CPRM lauds GJMM move to promote Nepali language

SNS, Darjeeling, 24 August 2014: Veteran leader of the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist (CPRM) and a former Rajya Sabha MP from Darjeeling, RB Rai today welcomed the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration chief Bimal Gurung's announcement of making Nepali the official language in local offices.

He further said that political parties in the Hills and Hill MLAs and MPs must now strive to make the language recognized in state offices too.

A special guest, Mr Rai was addressing an event organized by Pragatishil Kala, an organization working for Nepali literature and culture, to recall the contribution of all people in having the Nepali language recognized in the country.

The language was constitutionally recognized after being included in the Eighth Schedule on 22 August 1992.

The focus of today's programme was ‘giving a rightful status and acknowledgement to the Nepali language.’

Speaking on it, Mr Rai said, "The Nepali language has been given constitutional recognition and is identified as the second most used language after Bengali in the state, but the language has been suppressed in many ways."

"In many state government jobs, Nepali speaking people have been deprived of recruitment just because s/he cannot read or write in Bengali," he added.

"The Nepali language has now been given official status in local offices by the GTA chief Bimal Gurung. This is a positive step, which the former autonomous body (Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council) could never do. Now, a major responsibility rests on the MPs and MLAs of Darjeleing who have a major role to play in prioritizing the use of the Nepali language in all offices in the state," Mr Rai said.

According to Mr Rai, the GNLF had earlier argued that the language should be rechristened as the ‘Gorkha’ language.

"The use of the language is the same. It was an unnecessary debate the GNLF started that time," he said. Several Nepali poets and writers were felicitated in today’s programme.