Awadhi, Braj, Bundeli, Bhojpuri — UP's 'Dialects' Need Genuine Push Beyond Rhetoric

Echoes of Bhojpuri, Awadhi, and Braj resonated in the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Assembly last week after Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath allowed legislators to address the House in the state's regional languages.

Videos of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs Ketakee Singh speaking in Bhojpuri and Shrikant Sharma in Braj went viral on social media.

Rebel Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Manoj Kumar Pandey, who cross-voted in favour of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha election last year, also gained attention by speaking in Awadhi in the House and supporting the decision.

However, the SP expressed displeasure over Urdu's exclusion from the House proceedings alongside these dialects. The CM responded by attacking the opposition for advocating for Urdu and "opposing" the regional languages.

Amid these usual arguments between the SP and the BJP over Urdu, what stood out was the reaction of netizens to the use of regional languages in the House. They took pride in it and appreciated the beauty of these languages.

So far, these languages have been neglected by the governance structure and have survived mainly through folk cultures. But when these languages found a platform in the 'House of Democracy,' it sparked hope among linguists working to preserve them.

Praising the Yogi government, Dr. Malkhan Singh of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), who has worked for Bundelkhandi, told Swarajya, "This is the first government which is thinking about regional languages and making some efforts. We appreciate it."

Dr. Kush Chaturvedi, who works to promote the Braj language in Etawah, also appreciated the move but asserted, "We would be happier if something substantial had been done for these languages, as merely speaking them in the Vidhan Sabha won't help."

These concerns hold merit, as regional languages have faced neglect for decades. There have been promotions for the Hindi language, but not for its subsidiaries.

However, the linguists clarify that they do not see Hindi as a competitor; rather, they describe Hindi as a river, with regional languages as its tributaries. When the tributaries dry up, the river will also not be able to survive for long, they explain.

"The beauty, liveliness, grace, energy, shine, flexibility, sensitivity and understandability of Hindi comes from these dialects. Without them, Hindi will be artificial, a facade and dry," JNU's Dr Malkhan Singh explains.

However, the governance structure has not been able to understand Hindi's dependency on these languages and has tried to separate Khadi Boli Hindi from them.

"Braj writers were neglected while only Hindi poets were considered fashionable. It's not like Hindi also has been given too much importance, but our dialects have been left on crumbs," Dr Kush Chaturvedi told Swarajya.

Another complaint of the linguists is that the dialects were considered only the language of the medieval era, with no place for them in modern Hindi, which is believed to have started in the 19th century with Bharatendu.

"Literature in Braj is being created now also, but still in the curriculum, there is mention of only Adikaal and Reetikaal writers. New poets are included in Hindi, but in Braj, no new writers are promoted," Chaturvedi added.

Similarly, Malkhan Singh told Swarajya, "In Aadhunik kaal, folk literature was neglected and only Khadi Boli was considered literature-worthy. This created a perception that literature creation has stopped in dialects and that only Khadi Boli is the language of modern times."

While these languages were neglected, Urdu was declared the state's second official language, despite its comparatively limited usage, with the state's resources being allocated to its promotion.

"Not even five Urdu applications would have come at a single police station or office. Urdu translators were appointed but they had no work," Dr Chaturvedi said emphasising that the government's initiatives cannot help when people don't use the language.

However, that's not a challenge for the regional languages as they are widely spoken by the masses. Moreover, most Krishna bhajans are in Braj and Ram bhajans in Awadhi, making these languages indelible.

"People are still writing in Braj and Bundeli. They sing songs in these languages while working in the farms. Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi is being read in every house," Dr Chaturvedi asserted.

However, Malkhan Singh emphasises that due to a lack of encouragement for new writers, lesser literature than their potential is being created in the regional languages.

What Can Be Done

The easiest way to encourage these languages is to organise Kavi Sammelans for them. Kavi Sammelans are easy-to-organise events that promote poets while popularising the language among the masses due to their appeal.

"Only Mathura hosts some rare Kavi Sammelans in the Braj language. Other than this, there are no Kavi Sammelans for Braj. No recognition is being given to writers of the Braj language," Chaturvedi complains.

However, he suggests, "With some encouragement from the government, the new generation will be attracted to our dialects. Just announce some awards for every regional language, this will encourage budding writers."

He shares that Bhojpuri literature has good poetry but not good prose and this can be achieved only if Bhojpuri writers get aid in publishing and asserts that Bhojpuri is in no better position than other dialects.

Dr Malkhan Singh demands that local poets and writers should be honoured and their works should be included in the curriculum. He also suggests creating quality content for education in local languages, which is recommended in the New Education Policy as well.

Former Head of Department (HOD) of Hindi at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Sadanand Shahi, who spearheaded efforts to establish a Bhojpuri centre at the institute in 2009, recommends teaching Bhojpuri from the primary level.

Apart from recognition and awards to writers, publishing aid and organising events to promote these languages, institutional support like having a specific academy for these languages has also been a long-standing demand.

"We want an academy for Braj so that it gets proper care. We have Hindi Sansthan and Urdu Academy, then why not a Braj academy? With a little budget, it could have facilitated Braj's promotion," Dr Chaturvedi told Swarajya.

"Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan should be issued an advisory by the government to start awards for literature in dialects, publishing their literature and compiling the history of these dialects. Already working institutes should be activated, "Dr Malkhan Singh said on institutional support.

Similarly, Dr Bimlesh Mishra demands grants for Bhojpuri-related institutions without a 'step-motherly treatment.'

What Is Being Done

Along with promoting regional languages in the UP assembly by allowing speeches in them, CM Adityanath also announced that separate academies would be formed for Braj, Bundelkhandi, Awadhi and Bhojpuri languages.

Notably, the BJP's manifesto for the 2022 UP election also promised academies for Braj, Bundelkhandi, Awadhi and Bhojpuri. However, not much work has been done on them so far.

Only the Surdas Braj Bhasha Academy was approved by the Yogi government in 2022. A year later, its building construction also began in Govardhan, Mathura and has been completed now but the academy is not operational yet.

Vice Chairman of UP Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad Shailja Kant Mishra told Swarajya that the academy is awaiting appointments from the Hindi Academy to start operations, while the building is ready.

Clarifying this claim, Additional Chief Secretary (Language) Jitendra Kumar told Swarajya, "The building is constructed by the Tourism and Culture Department and is offered to the Language Department for Braj Academy."

Providing an update on the academy's appointments, Kumar added, "The Finance Department has sanctioned the posts. Following the CM's announcement in the Assembly, the appointments will now be expedited."

With these developments, it seems highly likely that the Braj Academy will be the first one to be operationalised. It will be followed by Bhojpuri Academy in Gorakhpur, Kumar asserted.

As per the manifesto, the Bhojpuri Academy will be named Sant Kabir Das, the Awadhi Academy will be named after Goswami Tulsidas and the Bundeli Academy will be named after Keshavdas, Reetikaal poet from Orchha.

However, the place for the Awadhi Academy and the Bundeli Academy has not been decided yet. Expressing optimism, Kumar said, "I cannot say the timelines but I expect that by the end of next financial year, all four academies will be functional."

While the operationalisation of these academies will fulfill long-standing demands of linguists related to these languages, they alone cannot guarantee the promotion of regional languages.

Sadanand Shahi cites the example of Bhojpuri Academy in Bihar and its limited success. "It worked well under certain people but later became useless. Because it is ultimately about who runs these institutions and these appointments are often politically motivated," Shahi told Swarajya.

"It remains to be seen how UP's Bhojpuri Academy works, what kind of people run it and what are its priorities. Establishing an academy is just the first step, which we appreciate," Shahi said, cautioning that the Academy should not be used to fulfill self-interests of certain people.

A few other linguists fear that the move may be a political gimmick ahead of the 2027 UP Assembly elections, with the inauguration of academies likely timed for electoral advantage.

However, Chaturvedi gives a benefit of doubt and says, "Be it a move with political motivation, but if it does something good for our languages, we welcome it."

Meanwhile, regional languages have been included in the curriculum of higher education at a few institutes. For instance, Bhojpuri is taught till the master's level at the Gorakhpur University and a PhD in Bhojpuri is allowed at BHU.

Some certificate and diploma courses in Bhojpuri are also offered by Awadh University and Gorakhpur University, while Awadhi and Braj are part of various specialised graduation degrees.

"Our political discourse is rarely sensitive about languages. With this newfound sensitivity from the Yogi government, we expect concrete action," Dr. Malkhan Singh said, noting that regional languages have at least entered the political discourse.