While the Upendra Yadav-led Madheshi People´s Right Forum-Nepal (MPRF-N) and the Mahanth Thakur-led Tarai Madhesh Democratic Party (TMDP) have given continuity to their policy on language they had proposed during the last Constituent Assembly (CA) election, the Rajendra Mahato-led Sadbhawana Party (SP) has made a significant change on its policy.[break]
SP, in its manifesto, has stated that all the local languages, including Hindi, should get recognition of an official language of all the to-be Madhes provinces.
However, in the last CA election held in 2008, the party had proposed that only Hindi should be provincial language of the Tarai provinces.
But this time around the party manifesto has said that “the respective provincial assemblies should be mandated to decide on provincial languages.”
”The party is committed to broader development of all the mother tongues, including Maithili, Bhojpuri, Awadhi, Tharu, Bajjika, Magahi, Hindi, Urdu, Bangali, Marwari, Tamang, Limbu, Rai, Newari, Rajbanshi, Magar, Gurung, Uraw, Satar, Marwadi, Dhimal and Sherpa,” reads the manifesto.
In last electoral manifesto, MPRF-N had proposed that “the mother tongues, Nepali, Hindi and English should be the official languages in federal republic Nepal.” MPRF-N has made no any significant changes in its language policy in the new manifesto.
The party still believes that Nepali, Hindi, all mother tongues and English should get the recognition of official languages,” Ratneshwar Lal Kayastha, party Spokesperson told Republica.
TMDP General Secretary Govind Chaudhary has said that their party still stands in the favor tri-lingual policy.
“We have proposed in our new manifesto that all the mother tongues, contact languages Hindi and Nepali, and language of the nation, Nepali, should be the official languages of the future provinces,” said Chaudhary.
The TMDP, MPRF-N and SP, however, demanded Hindi be recognized as an official language in a country where less than one per cent of Nepalis speak Hindi as mother tongue.
“Nepali is regarded as common language among the people in the hilly region. In the same manner, Hindi should get the recognition of the common language in the Tarai," Chaudhary said.
“The party has not made any significant changes in its language policy in comparison to the policy that was incorporated in the previous manifesto,” Chaudhary added.
Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar-led MPRF-D, another major Madhesi party, which split from MPRF-N, after the last CA polls, stated the party will disclose its policy on language as they publicize its manifesto.
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