Gorkhas hurt after ‘non-Indian’ snub by All India Women’s Conference for ‘Azadi’ event
The Hindu
Bharatiya Gorkha Yuva Parisangh has decided to take up the matter legally if an apology is not issued
Gorkha organisations have slammed the All-India Women Conference (AIWC) for rejecting the community’s programme for an ‘Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav’ event after labelling ‘Nepali’ a “non-Indian” language.
AIWC executive member Chandra Prabha Pandey on June 9 sent out a note seeking contributions from its regional chapters for the proposed ‘Azadi’ celebrations. The requirement was patriotic songs and dances performed in regional languages.
But when artists from West Bengal’s Kalimpong district sent in their contributions, Ms. Pandey allegedly told them that the AIWC could not showcase performances in ‘non-Indian languages’.
AIWC’s Kalimpong secretary Aruna Pradhan tried to reason with Ms. Pandey but the latter insisted that the national anthem in “Nepali, not a language from India” was unacceptable. Ms. Pandey also indicated that the Gorkhas were migrants and thus not eligible for performing at an event for Indians.
“By claiming that Nepali is not an Indian language, and not allowing performances in Nepali language, that too for ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations, the AIWC has shown deliberate racism against the Gorkha community of our nation,” Darjeeling MP Raju Bista said.
“Perhaps, the AIWC members are unaware that our Gorkha ancestors have played a vital role in ensuring India’s independence,” he added.
“It is shocking that an esteemed organisation like the AIWC has members who seem to be absolutely ignorant that Nepali/Gorkha is spoken by the 10.5 million Indian Gorkhas, duly recognised as an Indian language under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India,” Ramesh Bastola, the general secretary of the Bharatiya Gorkha Yuva Parisangh, said.
“Writing, in general, is a very solitary process,” says Yauvanika Chopra, Associate Director at The New India Foundation (NIF), which, earlier this year, announced the 12th edition of its NIF Book Fellowships for research and scholarship about Indian history after Independence. While authors, in general, are built for it, it can still get very lonely, says Chopra, pointing out that the fellowship’s community support is as valuable as the monetary benefits it offers. “There is a solid community of NIF fellows, trustees, language experts, jury members, all of whom are incredibly competent,” she says. “They really help make authors feel supported from manuscript to publication, so you never feel like you’re struggling through isolation.”
Manoj Kumar, a talented artist with a disability, paints vibrant murals at Sabarimala, narrating the story of Lord Ayyappa.
Lieutenant General Karanbir Singh Brar assesses operational readiness and administrative effectiveness in Hyderabad and Secunderabad military facilities.
Supreme Court ruling on socialism, secularism
Several principals of government and private schools in Delhi on Tuesday said the Directorate of Education (DoE) circular from a day earlier, directing schools to conduct classes in ‘hybrid’ mode, had caused confusion regarding day-to-day operations as they did not know how many students would return to school from Wednesday and how would teachers instruct in two modes — online and in person — at once. The DoE circular on Monday had also stated that the option to “exercise online mode of education, wherever available, shall vest with the students and their guardians”. Several schoolteachers also expressed confusion regarding the DoE order. A government schoolteacher said he was unsure of how to cope with the resumption of physical classes, given that the order directing government offices to ensure that 50% of the employees work from home is still in place. On Monday, the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) had, on the orders of the Supreme Court, directed schools in Delhi-NCR to shift classes to the hybrid mode, following which the DoE had issued the circular. The court had urged the Centre’s pollution watchdog to consider restarting physical classes due to many students missing out on the mid-day meals and lacking the necessary means to attend classes online. The CAQM had, on November 20, asked schools in Delhi-NCR to shift to the online mode of teaching.
Tamil Nadu rain weather LIVE updates: Follow The Hindu’s live coverage of the Tamil Nadu rains on November 27, 2024
Norway parliament apologises to Sami and other minority groups for assimilation policies
Nearly 50% of Dakshina Kannada’s shoreline has been eroded, the highest among the three coastal districts of Karnataka, according to a study for the period 1990-2018 by the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR).
Sambhal mosque controversy
The Hindu Morning Digest gives a select list of stories to start the day. Read the top news today on November 27, 2024
Bengaluru publishers face backlash over new quality affidavit rule for pending dues, sparking demands for fairness and transparency.