The Kaithi Script and the status of Bhojpuri as a language

The Kaithi Script used to thrive as late as the mid 20th century. An interesting thing to note is that all the vernacular languages of what now constitutes the Hindi belt are counted as dialects of Hindi in the census, but this is far far from the truth.  For example, the seventh most spoken language in India is Bhojpuri(after Gujrati)(AND IT'S NOT A DIALECT OF HINDI)  with some 55.2 million speakers. The earliest  Bhojpuri written records are the Siddha Sahitya and Charyapada from the  7th century AD. A dialect is defined as a local variation of a language. Classifying Bhojpuri and other Bihari languages as a dialect of Hindi is unjust (refer to the indo aryan language tree). Bihari languages are more closely related to Bengali and Odia than Hindi. https://preview.redd.it/kkc1h2q2whie1.png?width=2560&format=png&auto=webp&s=0e8a0a10289be47f013bb85ee8d27a1b29ef3da6 Urdu and Hindi diverged from Hindustani during the British era. How can a millennium-old language be a dialect of Hindi? In August 2024, the government of Bihar initiated land surveys and settlements. Following the announcement, people started retrieving old ancestral land documents. The biggest challenge they are facing is reading these documents, as most of the information related to the land is written in the Kaithi script.For centuries, Kaithi was used in Bihar. People used the script for writing diaries, letters, folk songs, and land documents. For nearly a decade and a half after India’s independence(until the enactment of the official language act in 1963, the same act that was opposed vehemently in TN by DMK), Kaithi was the first choice for writing land-related documents. Apart from Bihar, Kaithi was used in Purvanchal. Gradually, the Devanagari script gained prominence, and after India’s independence, Kaithi was phased out from government institutions. In the second half of the 4th century, a new script developed from the northern  Brahmi script, known as the Gupta script. From the Gupta script, the Kutila script evolved, followed by the Nagari and Sharada scripts. From  Nagari, modern scripts like Kaithi, Bengali, Gujarati, Mahajani, Odia, Nepali, and Devanagari developed. Famous works such as Tulsidas Ramcharitmanas were originally written in Kaithi script. [https://www.telegraphindia.com/bihar/glorious-past-future-obscure-treasured-collection-of-books-and-manuscripts-on-brink-of-oblivion/cid/339909](https://www.telegraphindia.com/bihar/glorious-past-future-obscure-treasured-collection-of-books-and-manuscripts-on-brink-of-oblivion/cid/339909) Languages like Magahi, Bhojpuri, and Maithili were long written in Kaithi script. While these languages were also written in scripts such as Devanagari, Mithilakshar, etc, Kaithi was more popular. During the Mughal era, it was the court language of Bihar, and it's use continued till the Independence of India, when Hindi and Devanagari replaced it. The Kaithi Script is on its way to being lost forever. Bhojpuri has its grammar and vocabulary distinct from Hindi. At the beginning of the 20th century (1901 census), less than 1% of Biharis were recorded to speak Hindi as their mother tongue. In 2011, it was 24% as the native languages are looked down upon and considered as the language of the illiterates. Many parents don't teach their children their grandpa's tongue. I remember being looked down upon by classmates as my family used Bhojpuri as our medium of communication In 2003, Maithili became the first Bihari language to be included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution as a recognised Indian language in 2003. This isn't the loss of just another script or language but the very erosion of Bihari identity and culture. Bhojpuri is recognized as an official language in Nepal, Fiji. And a minority language in Suriname and Mauritius (indentured labour migration during British Raj).While  Bhojpuri is yet to be recognized in India.