Surjapuri and Bajjika dialects

Bihar Chief Minister and Education Minister have asked the state education department to set up academies for the promotion of the Surjapuri and Bajjika dialects on the lines of the Hindi and Urdu academies.

• It has been instructed that these two academies be set up on the lines of eight already existing centres, constituted for the promotion of other dialects.
• It is also directed that efforts must be made to strengthen all academies and bring them under an umbrella body for their effective functioning.
• The department is currently working to will bring all such academies under one body.
• The eight already existing language academies are
  • Bihar Hindi Granth Academy
  • Maithili academy
  • Magahi Academy
  • Bangla Academy
  • Sanskrit Academy
  • Bhojpuri Academy
  • Angika Academy
  • South Indian languages organization

Surjapuri dialects:

• Surjapuri is spoken mainly in Kishanganj and other parts of Seemanchal in northeastern Bihar, including the districts of Katihar, Purnia and Araria.
• The dialect, a mix of Bangla, Urdu, and Hindi, is also spoken in contiguous parts of West Bengal.
• The name Surjapuri comes from Surjapur pargana, which no longer exists. But there is a toll plaza called Surjapur between Purnia and Kishanganj.
• Although Surjapuri has nothing specifically to do with religion, the largest share of speakers of the language is made up of Surjapuri Muslims, who live mainly in Kishanganj, the district that has about 70 per cent Muslim population.
• According to 2011 Census, the total number of Surjapuri-speaking population in Bihar stood at 18,57,930.

Bajjika dialects:

• Bajjika, one of five dialects spoken in Bihar, is a mix of Hindi and Maithili, and is spoken mainly in Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, and parts of Sitamarhi, Sheohar and Samastipur.
• Bajjika is not as well-known as other dialects such as Bhojpuri and Maithili.
• Although the Bihar education department had considered teaching in local dialects up to Class 5 during the second Nitish Kumar government (2010-15), it did not come to fruition.
• An estimate based on 2001 census data suggests that 20 million Bajjika speakers resided in Bihar at that time.