Nepal Bhasa movement

Not to be confused with Nepali language movement.
Protests are held at Kathmandu Durbar Square after the Supreme Court's verdict against Nepal Bhasa in June 1999.
Sit-in held outside the prime minister's residence in Kathmandu to mark Black Day on 1 June 2013.

Nepal Bhasa movement (Newar: नेपालभाषा आन्दोलन) refers to the struggle for linguistic rights by Newar speakers in Nepal in the face of opposition from the government and hostile neighbors. The campaign aims to increase the use of Nepal Bhasa in the home, education, government and business. Despite a high level of development, Newar culture and language are both under threat.[1]

Newars have been fighting to save their language from the time of the repressive Rana regime until today, and activists have been jailed, exiled and tortured.[2][3] Opponents have even petitioned the Supreme Court to have its use barred. The history of Nepal Bhasa since the late 18th century has been marked by constant struggle against state repression and a hostile environment.[4][5]

The movement arose against the suppression of the language by the state that began with the rise of the Shah dynasty in 1768 AD, and intensified during the Rana regime (1846–1951) and Panchayat system (1960–1990).[6][7] Moreover, hostility towards the language from neighbors grew following mass migration into the Kathmandu Valley, leading to the indigenous Newars becoming a minority in their homeland. During the period 1952 to 1991, the percentage of the valley population speaking Nepal Bhasa dropped from 74.95% to 43.93%.[8] The language has been listed as being "definitely endangered" by UNESCO.[9]

The language movement can be divided into the following eras.

  • Shah/Rana era
  • First democratic era
  • Panchayat era
  • Second democratic era
  • Loktantra era
  1. ^ Grandin, Ingemar. "Between the market and Comrade Mao: Newar cultural activism and ethnic/political movements (Nepal)". {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  2. ^ Hoek, Bert van den & Shrestha, Balgopal (January 1995). "Education in the Mother Tongue: The Case of Nepal Bhasa (Newari)" (PDF). CNAS Journal. Retrieved 22 April 2012. Page 75.
  3. ^ Sthavir, Dharmalok (1 December 1977). "A Journey to Great China". Regmi Research Series. Regmi Research. Retrieved 11 October 2012. Pages 35–36.
  4. ^ Singh, Pranab Man (17 September 2011). "The language divide". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  5. ^ Manandhar, T (7 March 2014). "Voice Of The People". The Kathmandu Post. Archived from the original on 7 March 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
  6. ^ Singh, Phatte Bahadur (September 1979). "Nepali Biharya Aitihasik Pristabhumi ("Historical Background of Nepali Bihar")". Jaa. Kathmandu: Nepal Bhasa Sahitya Pala, Tri-Chandra Campus. Page 186.
  7. ^ Shrestha, Bal Gopal (January 1999). "The Newars: The Indigenous Population of the Kathmandu Valley in the Modern State of Nepal" (PDF). CNAS Journal. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  8. ^ Malla, Kamal P. "The Occupation of the Kathmandu Valley and its Fallout". p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 January 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  9. ^ "UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger". Retrieved 27 August 2013.