WBCS examination: This year too, no optional paper on Nepali

Premankur Biswas, IE, Kolkata, Jan 1, 2016: NON-INCLUSION of Nepali as an optional paper in West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS) examination this year has met with widespread criticism in the hills.

“It reflects the Bengal governments’ attitude towards people from the hills,” said Kurseong MLA Rohit Sharma after advertisements for WBCS examinations were issued at the official Public Service Commission website last month.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Dr Sharma said: “I have raised this issue in the legislature numerous times, I have also raised the matter with (Chief Minister) Mamata Banerjee, home secretary, chief secretary and chairman of West Bengal Public Service Commission. Every time I raised this issue, they assured me that in 2016 WBCS examinations, Nepali will be added as an optional paper.”

“However, once again they have deceived the people of the hills and neglected our concerns. This shows the discrimination that we have to suffer. I condemn this whole heartedly,” he added.

Among the state’s population of 9 crore Nepalis, the language is spoken by over 1 million people — making it the fourth most widely spoken language after Bengali, Hindi and Ol-chiki.

Academics too have spoken out against what they perceive as “blatant act of discrimination”. “This is politics of the most foul kind… despite Nepali being recognised as a national language of India, West Bengal government continues to deprive Nepali students…,” said Sanjay Bista of Kalimpong College.

“If they can include a dead language like Pali or even Arabic, why can’t they include Nepali as an optional paper? This is not only discrimination, it is also injustice towards thousands of our youths who study Nepali as honours or elective subjects in their graduate courses,” he added. Pali and French, which are not widely spoken in Bengal, have been included in the list of optional papers.

When contacted, Darjeeling District Magistrate Anurag Srivastav said: “Yes, there have been widespread protests on the issue but we have no say over it.”