Dr Birbal as a crusader for socio-academic reforms
New Delhi, 27/ 03/2022: The most difficult thing in today’s world is to find someone who you can talk with without any reservation even for five minutes. To disbelieve this quirk of fate, I find that Dr Birbal Jha, a man of many parts is the one who one can interact with on diverse issues, be it an academic, literary or socio-political one. His social and interpersonal skills are the hallmark of an outgoing and gregarious personality.
However, I must say that I have hardly ever come across such a knowledgeable and pleasant personality as Dr Birbal Jha during my fifty years of association with Delhi University as a student and a teacher and more than 25 years of my association with the Supreme Court as a Legal correspondent for a number of different national dailies.
What pleasantly surprises me most is Dr Birbal Jha’s wide recognition for the socio-cultural movement – ‘Save the paag campaign’ connecting millions and millions of Maithils residing within or outside Mithila. Further, Dr Birbal for his various socio-cultural initiatives has gained wide popularity among Maithil migrants who are scattered to the four winds. The biggest ever Maithil cultural movement led by Dr Birbal impelled the central Government of India in 2017 to issue postage on Mithila Paag, a symbol of culture, honour and rituals, underling its significance and emotional attachments of the populace.
The most notable contribution of a village boy-turned-celebrity Dr Birbal Jha, author, socio-academic activist and Managing Director of British Lingua is in expanding immeasurably the horizon of the English language in its multi-faceted utility for the students and scholars alike. In a true sense, he is an enabler for the common man as people joining his socio-economic movement – English for all have been able to change their lifestyles, gaining access to better career prospects and personal growth.
The outstanding etymologist and linguist Dr Birbal has been able to win not only regional and national recognition but an international reputation for his unstinting and fruit-bearing efforts through British Lingua. He has revolutionized the thought process of humanity in sticking to the roots of open-minded knowledge as well as spreading the practical utility of English for everyday life all over the world in the 21st century.
His never-ending lifetime perseverance has been amply recognized by various state governments including the Government of Bihar that awarded his social enterprise British Lingua the opportunity to spread the education of English as a ‘utility language’ in India for masses to attain jobs for livelihood and also compete with the upper strata of society who have reaped the advantages of English education.
As an honoured guest, I have had several occasions of interacting with the British Lingua students, teachers and the administrative staff. The rare discipline and dedication of every campus member immensely impressed me. I have hardly found such discipline and dedication in any educational institutes including universities, colleges, schools and other learning institutions. I am of the view that this was possible only because of Dr Birbal’s imprint of his most humble and truthful personality in all his dealings without any superficialities or hangovers of his otherwise highly successful independent career as a social entrepreneur and an original thinker.
At times I feel impelled to think of Dr Birbal Jha in the highest tradition of the greatest Maithils and other Indian scholars of English like the respectively famous Dr Amarnath Jha from Mithila and Michael Madhusudan Dutt of Bengal whose legendary tales of a passionate reputation as English Language and Literature leaders haunt the ace scholarly imagination.
Dr Birbal’s dynamism is yet more impressive as a crusader for widespread socio-academic reforms and bolstering the ageless evergreen indigenous Maithil as well as national traditions. Also, I thank him so very much for his ever great goodwill and such highly encouraging words to raise my spirit for dynamic activities in life.
Dr Birbal Jha, an author of national repute has several books on the English language social and academic issues and practical use and learning of English in varied novel ways that is an eye-opener for the English speaking world outside India. Thanks to his English language Awareness Programme (Elap), millions of people have been able to get a fair share in their lives and change their lifestyles. It is for sure that he would be ever remembered even by posterity for his invaluable contribution to society.
——Prof Arun Kumar Jha
(The author of this piece Prof Arun Kumar Jha is a practising lawyer at the Supreme Court of India)
