Politicization on the Bhojpuri Language: A Historical Perspective

Bhojpuri is a cross-border New Indo-Aryan language between Nepal and India. It has also spread worldwide due to indentured labourers in the past and foreign employment till date, both from Nepal and India. Historically, its primitive traces are found even in Pre-Vedic EraPrimary Prakrit in copper-plate inscription along with Siddha and Nath literature of Apabhramsa period. A bit clear syntactic feature is found in Avahattha literature. Though Bhojpuri has retained more than three-fourth of the features of Avahattha, it is being said ancient Maithili. So, Sanskritization and Maithilization seem preliminary forms of politicalization on Bhojpuri. The Shah rule, the Rana regime, and restored absolute Shah monarchy imposed monolingual state policy in Nepal. Both the British colonial rule and the Independent Polity in India also did the same in context of Bhojpuri. Thus, Nepalization and Hindization are the recent politicization. Besides, the personal ego of standardization also narrowed the ground of Bhojpuri in both the countries. Even the federal level of the state is still constitutionally monolingual in Nepal. The paper is an evidence-based effort to present the situation and its effects as well as to recommend some points for state policymakers. The contextual literature is reviewed, public opinion is also sought at home and abroad, some authentic statements are presented and analysed with probable implications.