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Why Do We Need Multilingual Policy in Nepal?

Participants at the multi-lingual program. Photos: Sangmo

"We must know the white [man's] language to survive in this world. But we must know our language to survive forever." -American Indigenous Daril Beb as quoted in the paper by Amrit Yonjan-Tamang.

Kathmandu, August 12, 2008- Indigenous activists and intellectuals demanded the inclusion of a Multilingual Policy in the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal to preserve the mother tongues of the ethnic groups of Nepal.

Presenting a paper on "Language Policy in Federal System" at the presentation organized by the Tamang Academy in the capital on Tuesday, Linguist Amrit Yonjan-Tamang said that due to the state's one language policy, many indigenous mother tongues are on the verge of extinction.

Linguist Amrit Yonjan-Tamang

"19 languages of Indigenous Peoples of Nepal have already been killed and 40 more are in an endangered situation as the result of the state's decade long restriction on the use of mother tongues in the past." stated linguist Yonjan-Tamang, adding that mother tongue education is equally important for the preservation of indigenous languages.

"Linguistic minority groups of Nepal are deprived of using their linguistic human rights thus preventing them from access to education, information, fair trial, freedom of speech and various other human rights." he said.

He further stated that linguistic discrimination deprived people of fair political representation, access to health maintenance of their cultural heritage and use of the mother tongue in local administration.

"It is the state's responsibility to preserve the endangered languages along with cultural heritage. Mother tongue must be used in government offices, education institutions, courts, media, information and public services." Linguist Yonjan-Tamang said provision for a multilingual policy should be included clearly in the new constitution.

Lawyer Shankar Limbu

Advocate Sankar Limbu emphasized the need to implement the provisions regarding language and mother tongue education provided in International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 169 and UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Chandra Kulung demanded language policy from the state saying language should be made a base for restructuring of state in federal system.

Bal Krishna Mabuhang said a federal structure on the basis of cultural autonomy is essential for the conservation of all mother tongue languages of Nepal. "Issues of language are an essential part of state restructuring."

Dr. Mukta Singh Lama, Ms. Dhana Lama and various other language experts, Constituent Assembly members, also expressed their views on the need of Multi-language Policy.

-Sangmo Yonjan-Tamang in Kathmandu

तपाईंको भनाइ लेखी छाड्‍न र अरुको भनाइ पढ्न यहाँ क्लिक गर्नुहोस्
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