VI. DEMOGRAPHY

A. Number of Speakers

The number of Maithili speakers is in a mess of conflicts and contradictions. Reason is obvious. Maithili has got recognition as a Schedule language as late as 2004 A.D. Prior to that it was regarded by the state Government as well as the Union Government as a dialect of Hindi and therefore, the Census of India did not enumerate it separately. The total number of Maithili Speakers in India according to 2001 census is 12,179,122.

The table below shows the mothertongue speakers of Maithili language.

1. Main Habitat

The main habitat of Maithili speakers are Bihar, Jharkhand and Delhi.

a. Male/Female

The following table shows the Male-Female distribution of Maithili Speakers in 2001 (according to 2001 census):

b. Rural/Urban

The following table shows the rural-urban distribution of Maithili Speakers in 2001 (according to 2001 census):

2. Decennial Growth

Table showing the decennial growth of Maithili Speakers in 4 consecutive census

B. Settlement pattern:

The community is settled mostly in rural areas in overcrowded compact villages and hamlets each dominated normally by a single caste. Villages are situated in a centre of agricultural forms, orchards and mango graves. The following table shows the male-female/ rural-urban distribution of Maithili speakers in India in 2001.

C. Literacy and Education:

1. Literacy

a. Rate

b. Agencies involved

c. Impact: General, With reference to women

Impact of the literacy campaign is reflected in the increasing rate of literacy that is mentioned above, but the achievement backs far behind in comparison to other language communities. The best result of this campaign is the growing awareness and self-confidence in the lower stratum, especially in females.

2. Education:

a. Formal education:

As formal education is a must for all sorts of employment, it is developing at a faster rate. Purely business minded private educational institutions of national level have reached the townships in Mithila outwitting the Government schools and leaving them only for the poor class. Demand is exceeding the available facilities for formal education.

b. Non-formal education:

In Maithili community, non-formal education is not as attractive as formal education. Avenues and agencies created by the state government show little impact. It is only audiovisual media that educate the mass in literacy, health, agriculture, childcare and the like. Maithilis naturally prefer to work under somebody rather than going for self-employment. Similar is the fate of adult education programmes launched by the state government.

c. Impact: General, On Women, Adult:

Impact of education is reflected in all facets of public life , such as, increase in earning capacity and income, employment in public and private sector industries, political, social and cultural awareness, health consciousness and the like.

The most important impact of education on women is the infusion of boldness to resist any offence or insult from their opposite sex. Divorce cases piling up in courts are a proof to this. They are eager to learn, to earn and to compete with men in all spheres. The younger generation women has emerged quite different from the older one in thought, action and life-style.