Ravi Kishan introduces bill for official status to Bhojpuri

Bhojpuri superstar and BJP MP Ravi Kishan has proposed a private member bill in the Lok Sabha to add Bhojpuri to the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, aiming to grant it official language status.

Kishan, who introduced The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2024, on Friday, said he wants to underline that the Bhojpuri language is not about crass songs but has a rich cultural history and literature which needs to be promoted.

There are presently 22 languages included in the Eighth Schedule. The addition of Bhojpuri would give it the status of being an official language of India.

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Bhojpuri Language Gains Recognition

On Friday, the actor-turned-politician introduced the Constitution Amendment Bill, 2024, saying that the Bhojpuri language has a rich cultural and literary history and was “not about crass songs”.

“So many people speak and understand this language,” said Kishan. “It is our mother tongue. I wanted to promote this language as the film industry is also being run in this language and lakhs are getting employment.”

In its statement of objects and reasons, the bill said that Bhojpuri originated from the Sanskrit language. It says around 140 million people speak Bhojpuri and that it was the mother tongue of many in Uttar Pradesh, Western Bihar, Jharkhand and parts of Madhya Pradesh. The language is also spoken in Mauritius, the bill says.

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