Speaking of speech

KULDEEP KUMAR
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Literature What was once a thriving language might have languished into a dialect
today, and a dialect could evolve into a literary language. Politics and economics play
their part in the flow of these rivers.
What is the relationship between boli (dialect) and bhasha (language)? Is it a fixed or permanent
relationship, or does it allow for change and impermanence? Is it true that what is today considered
a dialect could have been a fully evolved literary language a few centuries ago, and todays literary
language could gradually decline and lapse into a dialect? Also, what should be the societys and the
states attitude towards living languages and dialects? These and other thoughts came when one was
told that a Bhojpuri Academy has been set up in Bhopal by the Madhya Pradesh government and was
reminded that many other so-called dialects are facing neglect.
Hindi literary circles have witnessed a long debate concerning the emergence of what is generally
called a Hindi Jati a term that can be variously understood and interpreted as Hindi nationality or
Hindi community or both. Here, one can mention that even the term Hindi is problematic as there is
no unanimity over what all it includes or excludes. In view of the praiseworthy step taken by the
government of Madhya Pradesh, a State that has nearly 1.6 million Bhojpuri speakers, there is
expectation that Uttar Pradesh, where many times more Bhojpuri speakers and users live, will also
follow suit. It may be mentioned that even the Delhi government thought it fit to set up a MaithiliBhojpuri Academy in 2008. Moreover, people feel that academies for other dialects such as Bundeli,
Bagheli, and Awadhi, just to name a few, should also be opened for preserving and promoting their
literary and folk traditions in other states as well.
All the present-day dialects are not at the same stage of development. Some of them like Braj or
Awadhi were fully evolved literary languages that could boast great poets like Surdas and Tulsidas
among their finest writers. In fact, till the latter half of the 19th century, even Bharatendu
Harishchandra, considered to be the father of modern Hindi Khadiboli prose, did not find Hindi
suitable for writing poetry and opted for Brajbhasha instead. One may notice the nomenclature that
assigned the status of a dialect to Hindi as it was called Khadiboli and the status of a language to Braj
as it was known asBrajbhasha .
Today Hindi has an overarching presence, subsuming the speakers of all the dialects of the sprawling
region that covers Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, parts of Maharashtra, Rajasthan,
Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and even Arunachal Pradesh. Not many people might be
aware that nearly all those who have received their education in Arunachal Pradesh speak fluent
Hindi. Andhra Pradesh too has its own version of Hindi that is known as Dakani Hindi. Fortunately,
all the major dialects of the Hindi region are still alive and kicking, yet there is a danger lurking in
the background of their decline and extinction over a period of time if due care is not taken to stem
this process of natural selection. All over the world, dialects have disappeared owing to disuse or
neglect or both.

Also, the question of dialect versus language involves linguistic and cultural identity and pride. The
case of Maithili immediately comes to mind as its speakers have not been very comfortable with the
dialect tag and have always felt proud of their literary tradition that produced a great poet like
Vidyapati. In the years immediately preceding and succeeding Independence, there was a strong
demand for the creation of a separate Mithila state. Even an eminent scholar like Dr. Amar Nath Jha
considered it shameful that books in Maithili were being published by Hindi Sahitya Sammelan,
and Dr Umesh Mishra, a Maithili scholar, declined to contribute to the three-volume History of
Hindi Literature being brought out by the Indian Council of Hindi, as its third volume was supposed
to include Awadhi, Bundeli, Marwari, Bhojpuri and Maithili literatures.
Dialects can once again gain the status of a literary language if a conducive political and economic
environment is available to them. Conversely, they can die a slow and agonising death if the state and
society neglect their duty of providing consistent support and stimulus to help them survive. Setting
up an institutional mechanism for this purpose can go a long way to achieve this goal.
KULDEEP KUMAR
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