"We have decided to launch an awareness campaign nationwide to enlist the Hindi language, which unites the Madhes region, as a mother tongue or at least a second language in Census 2011." This decision was taken by the Rajendra Mahato-led Sadbhavana Party in December last year.

All Madhesi parties have noted in their party manifestos that Hindi should be included as a mother tongue. TMLP leader Jitendra Sonal says, "Madhesi parties have already launched awareness campaigns for Hindi to be enlisted as a mother tongue."

Census 2011, scheduled to begin from the second week of June, is the first census since the country became a federal democratic republic. The census is crucial as it will create the basis for state restructuring. If the Madhesi parties' strategy works, other native languages such as Maithili, Bhojpuri, Abadhi, and Tharu, among others, will be sidelined.

According to Census 2001, Maithali is spoken by 12.3 per cent of the total population followed by Bhojpuri at 7.53 per cent, Tharu at 5.86 per cent and Abadhi at 2.47 per cent while the Hindi-speaking population accounts for only 0.47 per cent. The majority of the people whose mother tongue is not Hindi live in the Tarai while Hindi-speaking people are scattered across 74 districts, barring Humla.

Academic Ramesh Ranjan Jha says a forceful induction of an external language will wipe out native languages. "Attempts are being made to destroy the identity and potential of the Madhes by planting a seed of political discord through language," he says.

UML leader Ramprit Paswan says the engagement of state agencies as well as non-governmental organisations to use the census to achieve the vested interests of political parties is unfortunate. However, spokesperson of Sadbhavana Party Ram Naresh Ray says the campaign was launched to pre-empt flaws in enlisting languages that are spoken in the region. "Mother tongues have their own importance but our effort is to make Hindi the language of communication in the Madhes region," he says.