Official Use of Mother Languages Still Faces Hurdles

Patan (Lalitpur), Jan 14: Despite constitutional provisions, the effective use of mother languages in government work remains a challenge, stakeholders said on Wednesday.

The Valley Province Committee of the Federation of Nepalese Indigenous Nationalities Journalists (FONIJ) organized a FONIJ Dialogue in Patan under the theme “Foundation of Prosperity: Fully Inclusive Communications.” The event focused on the use of Newari and Tamang languages as official languages of the Bagmati Province government and the obstacles hindering their implementation.

Chairperson of the Indigenous Nationalities Commission, Ram Bahadur Thapamagar, stressed the need for stronger provisions, particularly adequate budget allocation, to protect and promote mother tongues. He said that although policies and programmes exist to promote the official use of indigenous languages, insufficient funding has significantly hampered implementation. He also informed that recommendations addressing the concerns of indigenous nationalities have already been submitted to the government.

General Secretary of the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities, Diwas Rai, noted that the Constitution has envisioned the protection and official use of mother languages as part of the federal system. However, he said both the state and the government must show greater commitment to preserving and effectively implementing indigenous languages, cultures and scripts.

Under-Secretary at the Bagmati Province Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Pawan Kumar Pokhrel, said frequent changes in government have made it difficult to formulate laws, regulations and effectively implement budgets and policies. He added that although funds have been allocated for language training and literary development, they often remain unspent as concerned stakeholders fail to come forward to claim and utilize the resources.

Meanwhile, Officiating Secretary at the Language Commission, Dr Lok Bahadur Lopchan, said Bagmati Province has supported the government by appointing language trainers and translators for Newari and Tamang languages.

FONIJ Central President Lucky Chaudhary emphasized that the long-term preservation of mother tongues depends on increasing the number of speakers and encouraging their everyday use.

Participants concluded that coordinated efforts, adequate funding and strong political will are essential to ensure meaningful implementation of mother languages in official government affairs.