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Infringement On Rights Of Adivasis: Why Are People Protesting In Jharkhand Over Languages?
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Jharkhand, 15 Feb 2022 11:44 AM GMT
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Creatives : Ratika Rana
Her primary objective is to inform, promote, educate and cultivate readers through writing.
The agitations have been mostly seen in Bokaro and Dhanbad districts — where protesters say Bhojpuri and Magahi are spoken by a miniscule proportion — but are now spreading to Giridih and Ranchi.
Several districts in Jharkhand are witnessing protests because of Bhojpuri and Magahi as 'regional languages' in the district level competitive examinations. Hundreds of people held placards and marched against the government in the east-central districts of Bokaro and Dhanbad, and the protests are now spreading to Giridih and Ranchi.
The Reason Behind Protests
The Kharkhand Personnel of Administrative reforms and Rajbhasha Department issued a notification to include Magahi, Bhojpuri, and Angika, among others, as regional languages in the district-level selection process through exams conducted by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) on December 24, 2021. A significant section of people in Bokaro and Dhanbad saw the inclusion of Bhojpuri and Magahi as an infringement on the rights of Adivasis and Moolvasis. The protestors argue that a low population speaks the two languages, and they did not warrant the inclusion of the two languages in the job selection process, The Indian Express reported.
Who Is Protesting?
Even though there was no data on how many people converse in the language, anecdotal evidence suggested that the population speaking the languages in question was considerably low. The Jharkhandi Bhasha Sangharsha Samiti, an 'apolitical' organization of Adivasis and Moolvasis, has organized more than 50 protest gatherings in the last few days. According to Tirith Nath Akash, the spokesperson of the Samiti, they had collected the protests to pressure the government against the inclusion of Bhojpuri and Magahi in Bokaro and Dhanbad districts.
Moreover, the protestors also demand that 1932 be made the cutoff date while considering proof of land records for the state's domicile policy. The issue has been contentious for an extended period. When Jharkhand was created in 2000, Babulal Marandi, the first Chief Minister of the State, though it was imperative to define a 'Jharkhandi' to avail the benefits for local people.
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