Bhili language is one of the ancient and the most beautiful languages of tribal India. Dr. Nemichand Jain a linguist, scholar of ancient Indian languages of North India like Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, Apbhransh, Malvi etc. was a great scholar of Bhili. Dr. N. Jain was a specialist and lover of Bhili of Jhabua and its adjoining territories in Rajasthan, Gujarat and part of Maharashtra of Bhilanchal. He was of the opinion that Bhili has potentiality of being a language since it already has rich and vast heritage of literature behind. He was of the conviction that it is vastly being neglected by the administration and due to the ignorance of its own members of Bhil community it is losing its golden chances of developing into a rich language. Dr. Nemichand Jain left behind a three published volumes in the form of:
(1) BHIL: Bhasha, Sahitya aur Sanskriti
(2) Bhili-Hindi Kosh (Dictionary of Bhili)
(3) BHILI ka Bhasha Shastriya Adhyayan (Vol. I)
(4) BHILI ka Bhasha Shastriya Adhyayan (Vol.II) unpublished
Besides Dr. Nemichand Jain a few other scholars and writers contributed for the preservation and promotion of Bhili the language of the Bhils like Rev. Thompson(Rudiments of Bhili), George Grierson (BHILI : Linguistic Survey of India), Leon Jungblut ( A Short Bhili Grammar), Devprasad Ganawa ( Bhili Vyakaran), Sharma (Bhili Grammar), etc
Now Mahipal Bhuriya is bringing out a Bhili Grammar together with a short working dictionary of the Bhili and sample sentences for spoken Bhili. The Bhili course that he offers at the Centre for Tribal Culture and Art, Jhabua (MP) is useful for administrators, scholars, researchers, tourists, social workers, and others. Soon the course shall be available on audio and video cassettes.
