Rana Tharu Society not happy over Language Commission report

KANCHANPUR, September 7; The Rana Tharu Society, Nepal has expressed its concern over the recommendations of languages for official purposes in the provinces. The Language Commission had made the recommendation of languages, in addition to the Nepali language, in its report recently.

The Society has objected to the Commission's report it presented before the government on Monday along with the province-wise recommendations of languages for official use.  The report has not recognised the Rana Tharu language as the language to be used as an official language in the Sudurpaschim province. 
 
"The Rana Tharu Community, the natives of Kailali and Kanchanpur, is listed as a separate indigenous ethnic group by the government," said Society Chair Kriparam Rana. But the Language Commission did not recognise the mother tongue of the Rana Tharu as the language capable of being used as the official language in the province-level.      

The preliminary report of the Commission had recommended the Rana Tharu language for use for official purpose, but it is missing in the final report submitted to the Prime Minister, according to Rana, who was the member in the then Constituent Assembly.  

The Society described it as an attempt to demote the language of around 300 thousand Rana Tharu language speakers in Kailai and Kanchanpur districts. The Society wants the Commission to revise the report promptly and include the Rana Tharu language.    

The Commission formed on September 8, 2016 in accordance with the Article 287 of the Constitution with the main mandate of recommending official languages in addition to the Nepali language within the five years submitted its report on Monday. 

According to the Article 7 (2) of the Constitution, a Province may, by a province law, determine one or more than one languages of the nation spoken by a majority of people within the province as its official language(s), in addition to the Nepali language and other matters relating to language shall be as decided by the Government of Nepal, on recommendation of the Language Commission.

The Society, however, is agreed to the recommendations of the Dotyali and Tharu languages as the official language of the Sudurpaschim Province.