Local language right activists in Dhanbad and Bokaro are miffed over the inclusion of Bhojpuri, Magahi and Angika language in the regional language list by the state government for Dhanbad and Bokaro and have planned series of agitations under banner of Jharkhandi Bhasa Bachao Sangharsh Samiti.

A footmarch was held at Mahuda on Dhanbad Bokaro border from Lohpitti to Binod Bihari Mahto Chowk , Mahuda during which the participants of the footmarch shouted slogans like Hemant Sarakar Murdabad and staged demonstrations.

The protesters charged that the government has included Bhojpuri, Magahi and Angika in the list of regional languages for Dhanbad and Bokaro for vote bank politics.

Earlier, a meeting of local language right activists was also held at Shiv Mandir courtyard of Saraidhela in Dhanbad during which the protest led by former councilor of Saraidhela area decided to carry out mass agitation programme apprising common people about the ill effect of neglect of local languages like Kudmali, Nagpuri etc at the cost of Bhojpuri, Magahi and Angika.

The protests also resolved to intensity their agitation and take out a massive torchlight march in the district on February 3 which will be followed by taking out of a symbolic death procession of all the local people representatives of Dhanbad and Bokaro including the MLAs and MPs .

]Addressing the gathering Vikash Mahto Mukhiya of Topchanchi who also participated in the meeting said,

“Jharkhand has been carved out of Bihar in order to conserve and preserve the local language and culture but the government is again neglecting the local language and instead promoting the Magahi, Bhojpuri and Angika which is spoken by a miniscule section of population. We will not allow it to happen and will fight a decisive battle in this regard,” said Mahto

Bhojpuri, Magahi and Angika language speakers on the other hand claimed that the agitation being carried out by some people in the name of local languages neglect is an attempt to divide the society in the name of insider and outsider.

Abhishek Singh, Youth Wing president of Bhartiya Janta Party said, Wwe are living here since several generation and everybody knows that the population of Bhojpuri, Magahi and Angika speakers is more in Dhanbad and Bokaro is more than the speakers of Kudmali and Nagpuri so there is no logic of carrying out protest.”