Bhanu Jayanti: Nepali, a language of shared identity

Recent elections in neighboring India and results thereof continue to be scrutinized from several perspectives—both within India and elsewhere in the democratic world. The staggering number of eligible voters, 970m, alone was good enough to attract global attention in this five-yearly electoral exercise which began in 1951—almost four years after it ceased to be a British colony.

Interest in elections in the South Asia region was obviously higher than other regions, mainly because of  geographical proximity. Those sharing borders with India, including China and Pakistan, closely monitored the process with main focus on its outcome. For other neighbors, the process too was equally important. Cultural affinity also played its role as was palpable in Nepal. That the political party with commitment to Hindu nationalism continued to dominate other forces across India was bound to generate additional curiosity in a Hindu-majority Nepal. The keenness was natural.

Cultural affinity has a linguistic dimension as well. And that was in full view through media outlets, particularly during the oath-taking ceremony held for newly-elected parliament (Lok Sabha) members. As was visible, two of the lawmakers took oaths in Nepali language: Indra Hang Subba from Sikkim and Raju Bista from Darjeeling (West Bengal). Subba (35) belongs to Sikkim Krantikari Morcha and was first elected in 2019. Bista (38), a member of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is re-elected this year. Although they had different political affiliations, both Subba and Bista took pride in taking oath in Nepali.

Incidentally, what can be the decisive feature identifying a person of Nepali ethnicity in a throng of 543 men and women in a spacious chamber? It is neither food nor attire. It is the language—the Nepali language—which helps to single out who is who. A ‘Topee’(cap) may occasionally offer a clue, but is not a reliable substitute for the language.# 

Realistic recognition

Nepali is one of the 22 languages recognized by the Constitution of India. But the recognition was not easily acquired; It came by only after a concerted campaign and struggle the Nepali-speaking Gorkhas conducted for decades. Nepali language was included in the eighth schedule of the constitution in 1992. 

According to India’s census of 2011, 2.9m people in India have identified Nepali as their mother tongue. Apart from Sikkim and West Bengal, Nepali speakers are to be met in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, among other places. For example, Raju Bista, who represents Darjeeling, has his origins in Manipur. On the Western flank, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are the two main states with sizable Nepali-speaking populations. Delhi is also listed as a place where a significant number of Nepali speakers are said to be residing.       

In Sikkim, Nepali has traditionally been a lingua franca–i.e. it is understood and spoken by all other communities of the state, and beyond. Prominent Indian diplomat Harsh Vardhan Shringla is one of those high-ranking individuals having their lineage in Sikkim, and therefore speak Nepali flawlessly. When Sikkim’s university bestowed an honor on him, he chose to address the audience in Nepali. Shringla once visited Nepal as India’s foreign secretary, and was seen to be enjoying conversation in Nepali. One of his predecessors, who happened to be India’s first female foreign secretary, Chokila (Tshering) Iyer, was also conversant in Nepali; Darjeeling was her birthplace. 

For the people of Darjeeling-Sikkim region, July 13 is a special day when they pay tribute to the late Nepali poet Bhanubhakta Acharya. In 2016, President Pranab Mukherjee attended the function held at Chowrasta, marking Acharya’s 202nd birth anniversary. “We would like to strengthen this unique relationship amongst us,” Mukherjee said, referring to India’s ties with Nepal. 

In nearby Bhutan, Nepali remains one of the three main languages despite a mass eviction, in the 1990s, of Nepali-speaking Bhutanis. As a reporter, I have recollections of some occasions when visiting Bhutan ministers preferred to issue statements in Nepali. To further east, trouble-torn Myanmar (Burma) is another country where a significant segment of its population speaks Nepali.     

Knee-jerk reaction

Back to the oath-taking ceremony in the Indian parliament last month. Marking the occasion, this writer offered a comment on X (Twitter), in Nepali, essentially saying the obvious: That thousands of people had contributed to the campaign that led to the recognition of Nepali language in early 1990s. My observation generated some instant reactions and responses.While most of the X users cheered the news, some appeared rather inquisitive. The question was if India has constitutionally recognized Nepali, why can’t Nepal reciprocate in kind? In other words, a sort of imperative call to include Hindi in Nepal’s constitution. Ostensibly, this  is an innocuous query posed with a concomitant suggestion. My brief reply to the concerned readers contained the following points: 1) Nepal’s system runs in accordance with Nepal’s constitution; India’s governance is conducted on the basis of their statute. 2) India’s territory is large, and so is India’s population.

How is it possible to have equality between the two in every respect? 

3) Unlike Nepali, which is Nepal’s lingua franca, Hindi is yet to gain that status inasmuch as it is not accepted in India’s southern states where English continues to be the official language. 

Here I want to add a point which I did not insert in my quick response to X users: What all of us inside Nepal and intelligentsia across the southern border need to acknowledge and understand is the fact that Nepali language was included in the Indian constitution to expressly address the grievances of their own important constituency—of Gorkhas. No one in post-independent India can afford to underestimate their bravery, and the professional soldering the Gorkhas have rendered for the safety and security of India. Those who think Nepali language has been recognized by the Indian constitution merely to appease Nepalis of Nepal are living in a great illusion.    

Knee-jerk reactions, which surfaced through social media platforms like the X, are bound to be based on superficial understanding of the issue at hand. It is a pity that the emerging crowd of digital users tend to pay scant attention to the history and social background of the very country they belong to. Barring exceptions, grownup boys and girls of this ‘postmodern world’ seem to find ample time for socializing and recreation, but can spare little for serious study or research. Westernized lifestyles have made them self-centered, often at the expense of collective well-being.

Views are personal