Explained: The Nepali language controversy that has angered Gorkhas

After outrage from the Gorkha community across the country, the All India Women Conference (AIWC) has apologised for rejecting a performance by the artistes of the community while contending that Nepali is a “non-Indian language”.

The apology has come after a Gorkha group threatened legal action.

Press release- Calling 'Gorkhas' - 'Non Indian', community's program rejected at AIWC Patriotic event

If they doesn't apologise in
public domain within 24 hours of our statement, we'll take legal action also to file online petitions, so that this incident doesn't happen again pic.twitter.com/NiR2N4EmJv

— Bharatiya Gorkha Yuva Parisangh (@BhaGoYuP) June 16, 2022

What is the Nepali language controversy? According to The New Indian Express, on 9 June, AIWC executive member and the head of events Chandra Prabha Pandey had sent out a note asking for contributions for an event organised coinciding with “Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav”.

The contributions were patriotic songs and dances performed in regional languages.

The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP) alleged that Pandey told a group of artistes from Kalimpong in West Bengal that “we cannot showcase performances in non-Indian languages”.

As per a report by NDTV, she further insisted that the artistes cannot send the National Anthem sung in Nepali as it is “not a language from India”, the group said.

The Gorkha group expressed shock over how Pandey conducted herself.

“It is shocking the AIWC is absolutely ignorant that Nepali language/Gorkha Bhasa is one of the national languages of India spoken by 10.5 million Indian Gorkhas and duly recognised under the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution,” BGP youth wing general secretary Ramesh Bastola said, as reported by The New Indian Express.

Later, AIWC president Sheela Karkde issued a statement apologising “on behalf of all the members of AIWC”.

“We strongly oppose and condemn the ignorance shown by the member. On behalf of all the members of AIWC, we extend unconditional apology to our dear Gorkha brothers,” said the statement issued by Karkde. Darjeeling MP Raju Bista shared the statement along with a handwritten apology by Pandey.

I appreciate the unconditional apology issued by Mrs. Sheela Karkde, the President of All India Women's Conference, Central Committee on behalf of her organisation, accompanied by a hand written apology from Ms Chandra Prabha Pandey. pic.twitter.com/3DrlTDhZgN

— Raju Bista (@RajuBistaBJP) June 16, 2022

What is the status of Nepali language? As per the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India, Nepali has been an officially recognised language of India since 1992. The states of Sikkim and West Bengal have also accorded it the official status. As per the census 2011, there are more than 30 lakh speakers of Nepali language in India, majority of which are in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, and Uttarakhand. With inputs from agencies

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