The political upheavals of 2006 and 2007 brought about drastic changes in the Nepali state apparatus and the mindset of its people. But even before the second people´s movement and the subsequent Madhesi uprising, the Maoist insurgency had brought in its wake tremendous political consciousness among Nepalis who, in the normal course of things, might otherwise have been busy discussing the indignities of their hardscrabble lives. Irrespective of the legitimacy (or lack thereof) of a violent armed struggle, there is substance to the argument that those directly affected by the insurgency were engaged in perhaps the most vibrant and informed political discussions in little tea shops dotting the length and breadth of the county.
Even post-2006, as every established belief about Nepali nationhood has come under renewed scrutiny, such talks are far from limited to the chattering classes. With the monarchy gone, a potent symbol of nationalism (accepted, imposed or innocently imbibed), which helped keep the country together as a unitary state, was forever lost. This in turn emboldened the heretofore marginalized people who started to make their presence felt in the void. One of the important ways they have been doing so is by bringing to debate the centrality of Nepali language—spoken as mother tongue by one-third of the populace (according to 2001 census) and the marginalization of theirs—in the new federal checkerboard.
Given its widespread comprehension, Nepali is likely to remain the country´s lingua franca (essentially, ‘a language without boundaries’) for some time yet. The preliminary draft of the constitution prepared by the CA’s ‘Committee to Decide the Basis of Cultural and Social Solidarity’ too emphasizes the centrality of Nepali language which “…shall be the official language of the Central Government” under the federal dispensation. But it doesn’t shut the door for other languages either, which, if they “fulfill certain criteria… shall be recognized as official language of the Central government.” Likewise, the paper provisions for self-determination of official languages at the provincial level.
What the concept paper doesn’t talk about is the widespread popularity of English language, even among the dwindling portion of the uneducated who seem fascinated by the seemingly boundless opportunities a good grasp of the language offers. Thus it wouldn’t be at all surprising if English is designated the other official language of federal Nepal. Or if the federal states decide to add English to their official language roster.
There are many other reasons for greater adoption of English. First, it doesn’t carry the colonial baggage in Nepal, as it does in many Commonwealth countries. As Nepali is increasingly seen as the language of the traditional ‘rulers’, it isn’t farfetched to assume that the newly-empowered communities will place a higher value on English, which is already seen as a potent alternative lingua franca by many sections of Nepali society.
Can English supplant Nepali as lingua franca? Yes. Will it? Don’t know. But it surely is a fascinating race.
As more regions in the country are wired up, and as the proportion of the uneducated continues on its rapid decline, the role of English as a mode of communication will further increase. Importantly, this need not be at the cost of native languages. Yes, the spread of technology and forces of globalization have helped the spread of English (the language of preference for tech-based content) but the same forces can also help greater documentation and enhanced communication in the less spoken indigenous languages. In fact, it might even be argued that the best hope for the survival of the over 120 tongues in Nepal (more than half of them endangered) would be their documentation and enlisting in web forms making them easily accessible to researchers and those who want to brush up on their native tongues.
Already, some of the best original literature coming out of the country is in English. Recent works like Manjushree Thapa’s Seasons of Flight, the author’s best work of fiction yet, debunks the myth that Nepali writers in English, given their ‘Western-education’ background, cannot but interpret events in Nepal within a Western framework. Prema (the protagonist of Seasons of Flight) who is struggling to find her place in the world can be seen as emblematic of any Nepali who is groping in the dark for new identity in the vastly changed context post-2006.
Like Thapa, Republica’s own columnist CK Lal has been striving to redefine the concept of Nepali nationhood, most notably in his pithy booklet Nepaliya Hunalai. Both these writers have shown that it is possible to view the world through Nepali eyes as well as fit Nepal comfortably within a more cosmopolitan framework.
As the number of Nepali students enrolled in some of the most recognized English language university programs in the Anglo-Saxon world has swollen, so has the likelihood of world-class English literature coming out of Nepal. Its popularity among the burgeoning youth population, greater availability of quality English works and a marked improvement in the quality of English language teaching in Nepal could as well throw up many home-grown stars.
Another significant development has been a tremendous improvement in the quality of translation of Nepali books, both fiction and non-fiction, into English.
Some might argue that even English has in the past been used by high and mighty to impose their will upon those with less power, even in the cradle of modern democracy.
In 1868 American President Ulysses Grant appointed a committee to facilitate dialogue with the Native Indians. The committee determined, in the course of its work, that the ‘esoteric’ languages the Indians spoke were the biggest impediment for the development of common nationhood in America. So how would this ‘unacceptable’ situation be rectified? By forcing the Native Indians to enroll their children in government schools with English as their sole language of instruction! This is not much different to the ‘one-language-one-dress’ brand of nationalism imposed by the Panchayat regime to homogenize the diverse Nepali society.
Nepal’s initial brush with the global lingua franca was not hunky-dory either. The Rana rulers tried to distinguish themselves from the ‘hoi polloi’ by affecting English mannerisms. While they were free to cross the oceans to hone their cricketing skills and roll their r’s, other Nepalis were systematically denied knowledge of the external world and the ‘firangi’ language.
But in the vastly changed context of rapid global connectivity such isolationist policies have been rendered irrelevant. The fear that greater penetration of English will hamper the chances of local dialects, though legitimate, is a little misplaced as well. Besides the likely preservation and development of niche presence of regional languages on the net, as a growing number of Nepalis get adept at the use of English language, its exclusive value is sure to decline. In a country where everyone knows their way around the universal language (and many quiet well at that) mastery of regional languages like Maithili, Bhojpuri and Nepal Bhasa will hold added attraction in federal states that are free to adopt local mother tongues as official languages.
It doesn’t take much imagination to see that a unity forged on consensus would be more stable than one forced down people’s throat in a monolingual, monocultural make-believe society. Given the deep penetration of Nepali language, it will continue to hold its sway in the foreseeable future. On the other hand, speculating on its perch 10-15 years down the road, with English and regional languages buffeting it from the flanks, is fraught with uncertainties, yet also fascinating for the same reason.
biswas.baral@gmail.com
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