Nepali Language Status in Bengal Sparks Hill Concerns; Government Assures Protection of Linguistic Rights

KalimNews, July 21, 2026, Kalimpong : Following the announcement in the Assembly, concerns regarding the future status of Nepali and other regional languages were also raised among residents of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Terai, and Dooars.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, in a letter addressed to Raju Bista dated July 20, 2026, assured that the West Bengal Government respected the linguistic heritage of the Nepali-speaking community and recognised the constitutional importance of Nepali under the Eighth Schedule.

In the letter, the Chief Minister acknowledged concerns regarding the official use of Nepali in government forms and applications in the Darjeeling Hills, Terai, and Dooars regions.

He assured that the administration remained committed to inclusive governance and would take necessary steps to facilitate the official recognition and integration of Nepali language in the interest of the people.

Darjeeling MP Raju Bista issued a statement expressing that several people had approached him with concerns regarding the use and recognition of Nepali in government offices.

Bista said he subsequently spoke with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari regarding the matter and received assurances that the state government was fully aware of and respectful towards the linguistic and cultural diversity of the hills and other regions.

The MP recalled that the previous major phase of unrest in the hills in 2017 was connected to concerns over language policy after the then Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced compulsory Bengali teaching in schools.

Bista clarified that the latest announcement made in the Legislative Assembly was aimed at promoting Bengali and other regional languages in administration across government departments, autonomous bodies, boards, corporations, and local bodies from September 1.

He said many residents had contacted him expressing concerns about the status of Nepali and other regional languages following the announcement.

“After receiving these concerns, I spoke with the Chief Minister. He made it clear that the government is fully conscious of West Bengal’s rich linguistic and cultural diversity, particularly in the Darjeeling Hills, Terai, and Dooars regions,” Bista said.

According to Bista, the Chief Minister assured him that the government’s intention was to promote the use of all regional languages, including Nepali, in governance and public administration rather than restricting official communication mainly to English.

The Darjeeling MP assured residents that Nepali and all other recognised regional languages would continue to receive equal respect, recognition, and promotion.

He said the government would take all possible steps to preserve the linguistic and cultural heritage of every region while making administration more inclusive and accessible.

Bista also described the initiative as being aligned with the broader vision of the Government of India to encourage greater use of Indian languages in governance and public administration.

He said recent communication from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs encouraging wider use of Indian languages in official work reflected the importance of making governance more citizen-friendly and accessible.

Raju Bista expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for responding promptly to concerns raised by the people of Darjeeling hills, Terai, and Dooars regarding the use of Nepali language in official matters.

“On behalf of the people of Darjeeling hills, Terai, and Dooars, I thank Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Suvendu Adhikari Ji for promptly addressing the concerns regarding the use of Nepali language,” Bista said.

He appreciated the Chief Minister’s commitment towards ensuring equal respect, recognition, and promotion of Nepali and other regional languages.

Bista stated that people of the region had faced challenges for decades and expressed hope that the present government would work towards greater justice, inclusiveness, and harmony.

He added that the people of the hills would continue to support efforts to build a stronger Bengal where every language and every voice receives respect.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced in the State Legislative Assembly on Monday that Bengali and other regional languages would be promoted for official communication across government departments, autonomous bodies, boards, corporations, and local bodies from September 1.

The youth wing of the Indian Gorkha Janashakti Front (IGJF) has raised concerns over the possibility of a repeat of the 2017 agitation in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills following the West Bengal Government’s announcement regarding the promotion and use of Bengali language for administrative purposes.

While welcoming the move to promote Bengali across the state, the IGJF’s Yuwa Janshakti Front (YJF) urged the government to ensure that the unique linguistic and cultural identity of the hill regions is protected and that Nepali receives equal status in administrative affairs.

YJF Chief Coordinator Rangay Rai said that the organisation respects the Bengali language and supports efforts to promote it, but stressed that West Bengal is a multilingual state where Bengali is not the mother tongue of every citizen.

“For the Indian Gorkhas of the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills, Nepali is our mother tongue, our identity, and the principal language of our daily lives,” Rai said.

He highlighted that Nepali is not merely a regional language but a constitutionally recognised language included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Rai further pointed out that the West Bengal Official Language Act, 1961, recognises both Bengali and Nepali for official purposes.

According to him, Section 2(a) of the Act provides recognition to Nepali and Bengali, while Section 3A allows the use of Nepali in government rules, regulations, notifications, and orders related to the hill areas.

Rai stated that any statewide administrative directive promoting Bengali must also clearly protect the existing legal status of Nepali and ensure that the language rights of the hill people remain intact.

The YJF recalled the events of 2017 when the Darjeeling hills witnessed a prolonged agitation following the then West Bengal Government’s decision to make Bengali compulsory in schools across the region.

The movement, led by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha under Bimal Gurung, resulted in a 104-day shutdown and widespread unrest. The state government later withdrew the notification and exempted the hills from the blanket language directive.

Rai warned that any attempt to implement a language policy without considering the linguistic realities of the hills could once again create tension.

“We have witnessed how the situation escalated in 2017 following the imposition of Bengali language measures. We fear a similar situation if the present government proceeds without providing necessary exemptions and safeguards,” he said.

The Yuwa Janshakti Front has placed several demands before the state government regarding the final notification on language policy.

The organisation has demanded that Nepali continue as a co-equal and principal administrative language in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) areas.

Rai said that all government offices, district administrations, municipalities, panchayats, police stations, and other public institutions in the GTA region should accept applications in Nepali and provide official forms, notices, orders, replies, advertisements, and public information in the language.

He further demanded that all major government notifications concerning the hills should also be issued in Nepali, ensuring that students, citizens, job applicants, and government employees are not disadvantaged for using their mother tongue wherever the provisions of the West Bengal Official Language Act apply.

“Our people have struggled for generations to secure recognition for the Nepali language. The constitutional and statutory rights earned through years of effort cannot be weakened by a statewide administrative order,” Rai said.

He added that promoting Bengali should not come at the expense of Nepali, as both languages can coexist with mutual respect while reflecting the linguistic character of different regions.

Other regional political parties have not yet issued detailed responses to the government’s announcement.