Gangtok, August 20, 2025 – On the eve of Nepali Bhasha Samman Diwas, a day meant to honor the constitutional recognition of the Nepali language, tensions escalated at Sikkim University after a student from Uttar Pradesh was arrested for making derogatory remarks about the language and belittling Independence Day celebrations.
The student, Raj Shekhar, a first-semester M.Com student from Banaras, allegedly posted in an official Department of Commerce WhatsApp group, calling Nepali a “foreign language” and suggesting that its speakers should “go to Nepal.” The remarks triggered widespread outrage, particularly from the Sikkim University Students’ Association (SUSA), which swiftly demanded disciplinary and legal action.
Shekhar was arrested and charged under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, including:
Section 196(1): Promoting enmity between groups,
Section 353(1)(c): Public mischief, and
Section 353(2): Spreading hatred on linguistic grounds.
The incident comes just ahead of August 20, observed as Nepali Bhasha Samman Diwas, which marks the inclusion of Nepali in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution in 1992. The day is deeply significant for the Indian Gorkha community, symbolizing their long struggle for linguistic recognition and identity within the Indian Union.
In Sikkim, the only Indian state where Nepali holds official status, the incident has deeply hurt public sentiment. Many see it as a stark reminder that legal recognition of a language does not always ensure social respect or cultural understanding. It has also reignited broader conversations about linguistic discrimination, regional identity, and the need for greater sensitivity in multicultural educational institutions.
