Sir, coming back to Nepali, Dr. Suniti Chakraborty was specific about Sindhi and Nepali. He said:

"Other Indian languages are to be added in the English Schedule following the wishes of their speakers and their importance, namely Sindhi and Nepali."

It is a matter of great satisfaction that Sindhi had already been included in the Eighth Schedule. But Nepali has not yet been included and I think, that has to be done now.

MR. CHAIRMAN: The time is about to expire. We shall have to extend the time for this Bill. Can we have one-and-a-half hours more?

SEVERAL HON. MEMBERS: Yes.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Many Members want to speak on this Bill. So, we extend the time for this Bill by One- and- a- half hours.

SHRI CHITTA BASU: Sir, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had also given his views as to what should be the broad criteria for the recognition of a language to be included in the Eighth' Schedule. He said:

"If a language is to be recognised, it must fulfil two important criteria. One, the more widespread

515 Const. (Amend.) Bill (Amend. of Eighth schedule) [Sh.Chitta Basu]

character of the language and the use of the language by a large number of people.'

These two criteria had been suggested by him and I think, from these two- broad criteria, Nepali and Manipuri can be easily accepted as two languages which are qualified to be included in the Eighth Schedule.

Some objections have been raised regarding Nepali language by calling it as a foreign language. I think, this Parliament also had the opportunity of giving its views regarding that particular objection. In a Parliamentary question, it was replied that the language spoken by a person is not related to the criteria of the right of citizenship of India. A person can be an Indian national by birth, by dissent, by registration and naturalisation under the provisions of the Citizenship Act. Therefore any Nepali speaking Indian citizen had got the citizenship right under the particular law of our country. The question whether he speaks Nepali or Bengali or any other language is not the criterion for the citizenship of the country. therefore, our Citizenship Act is very clear. Anybody who is an Indian citizen can speak any language and that language is not a criterion to decide about his citizenship. Yes, it is a fact that in Nepal, a sovereign friendly country of India, Nepali is the language spoken by the majority of the people. Somebody may feel since Nepali is spoken by Nepali citizens in the sovereign State of Nepal, Nepali is a foreign language.

16.57 hrs.

[SHRIMATI MALINI BHATTACHARAYA in the Chair]

The former Prime Minister has erred in his judgment in this respect. Indian citizens speaking Nepali are also Indian citizens . I want cite an equal and parallel simile. Bangladesh is a free sovereign independent friendly country. Majority of the Bangladeshi citizens speak Bengali. We also speak

by Statt. Dil Kumari Bhandari 516

Bengali. That does not mean, speaking Bengali is something wrong.

Bengali is my mother-longue. Bengali is also the mothertongue of many Bangladeshis. Therefore, in the Indian citizen speaking Nepali and the Nepali citizen speaking Nepali, there is no element of animosity between the same language group inhabiting different parts of the world. Therefore, that argument also does not hold good.

A question has been raised about Gorkhali. I do not want to enter into any controversy on this subject particularly which relates to the emotional question of language. As a matter of fact, Nepali is a known language. I would stand to be corrected there is no such language as called Gorkhali - If somebody wants to give Nepali, the name of Gorkhali, I have got nothing to oppose. If Gorkhali is one element of Nepali language; I also do not have any objection to accept it. But on that issue, whether it is Nepali or Gorkhali, there should not be any controversy and this controversy has been raised from certain quarters in order to stall the recognition of the Nepali language.

I conclude that this Bill which contemplates the inclusion of two languages, namely Manipuri and Nepali should be immediately accepted.

17.00 hrs.

So far as inclusion of other languages is concerned, Khasi, Maithili, Rajasthani, Konkani Dongri and all other languages should also be included in the Eighth Schedule on the basis of certain criteria to be fixed up subsequently by the Government in consultation with all the parties concerned. That will be the scientific approach to solve any problem of our country. That will be the only method, the only way, how to-unify India on the basis of mutli-linguism, on the basis of multi-ethnicity and that will contribute to the strength of the nation as a whole.

With this appeal I conclude and once more I request that recognition can be given to Nepali language and Manipuri language.

These two languages are to be immediately

517 Const. (Amend.) Bill (Amend. of Eighth schedule)

included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

Many friends have already mentioned about the recent movement in Manipur which threatens the unity of the country also, because of the fact some of the advocates of the Manipuri language Recognition Committee have taken to the wrong path, have taken to the path of anti -Hindi feeling. This is also not a very good sign.

Hindi is the official language of our country. Hindi is a national language. We are all for the development of Hindi as the main language of our country, But the development of Hindi should not be a factor for the impediment of the other languages.

Therefore, I appeal to the leadership of the Manipuri Language Recognition Committee not to fall victims to parochialism, to the propaganda of interested lobbies in our country which want to devide the country instead of uniting the country.

With these words, I appeal to the Government to accept right now the proposal of inclusion of Manipuri language and Nepali language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of the Country.

SHRI PETER G. MARBANIANG Madam Chairman, I rise to support the -private Member Bill moved by Shrimati Dil Kumari Bhandari, the hon.

Member from Sikkim.

India is a great country and it is decorated with hundreds of flowers growing together with different colours, with different beauties, with different heights. All these flowers add colour in totality to the greatness of this country.

We should remember that when the founding fathers of the Constitution chalked out the Eighth Schedule, we were hardly four years as free citizens of this great country of ours.

Having been in the reign of foreign

by Statt. 518 Dil Kumari Bhandari

powers, many of the hill areas of this country had no chance to develop socially, economically, politically and they have not been able to appreciate the significance of the development of the languages of all these areas. As such, hurriedly the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution was constituted. Many of the different languages prevailing in this great country of ours have not got recognition to be included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. We are now 40 years enjoying the freedom as tree citizens; we have seen the 40 years of development, 40 years progress and we are enjoying them. For the last40 years, our people have tried their best to make this country great. the people who are here in our Parliament some of them are the founding -fathers of the Constitution - will revise and will bring amendment to the Constitution. so, the time has come when new thinking should be done on the inclusion of language which have come up to the standard to be included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

I want to make it very clear that I support the Bill moved by the hon. Member from Sikkim. I consider that Nepali language an Indian language which has grown richly in all its different stages. It is a language which is spoken by 10 million people living in India ; it is a language which has produced great books by different writers. There are poems written by different-poet- Laureates which have been acclaimed by the Sahitya Akademy and other organisations. As far as this language is concerned, many a time resolutions were passed in the all-India Conference demanding the Government of India to include the Nepali language in the Eighth Schedule. Therefore, Ientirely support the arguments put forward by Shrimati Bhandari, the hon. Member from Sikkim, who has very diligently and in a very noncontroversial manner, tried to put this Bill to be passed in this august House.

I just want to bring to the notice of the House one thing. I come from the NorthEastern Region. Coming from Meghalaya, I would like to say that like the Manipuri, language the Khasi language has come up to the standard where it needs immediate

519 Const. (Amend.) Bill (Amend. of Eighth schedule) [Sh. Peter G.

Marbaniang]

recognition not only by the Sahitiya Akademy but also needs immediate recognition by the Government of India for the inclusion in the Eighth Schedule. The Khasi language has been recognised up to the Doctorate -level by the North Eastern Hill University. Many doctorate degrees have been conferred on different men and women who have submitted their theses. We do feel that the Khasi language has also come up to the Standad to be recognised in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. It deserves that. We have grammar book in the Khasi language; we have poetries in the Khasi language; we have novels in Khasi languages have newspapers in the Khasi language; we have different literatures in the Khasi language; we have got the Bible and we have many other important books which we have produced in the Khasi language.

As a language of the North-Eastern region, the Khasi language has a status to be considered for its inclusion in the Eighth Schedule.

Therefore, I would request the hon. Minister of State for Home, who is present here - not that I am against the Billthat in case he ask for time to reconsider it, them he should remember that there are languages in the North- Eastern region which need to be given recognition. The Mizoram language has come, the Garo language has come, the Konkani language has come. These are the different languages which the Home Minister will have to take in to consideration.

I appeal to him that as the Bill has included Manipuri and Nepali languages in the Bill, he should allow this Bill to be passed. It is a Private Member's Bill. It is moved by an hon. lady M.P. from Sikkim. I strongly support the Bill and I want that we all should support this Bill.

[Translation]

DR. LAXMINARAYAN PANDEYA (Mandsaur): Madam Chairman, I raise to support the present Bill as also to speak further in pursuance of the views expressed

by Statt. Dil Kumari Bhandari 520

by Shri Advani on behalf of our part.

Language is a medium through which people easily express themselves and that is why different languages have their our importance and own entity. The present Bill seeks to include Nepali and Manipuri in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Nepali and Manipuri can both be called rich languages in the linguistic field.

Even from the point of view of norms on the basis of which a language is recognised, these two languages fullfil the conditions. If a language has its grammar, literature, a cultural history behind it and is spoken by a large number of people, it can be called a language.

On this basis if we judge Nepali language, we can definitely say that it is a rich language. It has its own literature, own grammar and is spoken by lakhs of people. It is therefore, most appropriate that this language is a included in the Eighth Schedule. Manipuri also holes the same position. It is a rich language and is spoken in a vast area. The Bhartiya Janata Party has on this very ground mentioned clearly in its manifesto to include Manipuri and Nepali languages in the Eighth Schedule. I would like to say that while on the one hand different problems of NorthEastern States have been referred to in this manifesto, on the other a mention has also been made that Manipuri and Nepali languages be included in the eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Our Party therefore holds the view that both these languages should be included in the Eighth Schedule. I would not like to repeat as has already been said here that those two languages have been given special status and place by different institutions -viz Sahitik Akadami or other instructions of literature.

From this point of view, I would like that this demand which has been there for years, should be fulfilled. Because, Nepali is not the language of a particular section, nor it is a language of any race but it is a language spoken in vast area. It is a medium of instruction.

It has been a medium for all educated people in the area right from primary stage to the stage of universities. It has also been stated here that this language is prominently spoken in different States which include Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Tripura and Sikkim.

521 Const. (Amend.) Bill (Amend. of Eighth schedule)

Some of these States have accepted it as a State Language. So this language should be included in the Eighth Schedule. When different legal-instructions or legislatures reach at a consensus on a thing, it becomes imperative for this House to consider that with all seriousness. When four of our States have pleaded for this language it should be included in the eighth schedule, I think it would be practical to include it. It would have been much better had a Bill in regard to these languages been brought forward by the Government and passed by the House unanimously, yet I hope that even though this Bill has not been brought forward by the Government, this should be passed unanimously so that wishes of crones of people could be fulfilled.

Some people see this agitation in the context of Hindi. I had, however, recently been to North-Eastern States where I did not see any protest against Hindi anywhere. If is, however, argued that there is protest in Manipur against Hindi, but there is nothing like that there. They want their language should be recognised. When they do not get they protest against all other languages. As long as their own language is not recognised, they cannot accept other languages.

So it is wrong that there is a protest there against Hindi. They want that Manipuri-language should be recognised. Keeping this in mind they have made this request. The subject has been raised in the House several times, So it is now high time for us to accept that. It has also been said that there are various languages in different areas which are in the from of dialects. they do not have their natural grammar,wide literature and cultural tradition. That is why such languages are only in the form of dialects. It would not be proper to accept them as languages. They can be called languages but not before they are improved upto the level of other languages are included in the Eighth Schedule. I would like that the Government should accept this Bill. I support the views expressed by the leader of our party and also support the Bill presented by the hon. Member. Shrimati Dil Kumari Bhandari, I request that Nepali and Manipuri should be by Statt. 522 Dil Kumari Bhandari

included in the eighth Schedule and the Bill should be passed unanimously by the hon. Members and they should extend their support in getting this Bill passed.

*SHRI SWARUP UPADHAYAYA (Tezpur): Mr. Chairman, Sir, Mrs. Dil Kumari Bhandari has brought this Constitutional Amendment Bill for which I congratulate her. this is a noble effort by her because of which all the Nepali speaking people of India are very much hopeful.

[English]

I know, I cannot speak in Nepalese. That is why I spoke in assamese which is included in 15 languages; so I started in Assamese.

this is the impediment people face. This is the highest body of our country. There are people and citizens of this country who cannot take oath in their own mother tongue. Why? What is their crime? We say that in our Constitution we have given equal rights to all the citizens. What about those citizens whose mother tongue is not included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution? Are they not citizens of this country? they cannot use their mother tongue even to take oath in this House.That is why there is a feeling not only in the minds of the Nepali people, but other small linguistic groups, the disadvantaged and the backward that this country, though it calls itself a democracy, yet in the practical sense of the term this is a dictatorship of the advanced and larger nationalities and lager linguistic groups of this country. If they tomorrow raise this bogie, if they tomorrow shout this slogan inn the streets of different parts of the country, we have got no argument to refute it.

Today while the Nepali people are coming for the recognition of their language, some people say that this is an alien language. Some others can say that this is an advanced language and has got so much of relationship with Sanskrit, Hindi and other languages. Why not?

Even if there is no linkage with Sanskrit or Hindi, have they not got the right to demand for the inclusion of their language or to see that their language

--------------------------------------------------------------------- *Translation of the speech orginally delivered in Assamese.

523 Const. (Amend.) Bill (Amend. of Eighth schedule) [Sh. Swarup Upadhyay]

is included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution? In our Constitution is there anything like only the Aryan group of language should be included in the Constitution or is there any bar that certain groups of languages should not be included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution?