Call for revival of Maithili Academy grows louder

A decision to intensify the agitation to restore glory of Maithili, which has been included under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, was taken on Monday, after a day-long dharna by Maithili language lovers at Gardhanibagh on Sunday

Linguaphiles and linguistics of Maithili are up in arms again over the neglect of their language and resolved to launch the statewide campaign if the state government refused to revive the Maithili Academy, which is in a shambles for the past few years.

Maithili language lovers and literary personalities protest against the neglect of Maithili Academy at Gardanibagh in Patna on Monday. (Santosh Kumar/HT)

A decision to intensify the agitation to restore glory of Maithili, which has been included under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, was taken on Monday, after a day-long dharna by Maithili language lovers at Gardhanibagh on Sunday.

Treasurer of Maithili Sahitya Sansthan Shiv Kumar Mishra said that the institution has decided to sensitise the Maithili speaking people on the issue and thereby mount pressure on the government to restore working of Maithili and other regional language academies.

The Maithili Academy, which was set up in 1976 during the stint of Jagannath Mishra as the chief minister, has been virtually shut down after transfer of its sole working staff, a clerk, Govind Jha, just before the assembly elections. Two peons, who were posted in the academy, were shifted to LN Mishra Institute by the education department earlier this year. There has been no full time director or executive committee for the academy, which was once formed as an autonomous institution

Shiv Kumar Mishra said that the academy was formed with the objective of preserving, promoting and publishing research on the Maithili language, literature and culture. “For decades, the academy carried out significant work — publishing over 213 books, many of which received Sahitya Akademi awards. These books were used in university curricula and were helpful in preparing for examinations like UPSC and BPSC. This gave Maithili a strong identity not only in Bihar but also at the national level,” added Mishra.

However, in recent years, the academy’s condition has deteriorated significantly. Due to lack of government grants and staffing issues, the academy’s office has remained closed for several months, which Maithili enthusiasts criticize as a “lockout.” Functionaries of the Chetna Samiti, who staged the dharna demanding restoration of pristine status of the academy, said that Maithili did not get its full honour from the state despite being recognised as a language.

Shiv Kumar Mishra said that the government should fulfil the objectives for which the Maithili Academy was established, and if it is not capable, it should hand the academy to Chetna Samiti, an institution dedicated to the cause of Maithili language and culture. He blamed the elected representatives from Mithila region for the neglect of the Maithili language and urged the people to ensure their social boycott.

Other Maithili litterateurs, academics and activists present at the dharna also put forward a memorandum of their demands, which include, re-establish the Maithili Academy as an independent institution, providing adequate budget and form a full-time committee, restoration of the stalled work due to shortage of staff and empowering it to fulfil the objectives of the Maithili Academy’s establishment.

State BJP chief and Darbhanga MLA Sanjay Saraogi said that he was aware about pathetic conditions of the Maithili Academy and hence wrote a letter to chief minister Nitish Kumar to take urgent measures to restore the glory of the institutions.