After the celebration of the Arrival of Indentured LabourersDay this November, I think that it is a laudable initiative to make a retrospective of the Bhojpuri language which has played a key role in the socio- cultural development of our country. Kreol and Bhojpuri languages have evolved side by side during the centuries. Actually the influence of Bhojpuri is being receded and has remained a means of communication for a relegated group of people.

During the colonial phase Kreol language got an impetus to the detriment of Bhojpuri. The reason behind it may be attributed to the fact that Kreol being derived from French, enjoys a higher status in our society and anybody who speaks good Kreol feels his self-esteem enhanced. People living in town and cities tend to speak good Kreol. During the colonial era, Kreol language was given an impetus because the medium of communication in the private and the public sector was in Kreol. People living in the rural areas were also striving hard to speak good Kreol in order to enjoy the so called pseudo status in society. Talking Bhojpuri in cities was as if denigrating one self.

On the other hand, the town folks would make fun of the villagers. I remember during our youth when we used to go to the cities we were trying to communicate in good Kreol in order not to fall prey to mockery. But now I realize that one cannot cut himself from his past and after all it is not a shame to speak the language of your ancestors because there is a treasure hidden in it. That treasure is the sweet and unforgettable memories of our child hood, the social, cultural and family values, the unity among family members and neighbors and the commonalities existing among all the indo Mauritian people. It resulted from Bhojpuri language which has united this big family. Today when I meet my friends of childhood, whether Muslims or Hindus, educated or illiterate, it becomes impossible for us to part from Bhojpuri language. The meeting and greeting when communicating in this language generate a real pleasure in our hearts.

Sometimes, when I travel by bus I observe Muslim and Hindu ladies communicating with their kids and the fact is that none of them speak Bhojpuri. The new generation is exposed to other languages and even at home they are virtually deprived of this language. In villages, the elders still speak Bhojpuri at home and the youngsters are exposed to it. Outside the home, the pressure of other languages gets an upper hand on Bhojpuri. It is sad to note that the next generation will show little interest in this language.  

It is an undeniable fact that a language without its literature wanes and dies. But in Mauritius the oriental languages have already secured their place in our school curriculum. The Bhojpuri language is being taught in schools but the students of oriental languages will likely prefer to write in their respective ancestral language.

At speaking level we have already created a “Bhojpuri a la Mauricienne” which according to me is the true legacy of our forefathers. Some French words have been so beautifully fitted in this language that it becomes difficult to discard them, such as “cuiller”, “fourchette”. “La table”, “chaise”, “matelas”, among others and the adding up of a suffix to those words have made them become part and parcel of this language, such as “latabwa”, “lotowa”, “lassiettewa” etc. If ever we happen to implement the original Bhojpuri then a Hindu will have the tendency to drag in as many Hindi words as possible while a Muslim will use Urdu as far as possible.

It is a common fact that the actual Bhojpuri is spoken by the old indo Mauritian people. Therefore the real solution for the survival of this language resides in the promotion of spoken communication, through radio and TV, slam, poetry and storytelling in Mauritian Bhojpuri. As far as the script is concerned it can be written in the language the individual may choose.

Too many changes may create a sort of “metissage” in a language but the fact is that these changes have already taken place in Bhojpuri and are well established. It will seem odd to say “kamize” instead of “chemise” during my conversation. Likewise so many foreign words have already secured a place in Bhojpuri, for example “samedi”, “dimanche” and “lundi” and they flow out of our mouths in a natural way. On the other hand words like “nissa”, “jalsa”, “gamat”, “bel sawal”, “besind” amongst others have been adopted by Kreol language in a suitable way.

Places where Bhojpuri is spoken nowadays are at home by the elders, some programmes along with samachar are presented on TV but not in Bhojpuri “à la Mauricienne”. Some professionals still converse in Bhojpuri among themselves. During the month of Ramadan, a Muslim organization used to deliver talks on Islam in Bhojpuri on radio. In villages, the elders still communicate in Bhojpuri. Bhojpuri songs are a gathering momentum. Yet it is sad to note that the new generation avoids communicating in this language. In fact they need encouragement from the elders in the sense that communicating in our ancestral language is a pride not a shame. The opening of a Bhojpuri channel on TV is very encouraging and people should be motivated to watch the programmes.

When a language dies, a whole gamut of socio cultural practices, habits and usage vanish. The Coolie’s Arrival festival on second November is an opportunity for all the participants to give Bhojpuri its “lettre de noblesse”. The whole ceremony must be officiated in Bhojpuri so that a real air of the past can be felt. It is an undeniable fact that people who never look backward to ancestors can never look forward to posterity.