Row over ‘remark on Nepali lang’ in Mungpoo Court: GTA Chief, Bengal minister seek urgent intervention

Darjeeling: A major controversy has erupted after allegations surfaced that a Judicial Magistrate in Mungpoo Court barred the use of Nepali language in court proceedings and routine communication, claiming that “Nepali is a language of Nepal and not of India.” This has invited flak from different Hill political camps as well as different Bar Associations of the Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts. While Mungpoo Bar Association has been observing a cease work over the alleged remarks since Monday, the Darjeeling Bar Association observed a token strike in protest on Tuesday.

“This is a very disturbing statement. The learned Judge should know that Nepali is a language included in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution. How can it be a foreign language? How can Judges function without the knowledge of the local language of the Hills, Nepali. It is the language of the masses here and witnesses usually speak in Nepali,” stated Taranga Kumar Pandit, president, Darjeeling Bar Association. The youth wing of Indian Gorkha Janshakti Front embarked on a poster campaign in Darjeeling, condemning the statements made against Nepali language.

Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Chief Executive Anit Thapa condemned the reported remarks of Judicial Magistrate, terming them not only unconstitutional but also an affront to the sentiments of the Gorkha community. “Such restrictions on Nepali language question our identity and hurt our constitutional rights,” Thapa said, adding that Nepali is recognised under the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and is an official language in the Darjeeling hills.

On Thapa’s representation, Bengal Law and Labour minister Moloy Ghatak has written to the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court, urging urgent intervention. In his letter, Ghatak stated: “Nepali Language is recognised and included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India and is the official language. Considering the gravity of the situation, the matter requires immediate resolution.” Thapa welcomed the Minister’s intervention, saying it reaffirmed the dignity of the Nepali-speaking population. “The attempt to restrict Nepali is unconstitutional and injures the sentiments of the Gorkha people. We thank the minister for standing with the community,” he said.

In another development, the Sikkim Police on Tuesday arrested one Raj Shekhar, a student of the Sikkim University for allegedly making derogatory remarks against the

Nepali language.