LINGUISTIC IMPERIALISM: How Nepali Schools Are Being Forcefully Converted to Bengali Medium in Dooars
Dooars region had and continues to have a huge Gorkhali population and in order to cater to the indigenous Nepali population; Nepali Medium schools were established so that children could gain education in our own language.
In 1972, Dooars had 97 Nepali Primary schools, today that number has gone down to only 29.
Nepali schools across the region are gradually being converted to Bengali medium schools, though some have also been converted to Hindi medium, majority of the school have been converted to Bengali medium schools.
Though we acknowledge that in a handful of schools, the number of Nepali speaking students has gone down significantly, there is no basis for converting majority of these schools into Bengali medium.
At the most fundamental level, Bengali is being imposed as a medium of instruction on our people. This is the basest of all forms of Linguistic Imperialism.
Take the case of Saraswati Nepali Primary School, which was one of the 1st Nepali schools to be established in Dooars. It started catering to students of Khokla busty since 1965, and eventually got the recognized as a government school in 1970.
In March of 2015, the school was granted the status of a Junior Madhyamik School, and the entire Gorkhali community of the region was thrilled.
However, when the circular was sent, therein it was mentioned that the School was recognized as a “Bengali Junior Madhyamik School”, and not Nepali school. The school authorities were alarmed. However, they felt that there must have been a clerical error and that the circular was sent out mistakenly.
The school headmaster Mr. Gopal Chettri then refused to accept the circular and returned it to the Inspector of Schools, Alipurdwar, with a request to correct the mistake.
However, it has been FIVE MONTHS since that request, the Inspector of Schools has not sent any circular, nor have they clarified that it was a mistake or clerical error.
Established in 1965 by Khokla busty resident Mr. D B Chettri, the school was accorded government school status in 1970 following the efforts of teachers Mr. Ashabahadur Subba and Mr. Gopal Rai.
This year the NEPALI school is actually celebrating its 50 YEARS OF SERVICE to the community, from which the students from Khokla busty, Toribari, Gotibari have benefitted from education in our Mother tongue.
The fact that the Bengal government decided to send a circular co-opting a Nepali school which has reached 50 years as a Bengali school is indicative of the systematic malice, discrimination and linguistic imperialism that Bengal government has imposed on us over and over again.
We request the people from all sections of our society to raise their voice against this systematic undermining of our Language and people.
It is high time that we spoke out.
Via - The Darjeeling Chronicle
Dooars region had and continues to have a huge Gorkhali population and in order to cater to the indigenous Nepali population; Nepali Medium schools were established so that children could gain education in our own language.
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| Dooars Nepali Schools Forcefully Converted to Bengali Medium |
Nepali schools across the region are gradually being converted to Bengali medium schools, though some have also been converted to Hindi medium, majority of the school have been converted to Bengali medium schools.
Though we acknowledge that in a handful of schools, the number of Nepali speaking students has gone down significantly, there is no basis for converting majority of these schools into Bengali medium.
At the most fundamental level, Bengali is being imposed as a medium of instruction on our people. This is the basest of all forms of Linguistic Imperialism.
Take the case of Saraswati Nepali Primary School, which was one of the 1st Nepali schools to be established in Dooars. It started catering to students of Khokla busty since 1965, and eventually got the recognized as a government school in 1970.
In March of 2015, the school was granted the status of a Junior Madhyamik School, and the entire Gorkhali community of the region was thrilled.
However, when the circular was sent, therein it was mentioned that the School was recognized as a “Bengali Junior Madhyamik School”, and not Nepali school. The school authorities were alarmed. However, they felt that there must have been a clerical error and that the circular was sent out mistakenly.
The school headmaster Mr. Gopal Chettri then refused to accept the circular and returned it to the Inspector of Schools, Alipurdwar, with a request to correct the mistake.
However, it has been FIVE MONTHS since that request, the Inspector of Schools has not sent any circular, nor have they clarified that it was a mistake or clerical error.
Established in 1965 by Khokla busty resident Mr. D B Chettri, the school was accorded government school status in 1970 following the efforts of teachers Mr. Ashabahadur Subba and Mr. Gopal Rai.
This year the NEPALI school is actually celebrating its 50 YEARS OF SERVICE to the community, from which the students from Khokla busty, Toribari, Gotibari have benefitted from education in our Mother tongue.
The fact that the Bengal government decided to send a circular co-opting a Nepali school which has reached 50 years as a Bengali school is indicative of the systematic malice, discrimination and linguistic imperialism that Bengal government has imposed on us over and over again.
We request the people from all sections of our society to raise their voice against this systematic undermining of our Language and people.
It is high time that we spoke out.
Via - The Darjeeling Chronicle
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