Language politics flares up in Jharkhand over PSC notification

Ranchi, Feb 13 Language row has sparked protests in Jharkhand ranging from burning of effigies, forming human chains, people taking to the streets and a call for gherao of the Legislative Assembly.

Political parties are also trying to use the protest in their favour. The most strange thing is that leaders within the state's three largest parties Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress are divided into two factions on regional languages list. And it is the youths who are facing the brunt as they have been eyeing the state government jobs. Several examinations for the government jobs have been stalled due to the language row.

The row revolves around the issue whether Bhojpuri, Maghi, Urdu and Angika should be included in the regional languages lis for the third and fourth grade jobs.

The state government has announced a policy and the third and fourth grade jobs have been divided into two categories state level and district level.

The government has included Bhojpuri, Maghi, Urdu and Angika in the list of regional languages for examinations held through Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission, while excluded the said languages for government jobs on competitive exams at the state level.

In the second category, that is district level, for the third and fourth grade jobs, regional languages list is different according to which some districts have included Bhojpuri, Maghi and Angika in it.

Urdu has been given the status of a regional language in all 24 districts of the state.

The government had passed a notification on December 23, 2021 after which protests erupted.

Political parties and organisations which are opposing the said languages are saying that the origin of these languages is Bihar and their inclusion in Jahrkhand will adversely impact job prospects of the tribals and the people of Jharkhand. People who have come from Bihar will get jobs in Jharkhand, they say.

Senior leader of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and state Education Minister Jagarnath Mahto has been vocal on the issue. He has sought the exclusion of the said languages from the list.

Mahto said he had spoken to Chief Minister Hemant Soren in this regard. All JMM members and ministers are of the same view except Minister Mithilesh Thakur who had in August 2021, written to the Chief Minister demanding the inclusion of Maghi and Bhojpuri in regional languages list.

Thakur had batted for his demand saying that if Maghi and Bhojpuri will not be included in the regional languages list, then job aspirants of Palamu, Garhwa, Latehar, Chatra, Hazaribagh, Dhanbad, Koderma will not get equal opportunities as the said languages are prominently used in these districts.

The Chief Minister also personally doesn't consider Bhojpuri and Maghi as state's regional languages. In September, 2021, Soren in an interview had said that during agitation for creation of Jharkhand as a separate state from Bihar, Bhojpuri speaking people had abused the protesters and misbehaved with women. The statement of the chief minister has created a furore in the state.

In the present circumstances, the supporters of Hemant Soren are shocked as Bokaro and Dhanbad are witnessing strong protest demonstrations in this context.

The Congress, which is an ally in the Jharkhand government, also has split into two factions over the issue. Many of the lawmakers say that exclusion of these languages will have detrimental effect as the state is having a large number of Bhojpuri and Maghi speaking people, and losing their support could harm the party's political prospects.

A delegation of Congress lawmakers met the Chief Minister and apprised him of the issue and expressed their concern on it. on the other hand, Dr Rameshwar Oraon, a senior leader of the Congress, and MLA Bandhu Tirkey does not consider the said languages as the regional languages. The party has till date not come up with its 'official' stand.

Recently, Congress state chief Ramesh Thakur during a press conference had stated that the government will take a decision keeping public sentiments in mind.

Leaders of the main opposition in the state, BJP also have dissimilar views on the issue.

Saffron party's bigwigs like Arjun Munda and Babulal Marandi are mum on the issue while party MP Bidyut Baran Mahto and other leaders last week met President Ram Nath Kovind and submitted a memorandum seeking exclusion of Bhojpuri, Maithli, Angika and Urdu and inclusion of state's nine tribal languages in the regional languages list.

Ranchi MLA and former minister C.P. Singh, MLAs Raj Sinha, Neera Yadav, Bhanu Pratap Sahi, Anant Ojha, Biranchi Narayan and Manish Jaiswal are for inclusion of Maghi and Bhojpuri and had staged demonstrations in the state's legislative Assembly.

The BJP is also not being able to take a clear stand on the issue but is unanimously protesting the inclusion of Urdu in regional languages list in all districts of the state.

AJSU has called for gherao of the Legislative Assembly on March 7 to press for the exclusion of Bhojpuri and Maghi from the regional languages list.

CPI(ML) has also staged protests at Ranchi, Bagodar and other places to press for inclusion of only state's original languages in the regional languages list.

All political parties are weighing the pros and cons of their move. In tribal-dominated Lok Sabha and Assembly seats, people are generally against Bhojpuri, Maghi and Angika. On the other hand, of the 24 districts in the state, 14-15 districts have a large number of Bhojpuri, Maghi and Angika speaking people.

The BJP and Congress are aware of the fact that protesting against inclusion of these languages can upset their political prospects in elections.

Recently, the government has invited applications for graduate state level competitive examinations against which a PIL has been filed challenging its rules.