Ajay Mishra of Banaras Hindu University addresses the seminar in Darbhanga. Picture by Mohan Mahato

Darbhanga, Sept. 14: Speakers from different fields deliberated on the confluence of Hindi and Maithili languages on the first day of the two-day seminar Hindi ewam Maithili Sahitaya ke Samvardhan me Mithilanchal Ke Dwibhashik Sahitayakaro Ka Awadan at Millat College, a constituent college of Lalit Narayan Mithila University (LNMU), Darbhanga.

LNMU vice-chancellor S.P. Singh, MLC Vinod Kumar Chaudhary, Darbhanga MLA Sanjay Sarawagi, lecturer in Hindi at Banaras Hindu University Ajay Mishra and several other scholars attended the event. They spoke at length on the contribution of Maithili to the development of Hindi and vice-versa.

Mishra spoke on the eminent Maithili scholars as well as the renowned scholars of Hindi.

Principal of Millat College Mustaq Ahamed told The Telegraph: “We cannot speak on Maithili literature without mentioning the contribution of Braj Kishore Verma Manipadam. He made innumerable contributions for its development.”

Manipadam’s famous book Lorik Vijay has been included in the syllabus of the Union Public Service Commission. In 1973, Manipadam was honoured with the Sahitya Academy Award for his book Nauka Banzara in Maithili.

Ahamed said: “No such seminar was organised since the establishment of LNMU (earlier Mithila University). This is what prompted us to organise this seminar.”

Maithili language, which is included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, allows the language to be used officially as well as in education.

According to the 2001 Census, there are around 1.2 crore Maithili-speaking people in the eastern parts of Bihar and southern Nepal.

Sarawagi hailed the efforts of Millat College for organising the seminar.

Later, S.P. Singh spoke on the need of educational camps for making better co-ordination among students, parents and teachers so that conducive atmosphere for education could be developed.