Sikkim University student arrested for derogatory remarks against Nepali language

A day before the celebration of Nepali Bhasha Samman Diwas, tension erupted at Sikkim University after a first-semester M.Com student was arrested for making derogatory remarks against the Nepali language and belittling Independence Day celebrations. 

The accused, identified as Raj Shekhar from Banaras, Uttar Pradesh, allegedly described Nepali as a “foreign language” in the official WhatsApp group of the Department of Commerce, suggesting that users of the language should “go to Nepal.”

The remarks, condemned as insulting to the Nepali-speaking population, triggered outrage from the Sikkim University Students’ Association (SUSA).

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Police booked the accused under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, including Section 196(1) for promoting enmity, Section 353(1)(c) for public mischief, and Section 353(2) for creating hatred on linguistic grounds.

The incident has struck a raw nerve ahead of Nepali Bhasha Samman Diwas on August 20, a day that commemorates the recognition of Nepali under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution in 1992. Leaders from Sikkim and Gorkha communities had fought hard for this recognition, which gave Nepali its rightful status as one of India’s constitutional languages.

The controversy has reignited the debate on the identity struggles faced by Indian Nepali speakers, who, despite constitutional protection, continue to face discrimination. In Sikkim, the only Nepali-speaking state of India, the incident has been seen as an affront to the dignity of the community and a reminder that linguistic awareness in India remains incomplete even decades after constitutional recognition.