Language row deepens in Jharkhand over exclusion of Bhojpuri, Magahi, Angika from JTET

Ranchi: A fresh linguistic controversy has erupted in Jharkhand after the state government decided to exclude Bhojpuri, Magahi, Maithili, and Angika from the list of regional languages for the Jharkhand Teacher Eligibility Test (JTET).

The decision has triggered protests from both the Opposition and leaders within the ruling alliance.

The move has drawn sharp criticism, particularly from aspirants in the Palamu division and parts of the Santhal Pargana region, where a large number of residents speak these languages as their mother tongue.

Many candidates have expressed concern that the decision could adversely impact their performance in the long-pending eligibility test.

BJP leaders have seized upon the issue, accusing the government of adopting a discriminatory approach. State BJP President and Rajya Sabha member Aditya Sahu had earlier written to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, alleging “double standards” in the selection of languages.

He questioned why languages such as Odia and Bengali — spoken in districts bordering Odisha and West Bengal — were included, while Bhojpuri, Magahi, Angika and Maithili, widely spoken in districts bordering Bihar, were left out.

He argued that districts like Palamu, Garhwa, Latehar, Deoghar, Godda and Sahibganj have a significant population of speakers of these excluded languages, making their omission unjustified.

Echoing similar concerns, BJP state Vice President and former minister Bhanu Pratap Shahi termed the decision a disregard for local linguistic realities and the rights of aspirants.

He pointed out that while Nagpuri has been included, its presence in districts like Palamu and Garhwa is limited compared to Bhojpuri and Magahi.

Significantly, voices of concern have also emerged from within the ruling establishment.

State Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Radha Krishna Kishore acknowledged the anomaly, stating that Bhojpuri and Magahi have a substantial speaker base in Palamu and Garhwa and assured that the matter would be raised in the next Cabinet meeting.

Senior Congress leader and former minister K. N. Tripathi also criticised the exclusion, calling it unfair and unjust to aspirants from the Palamu region.

BJP MLA from Daltonganj Alok Chaurasia accused the government of jeopardising the future of thousands of youths. He said denying candidates the option to write the exam in their mother tongue would not only affect their performance but also dent their confidence.

Chaurasia warned that if the government fails to review the decision, it could trigger widespread public agitation.

Officials involved in drafting the policy, however, have maintained that the excluded languages are primarily associated with neighbouring Bihar and therefore were not considered part of Jharkhand’s notified regional language framework — an argument that has further fuelled the ongoing debate.

With the JTET examination pending for nearly a decade, the controversy is expected to intensify in the coming days as political pressure mounts on the government to revisit its decision.

IANS