Literature plays a crucial role as both a mirror and a window to the worlds in which children live and are expected to take their place” (Galda, 1998). This quote unfailingly reminds us of the power of stories and books and the role they play in enriching children’s lives. Literature introduces children to not just stories but also ideas and issues related to their own lives as well as to lives and worlds they haven’t as yet seen! It makes available to them the collective knowledge about how individuals and communities have understood themselves and their relationships with each other and with nature. Through it, children also understand the elements of stories like plot, characters, theme, setting, values and language use.

While the role literature plays in children’s lives is well established and even acknowledged, creation of and access to good quality literature, especially in local languages that children speak and understand foremost, is disproportionately low. In India, 45% of the literature published for children is in English, 25% is in Hindi and a mere 30% is in the hundreds of local Indian languages! Additionally, only 26% of the overall literature published, is for children aged 0-6 years making it the most neglected group by publishers. (Parag, A Tata Trusts Initiative). This dearth of reading material in local languages, holds back 40% of students globally from gaining education in a language they understand. Lack of linguistic diversity in children’s books is a serious concern at present.

Determined to do something about this dismal state of children’s literature in local and under served languages of India, we at Aripana Foundation embarked upon Project Lemon-choos, a project dedicated to creating quality literature for children in Maithili – mother language of thousands of children of Mithila, foremost on many a child’s tongue yet struggling against other social and politically dominant languages.

Maithili is recognized as one of the official languages of India as per the 8th Schedule to the Indian Constitution. Despite this monumental step, in the state of Bihar, in which the Mithila region is located and a large number of Maithili speakers reside, Maithili does not enjoy the status of an official language. It is absent in children’s schooling and educational experience, the repercussions of which are serious! Younger generations, deprived of an academic, creative, enriching engagement with the language, coupled with very little exposure to literature and educational material therein, remain only remotely aware of the history and linguistic uniqueness of Maithili and the treasure trove of literature created by literary greats! Maithili literature too, like any other, offers its children a window and a mirror both, with which children can know the world around them and themselves, better, in a language that is their mother language, the one they speak and understand before any other! No other language,no matter how widely prevalent and influential, can replace the experience Maithili can provide to Maithil children. Presently, there’s very little opportunity or space created for young, budding minds to learn, understand, experience the language, in turn nurturing pride in young minds towards the language and culture.

At the present rate, without thoughtful intervention, younger generations might completely lose touch with the language. Not very many individuals will know it enough to become creators of literature in Maithili and not many will learn to be readers either!