PATNA: A boy born in a remote village of Bihar in Madhubani district in a family of modest means in 1972, was not expected to be familiar with English let alone speak it fluently enough to be able to train others. But Birbal Jha has done just that, becoming a much sought-after language trainer promoting English among the poorest of the poor.
He ventured out of his village to Patna for the first time in 1988 to eke out a livelihood, while simultaneously pursuing higher education, with just Rs 27 in his pocket.
When he was working as a waiter at a street eatery at Musallahpur, he came in contact with his current colleague Pradeep Jha, who helped him get the job of a peon at the Murlidhar Press.
“Taking an insight from Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, who once said 'English is like the milk of lioness one who drinks it becomes a lion', I learnt and mastered English to the extent that I began to share it with those deprived of this life-changing skill,” he told this newspaper.
Jha, 47, is now the Managing Director of Lingua Multi-Services Private Ltd, which owns the popular trademark British Lingua, specializing in English and soft skills training in India.
Apart from being a renowned English communication skills trainer, he is also a noted author, social entrepreneur, social worker, cultural activist, lyricist and linguist.
Jha has developed a unique Structural-cum-Interactive Method (SIM) for the quick and easy grasp of spoken English skills.
With the motto of 'English for all', he set off in 1993 on a mission to help people, especially the youth, to avail the advantages of English communication skills.
Jha has helped lakhs of youths from the underprivileged sections of society communicate in English fluently as well as write with confidence.
Amidst his ruling passion to make youths fluent in English, he obtained a PhD and double masters degrees from Patna University.
An acclaimed author, he has written over 25 books till date on aspects of English communication skills, personal growth, manual, parenting and culture and continued helping readers and learners through language columns in various dailies including one in Dainik Jagran and the ‘Jano English’ column in Hindustan.
“Apart from many others, Oxford University Professor Elizabeth School has endorsed my magnum opus "Celebrate Your Life", he said, adding that he also wrote a drama titled “English Boli” in 2013 depicting the need for English education.
In the 2010 Commonwealth Games, which was held in Delhi, he headed the training team of British Lingua, which imparted the first-ever training in spoken English and behaviour skills to those who were the first points of contacts at the international event.
Recognizing his expertise and scholarship, the Bihar government entrusted his organisation with the task of implementing the first-ever ‘Spoken English and Capacity Building’ training programme for government high school teachers in 2009.
A postal stamp was issued on Mithila Paag in 2017 following the ‘Save the Paag Campaign’, launched by Mithila Lok Foundation, which he heads as Chairman. He has also written a book titled ‘Child Safety’ and the lyrics of dozens of songs. One of them, 'Kya Gunah Tha Mere Bache Ka', has been posted on YouTube and has more than 8 million views till date.
In a book by Vivekananda Jha published in 2017 titled ‘The Living Legends of Mithila’, which recognised 25 leading personalities from the region for their social contributions, Jha has been accorded the status of ‘Youngest Living Legend of Mithila’.
Impressed by his contributions in the fields of communication skills development and other social services, several organisations have honoured Jha with awards and citations including the ‘Star of Asia Award’. His expertise and commitment to social causes also drew the attention of the New York Times, which ran a story on him in 2003.