Majhi: The Endangered Language of an Indian and Nepalese Tribe

Majhi is an ethnic language spoken in Nepal and formerly in some parts of India. While the language is still spoken by very few in Nepal, it is no longer being used in India - with the last speaker of this Language dead in 2016.

Lost Language of Majhi. Image Source: dreamstime.com

Majhi is the language spoken by the Majhi tribe in parts of Nepal and India. These people, who have been helping people safely cross rivers for centuries, are now one of the marginalised and excluded indigenous communities. Dependent on fishing and boating services, they are denied the rights to their own culture and identity. This tribe has declined to a point where very few people speak their native language, Majhi. Where did they go? How did their language fade away from the books of History?

Once upon a time, nestled deep in the forests of India and Nepal, there lived a huge tribe of people who went by the name Majhi. “As they used to eat pitta of fish, malaria would not affect them,” said the residents living in these regions whenever asked about Majhi Tribes. Brahmans and Chhetris later entered this area and settled there. Since then, Majhi’s lands are now in the hands of these elite groups, and it is not clear where the original Majhi tribe went.

“Due to their lack of education and political economic marginality, they were displaced”, says Janak Rai, in his research titled Majhi of Nepal. “They had lived in the same place for generations and their life had remained unchanged for centuries”.

Janak Rai and his team of researchers studied this endangered Tribe for years. They found out that due to a lack of recognition, Majhis began losing their culture and language. Today, Majhi is like any other minority community - struggling to continue their culture and reclaim their sovereign indigenous rights with the state.

The origin of these tribes is not fully known yet. There are multiple stories and beliefs about the origin of these ethnic groups. According to ethnic scholars, Majhis are descendants of the people related to the Hindu epics such as the Ramayana. Majhis are considered to be the descendants of Kush - one of the sons of the Hindu deities, Ram and Sita.

Majhi Tribe used to live around the border states of India and Nepal - with much of the Tribes living in regions of present-day India. They had their own distinct culture and traditions, which separates them from the rest of the tribal community. They speak 'Majhi kura' (or simply Majhi), a spoken language belonging to the Indo-European family. The migration of Brahman and Chhetri groups into their places affected their culture and social life. Caste-based discrimination, exploitation, and confiscation of land by the alleged upper castes were the probable reasons for their migration to other places. Due to such migration, they could not continue their traditions, culture and language - which led the language to fade into nonexistent. They have progressively lost their lands and traditional livelihood since 1950.

Despite the government establishing primary schools in the remote villages, this seemed to have no effect on the poverty of the Tribe. Due to the impoverished economic conditions they faced, many Majhi families were unable to continue their children's education in lower secondary and high school. Very few Majhi could afford higher-level education. Their lack of access to cultural and social capital such as social connections and cultural knowledge caused them to fail to get even the lower entry-level jobs in public and private sectors.

This is not to say that the tribe didn’t fight for themselves. The political transformations in the last decade towards inclusive democracy have opened up new spaces for the Majhi Tribe to attain their collective rights as indigenous peoples of India and Nepal. Many representatives of the Majhi community took part in struggles and actions seeking their representation. However, no specific actions were taken by the government towards this ethnic group. This only led to a decrease in the tribe. At present, the tribes exist in scattered fashion in Nepal; however, their own mother tongue - the Majhi, faded into non-existence. The last speaker of this language in India has been dead since 2016.

Stories like this make us ponder the nature of civilization. Even when tribes like Majhi tried to integrate more fully into the modern world, they lose sight of their roots. Their language, culture or tradition seem to get extinct as the world gets modern. Yet, they still maintain a deep respect for the forest and its creatures and rely on the land for their survival. They are a big part of our community and should be protected. There is hope, till there is humanity - and humanity flourishes in its safe community.