Gangtok: On August 20, 1992, the Nepali language was inducted into the 8th schedule of the Indian Constitution, thereby making it a recognised language in India. 31 years later, Sikkim celebrated Nepali Bhasa Manyata Diwas or Nepali Language Recognition Day for the very first time as a state holiday.
The recognition of the Nepali language was ignited as a proposal during India’s Independence in 1947. Gradually, the Nepali-speaking people from Dehradun initiated what is now known as the language recognition revolution. Soon, the discussion for recognition spread to the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills in West Bengal, as well as to Purvanchal and Assam, continuing until the 1980s.
However, it was former Sikkim MP Dil Kumari Bhandari and the then Chief Minister, the late Nar Bahadur Bhandari, who re-ignited the language recognition movement in the 1990s. They took the concern to the Indian Parliament, where it garnered unanimous support from both houses, eventually leading to its recognition and inclusion in the 8th schedule, as signed by the then President of India on August 31, 1992.
Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay, who attended the celebration in Gangtok on Sunday, acknowledged the contributions of former Chief Minister late Nar Bahadur Bhandari and former MP Dil Kumari Bhandari from Sikkim for spearheading the Nepali language recognition movement for years until its recognition in 1992.
Reflecting on the history of recognition, the Sikkim CM shared, “It was a long struggle. Anand Singh Thapa began the movement in 1956, and it concluded only in 1992. On August 31, 1992, the then President signed the inclusion of the language. It was passed in both Parliament houses in 1992.”
Praising former Chief Minister NB Bhandari and MP DK Bhandari, Golay said, “Both Bhandaris fought fervently for language recognition, though the previous government deemed acknowledging them or mentioning their names as inappropriate. However, our unity around the language has not diminished; it has grown stronger. Only after our government came into power have we officially designated today as a holiday.”
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Discussing Nepali literature, Golay said, “Our literature is not only for us but also for a global audience, which the younger generation must learn and carry forward. Our literature should be inclusive of all communities in the Nepali diaspora. After receiving Constitutional recognition, we must determine the best way to advance it.”
Numerous Nepali writers, litterateurs, and contributors to the language were felicitated during the event.
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