of parliament,” he added.
RJD’s Buxar MP Sudhakar Singh accused the NDA governments at both state and central levels of neglecting Bhojpuri speakers. “We demand immediate inclusion of Bhojpuri in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution,” Singh said.
Highlighting the long-standing nature of this demand, Congress leader Sanjay Kumar Tiwary alias Munna Tiwary said, “Scheduled status brings certain benefits to a language. It makes it mandatory for the government to take steps for the development of a planned language so that it grows and becomes an effective means of communication in due course.”
In response, Bihar Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said claims for official language status must be backed by facts.
“No one can deny official language status to any language if the demand is based on substantial facts,” Chaudhary said.
