MUKESH SHARMA
Kalimpong, September 13:
The Bengali posters stuck all over Kalimpong by the West Bengal Government today has given rise to several unanswered questions to the people of the Hills. The flame concerning the use and implementation
of Nepali language under the Gorkha Territorial Administration is at the pick but the coming of uncountable Bengali posters has created doubts in the minds of the people. There are not more than 2% who can
understand Bengali in the Hills. The Kalimpong Sub Division Information and Cultural Department officials as well do no posses the knowledge of Bengali language but the posters been stuck in Kalimpong are by the concerned Department.
The people are in great gloominess and ambiguity as the Governmental posters in the Hills have appeared in Bengali. The said posters marked the completion of one year of the present Bengal Government. “It is

nothing but the Government wants us to force understand the Bengali language hook or by crook” said a youth. If it is so, the people of the Hills have to accept the forced language or to protest at large said the observers. It may be mentioned here that the Nepali language got its recognisation in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution and it completed its 20 years recently. On the other hand the Bengal Government in 1962 had also declared the Nepali language to be the second official language in the Darjeeling Districts but it has not been practically used at par till date. The Maxim ‘if language survives, community survives’ has been thought by now by the people in the Hills. The Bharitya Gorkha Parisangh, Janmukti Karmachari Sangathan, Students Union had recently escalated for the strict use of Nepali language in the Hills. On the above the Kalimpong Krishak Kalyan Sangathan today totally opposed the Bengali postering in Kalimpong. The Sangathan Secretary Bishnu Chettri said that there are 98% people who do not understand Bengali, but Bengali language which is being forced is a threat and humiliation to the Nepali language. He met the Cultural and Information Department official Mahendra Chettri and has also asked the Darjeeling District through fax on the same. The Sangathan has also expressed their sadness on the postering across the Hills and has demanded the use of Nepali language in every occasion in the Hills. They have decided to hold a seminar on the Nepali language in October where they have also invited the Information and Culture Department.