Rabri Devi demands separate Mithila State to be carved out of Bihar 

She raises demand during Winter Session of Bihar Legislative Council after BJP leader Hari Sahni praised Modi for bringing out a version of Constitution in Maithili language 

Former Bihar Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Rabri Devi, on Wednesday (November 27, 2024) demanded that the Mithilanchal region be carved out of Bihar as a separate State.

She made the demand during the ongoing Winter Session of the House, when BJP member Hari Sahni praised the Narendra Modi government for releasing India’s Constitution in Maithili language on the occasion of Constitution Day.

Mr. Sahni said former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had included the Maithili language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution and now, Mr. Modi had honoured the Maithili-speaking people by bringing out a version of the Constitution in their language.

Reacting to his speech, Ms. Devi, wife of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, said: “Giving respect to Maithili language is a good step, but Mithila State should also be formed.”

Outside the House, she told the media, “Both the Central and State governments should take steps on this issue. BJP leaders should talk to Mr. Modi. The Constitution has been translated into Maithili, and this is a good thing. The time has come for BJP leaders who thank the Prime Minister to also urge him to make Mithilanchal a separate State. We want Mithila to be a separate State.”

Statehood has been a long-pending demand in the region of Bihar and Maithili-speaking people have launched many movements over the issue in the past.

“If Maithili language can be included in the Eighth Schedule, then why can’t the region be given the status of a separate State? This is the demand of the public and the government should take it seriously,” Ms. Devi asserted.

Ahead of the Assembly election due next year, the Opposition party is keeping an eagle eye on the Mithilanchal region as it has over 100 of the total 243 Assembly seats in Bihar. Most of these seats are presently occupied by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Earlier, during a workers’ meet, Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Assembly Tejashwi Yadav had announced the formation of Mithila Development Authority (MDA) if the INDIA bloc comes to power in 2025.

Mithilanchal comprises 20 of Bihar’s 38 districts, including Madhubani, Saharsa, Darbhanga, Madhepura, Katihar, Supaul, Araria Begusarai, Samastipur, Purnia and Muzaffarpur. Maithili is spoken by one-third of Bihar’s total population of around 13 crore.

Mithila paintings and Madhubani arts have already made a mark at national and international levels.

In 1912, people of Mithila region had for the first time made the demand for a separate State when Bihar was leaving the Bengal Presidency. However, the British rejected the demand. Later, Maharaja Rameshwar Singh of Darbhanga Raj raised the demand in 1921.

Since then, the demand for Statehood has been raised on different occassions. Even in 2018, Ms. Devi had raised the demand.

In August 2024, Janata Dal (United) working president and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Jha had demanded that Maithili be recognised as a classical language. The demand was made after the Centre decided to give Classical Language status to Marathi, Bengali, Pali, Prakrit and Assamese languages.

Published - November 27, 2024 09:29 pm IST