Crisis looms for Bihar’s language academies as staff numbers dwindle

Patna: Bihar, a land of ancient civilisation and culture, has given birth to several languages over the centuries. Many of these languages flourished because of the state’s rich linguistic heritage and official patronage extended by erstwhile rulers.After Independence, the state govt set up a number of academies from time to time to promote and enrich these languages. In the initial years of their inception, the academies performed commendably, publishing standard works by well-known writers. Many of these publications went on to win Sahitya Academy awards, creating a market for such books across the country.However, over the last 10 to 15 years, these once “useful” bodies have gradually fallen victim to the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities concerned.The situation has deteriorated to such an extent that several of them are now on the verge of closure.The “ailing” language academies in Bihar include Bihar Hindi Granth Academy, Maithili Academy, Magahi Academy, Bangla Academy, Sanskrit Academy, Bhojpuri Academy, Angika Academy and the South Indian Languages Academy, apart from the well-known Bihar Rashtra Bhasha Parishad. Recently, the state govt has also set up two new academies to promote the classical Pali and Prakrit languages.

Bihar Hindi Granth Academy, dedicated to the promotion of Hindi literature and publications, was set up in 1970. It has published more than 450 books on different subjects and organised lecture series, workshops and other literary activities to popularise Hindi literature. At present, however, all its activities have come to a standstill owing to a severe shortage of staff and resources. Only eight staff are working against 36 sanctioned posts in the academy.Maithili Academy, established in 1976, focuses on the development of the Maithili language and literature. It has published 210 books so far, nine of which have won Sahitya Academy Awards. At least 41 of these publications are prescribed in the curricula of post-graduate courses at various universities. The demand for these books has increased manifold after the inclusion of Maithili in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution and its recognition as an optional subject in the UPSC examinations.

Despite this, the academy has the services of only three staff against 21 sanctioned posts, and even these staff members are deputed elsewhere.Bhojpuri Academy, founded in 1978 with a sanction of 24 staff, was mandated to preserve and promote the Bhojpuri language and culture. It has published 44 books and organised several literary activities to fulfil its objectives. At present, only two staff members are working in the academy, severely paralysing its activities.Magahi Academy was set up in 1981 to promote the Magahi dialect spoken in the Magadh region of southern Bihar and to enrich its literature. It has published 22 books in the Magahi language so far. Currently, the academy has only one staff member against 15 sanctioned posts.Bangla Academy, established in 1983, focuses on the Bengali language and culture prevalent in certain parts of the state. While it has published 22 books to cater to the literary needs of Bengali-speaking people in Bihar, it now has just one staff member against 16 sanctioned posts.Sanskrit Academy, founded in 1987, is dedicated to the preservation and research of the classical Sanskrit language. It has published 22 books in Sanskrit and organised seminars and symposia. Only three staff are working against 14 sanctioned posts in this academy.Angika Academy, established in 2015 for the development and promotion of the Angika language, has only one staff member at its disposal and, as a result, has made hardly any significant contribution to the promotion of the language so far.The South Indian Languages Organisation, set up in the late 1980s to promote south Indian languages in Bihar, was allowed to meet a premature end. Not a single post was sanctioned for the institute, nor was it allotted any space for office accommodation. Five of its “honorary” staff members were later absorbed into other academies.The appalling condition of these academies is evident from the fact that all of them, except the Hindi Granth Academy and the Angika Academy, are cramped into just three rooms of the Bihar Rashtra Bhasha Parishad.

While the Hindi Granth Academy functions from a separate building, the Angika Academy is yet to be allotted any office space.Linguist Bhairab Lal Das said none of these academies has had a full-time director for the past two decades. He said only an official of the rank of deputy director in the education department is currently overseeing the activities of all these academies.These institutions are also facing an acute shortage of staff.

Barely a dozen employees are left across all the academies against a total of nearly 100 sanctioned posts.Maithili Sahitya Sansthan treasurer Shiv Kumar Mishra expressed regret that the Maithili Academy, along with other language academies, is on its deathbed. He added that although the academy has published several popular books used by students preparing for civil services examinations, it is unable to supply these books to those in need.CM Nitish Kumar had announced in 2022 that all language academies in the state would be brought under one umbrella to ensure their proper functioning and growth. Education minister Sunil Kumar had also made a similar announcement sometime later. However, nothing concrete has been done in this regard so far, Das said.