Call for Global Expansion of Bajjika Raised at the 31st Foundation Day Celebration of Bihar State Bajjika Development Council
The 31st Foundation Day celebration of the Bihar State Bajjika Development Council was organized with great enthusiasm, dignity, and cultural fervor at the Taramandal Auditorium in Darbhanga. The event was presided over by Devendra Rakesh, popularly regarded as the “Bhishma Pitamah” of Bajjika, while the proceedings were conducted by the Council’s former General Secretary, Dr. Omkar Prasad Singh. The program featured the election of new office bearers, a seminar on “Bajjika on the Path of Progress,” a poetry symposium, and a felicitation ceremony.
During the first session, new office bearers of the Council were elected unanimously. On the proposal of former General Secretary Amareshwari Charan Sinha, Dr. Brahmadev Prasad Karyi (Darbhanga) was elected President; Dr. Vidya Chaudhary (Patna) and Prof. Harinarayan Singh Hari (Samastipur) were elected Vice Presidents; Dr. Omkar Prasad Singh (Darbhanga) was elected General Secretary; Manoj Kumar Sinha (Darbhanga) as Secretary; Ashwini Kumar Alok (Samastipur) as Literary Division Secretary; and Amit Kumar Mandal (Muzaffarpur) as Treasurer.
In the second session, Chief Guest Om Prakash Khedia strongly advocated for the inclusion of the Bajjika language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India. Keynote speaker Prof. Harinarayan Singh Hari presented his research paper titled “Bajjika on the Path of Progress,” highlighting the contributions of literary figures such as Vidyapati and Rahmatullah and elaborating on the rich developmental journey of Bajjika literature.
Addressing the gathering, renowned senior journalist and Editor of Human Rights Today, Dr. Shashi Bhushan Kumar, known internationally for his work in human rights journalism, stated that a mission has been launched to take the Bajjika language and the rich cultural heritage of Vaishali—the world’s first democratic land—to 160 democratic countries across the globe. He informed the audience that Bajjika language and culture have already been introduced in ten countries, including SAARC nations, Thailand, and Mauritius, and that the campaign continues to expand steadily.
Dr. Kumar acknowledged the significant support received from international collaborators, including Raju Lama and Nirpendra Lal Shrestha from Nepal, Rahul Samantha from Sri Lanka, Dr. P.C. Chandra from Thailand, and noted Mauritian social activist Dr. Sarita Budhoo. He emphasized that language and culture are fundamental markers of a society’s identity and that collective efforts are essential to establish Bajjika on international platforms.
Prominent film actor Amiya Kashyap highlighted the important role of cinema in preserving and promoting regional languages. He expressed his commitment to producing films in Bajjika in the future and stated that cinema could significantly strengthen the language’s recognition at national and international levels.
Dr. Vidya Chaudhary remarked that regional languages form the foundation of Hindi and that their development poses no threat to the national language. She urged people to register Bajjika as their mother tongue in the upcoming census.
Padma Shri awardee Rajkumari Devi, popularly known as “Kisan Chachi,” emphasized that the preservation of Bajjika and its culture is possible only if families encourage children to speak the language at home. She appealed to the public with the message, “If we improve ourselves, the world will improve,” and called for greater use of the mother tongue in daily life.
Renowned educationist Rajaram Chaurasia stated that a mother tongue forms the basis of a society’s culture and identity, making it essential to connect the younger generation with their linguistic and cultural roots.
Padma Shri Siwan Paswan, Hiralal Sahni, and several other speakers also urged all sections of society to contribute to the preservation, promotion, and constitutional recognition of the Bajjika language. The thematic introduction of the seminar was presented by Council President Dr. Brahmadev Prasad Karyi.
On the occasion, a Bajjika translation of Concise Valmiki Ramayana (Katha Saar), originally written by Dr. Vishal Bhardwaj and translated by Dr. Brahmadev Prasad Karyi, was officially released.
The poetry symposium featured recitations by Indira Bharti, Amitabh Kumar Sinha, Subedar Nandkishore Sahu, Ashish Akinchan, Dolly Kumari, Amarjeet Amar, Uday Shankar Chaudhary “Nadaan,” Atul Kumar Mishra, Mukesh Jha, Ritu Pragya, Dr. Manish Kumar, Ashok Bhagat, Prakashchandra Prabhakar, Surabhi Lal Das, and several other poets. Their compositions captivated the audience and effectively reflected themes of mother tongue, culture, and society.
The event was successfully conducted by General Secretary Dr. Omkar Prasad Singh, while the vote of thanks was delivered by Hansraj Sah of Sitamarhi. The ceremony witnessed the gracious presence of distinguished personalities from the fields of literature, education, journalism, art, culture, and social service.
