Proposal of Purvanchal as a Bhojpuri-speaking state
Since the late 20th century, there has been a demand for aseparate Purvanchal state, carved out of the state of Uttar Pradesh.Bhojpuri as the official language of Purvanchal state.[4] Later, the issue of constitutional recognition of Bhojpuri came up when the constitution came into force. Rahul demanded for a separate Bhojpuri state by joining the Bhojpuri speaking regions ofBihar,United Provinces (nowUttar Pradesh) andMadhya Pradesh.[5]
1968: The demand for a separate Bhojpuri state resurfaced in the late 1960s when the rightist organisation of eastern India,Anand Marg took up the issue. The Anand Margis organised a conference at the largest cattle fair of Asia,Sonepur Mela in 1968 and raised the demand for a separate state for the Bhojpuri-speaking people.[6][citation needed]
5 November 2006: Hundreds of Bhojpuri speaking people gathered in Bihar'sSasaram to demand creation of a separate Bhojpuri state for those who speak the language. Meeting under the aegis of the 21st All India Bhojpuri Sahitya Sammelan they demanded the creation of a separate state and protection of the interests of the people speaking Bhojpuri.[7]
1 June 2008:A separate state can ensure the security of borders as well as overall development in which the region is lagging far behind in comparison to western and centralUttar Pradesh, saidYogi Adityanath (then aBJP Member of Parliament fromGorakhpur; he became Chief Minister ofUttar Pradesh in 2017).[8]
7 December 2013: People associated with the Bhojpuri Andolan held a two-day convention at Taraiya inSaran district under the banner of Saran Pramandal Bhojpuri Sahitya Sammelan and demanded a separate state for Bhojpuriyas consisting of the Bhojpuri-speaking districts ofBihar,Uttar Pradesh,Jharkhand,Madhya Pradesh andChhattisgarh.[9]
2015: Thousands of people gathered at Shastri Ghat nearVaruna river inVaranasi to demand the establishment of Purvanchal state with Varanasi as its capital. In this,Suhaldev Bharatiya Samaj Party's national presidentOm Prakash Rajbhar said that the central and state government should stop giving false assurances. The movement has started from the revolutionary land of Varanasi, now it is not going to stop. The wheel of development has completely stopped in Purvanchal since independence.[10]
30 March 2017: BJP MP fromSasaram,Bihar,Chhedi Paswan evoked the demand of separate Purvanchal state to boost development in theBhojpuri areas. He said that the formation of Purvanchal state is mandatory by joining the Bhojpuri speaking areas of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh andVaranasi as its capital.[11]
16 May 2017: Members of Purvanchal Rajya Jan Andolan Sanstha staged a train stop demonstration in Banaras demanding the creation of a new Purvanchal state. The agitators kept shouting slogans in support of Purvanchal state while stopping the train.[12]
8 July 2017:Union MinisterRamdas Athawale states his support for the division of the state for development of the region of the eastern Uttar Pradesh.[13]
11 March 2019: Rajkumar Ojha, convenor of the Purvanchal Rajya Gathan Morcha, started a three-day fast in the Collectorate premises ofJaunpur, demanding the creation of a separate Purvanchal state and formation of the State Reorganization Commission.[15]
5 August 2021: Purvanchal Rajya Morcha officials raised the demand for separate Purvanchal state inJaunpur,Uttar Pradesh.[16]
18 December 2021: Twenty one thousand lamps were lit atAssi Ghat inVaranasi demanding a separate Purvanchal state.[17]
26 June 2023: Under the banner of 'Purbiha Log Party', people have called for uniting the people and intensifying the demand for creating a separate Purvanchal state. Under this sequence, the first meeting of the District Working Committee of Purbiha Log Party was held in Padrauna ofKushinagar district, Uttar Pradesh.[18]
16 September 2023: Members of Nagrik Vikas Party took out a strong procession for the formation of Purvanchal state inBallia, Uttar Pradesh and handed over their 13-point demand letter to the SDM for the formation of a separate Purvanchal state.[19]
1947: In 1947, a convention on Bhojpuri language andliterature was held inSiwan, Bihar. The demand for a separate Bhojpuri state was first made byRahul Sankrityayan.<ref>Shukla, Ramdeo (19 July 2021).Smarananjali (in Hindi). Sarv Bhasha Trust.ISBN978-93-90502-04-2.
