Gorkhas hurt after ‘non-Indian’ snub by All India Women’s Conference for ‘Azadi’ event 

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.