The Bihar government has decided to set up two new academies to promote local dialects — Surjapuri and Bajjika — spoken in politically influential Seemanchal and Bajjikanchal regions of the State.
- Surjapuri, a mix of Hindi, Maithili and Bangla, is spoken in the Seemanchal region comprising Purnia, Katihar, Kishanganj and Arararia districts.
- Bajjika, similar to Maithili, is the language of the people living in northwest Bihar areas of Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, West Champaran and Sheohar.
- An estimate based on 2001 census data suggests that 20 million Bajjika speakers resided in Bihar at that time.
- The Bajjika speaking population’s 2011 census estimate, however, was not immediately available.
