DAMAULI (TANAHUN), January 20: The government of Gandaki province has initiated a process to make the Gurung and Magar languages official languages in the province. Province's Minister for Social Development, Bindu Kumar Thapa, stated that the government is moving forward with the process to adopt the two languages for official purposes.
On Sunday, the ministry collected suggestions in Damauli regarding making Gurung and Magar official languages. The government has drafted a bill to formalize the use of these languages for official purposes in the province. Minister Thapa mentioned that consultations were held in various districts of the province based on this bill.
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Minister Thapa emphasized that the initiative aims to preserve, promote, and develop the Gurung and Magar languages which are widely spoken in the province. He added that the goal is to make government or public services more accessible and efficient for people, thereby enhancing their access to public services.
The Language Commission in Kathmandu has recommended the implementation of Gurung and Magar as official languages for administrative purposes, as they meet the criteria for provincial administrative languages, Minister Thapa said.
The Ministry of Social Development, Youth, and Sports proposed this initiative, and the Gandaki Province government granted in-principle approval for drafting the bill on August 6. The draft is currently under preparation, with plans to table it in the upcoming winter session of the provincial assembly.
In Gandaki Province, the Magar community constitutes 18.8 percent of the population, while the Gurung community makes up 11 percent. Magars are the second-largest community in the province while Gurungs are the fourth-largest.
