Rongbull-based academic and event chairman Dr. Gokul Sinha says Darjeeling failed to secure Bhasha Manyata for Nepali due to disputes over the language’s nomenclature, at Soreng.

Although the movement began in Darjeeling, it eventually shifted to Sikkim, where it was reconstituted as the Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad in 1990 under the leadership of late Nar Bahadur Bhandari.

“Meetings were held everywhere except in Darjeeling,” Dr. Sinha recalls. Two years later, the campaign achieved its goal, with Nepali gaining constitutional recognition

under the Eighth Schedule, a milestone he calls “the greatest achievement of the Indian Nepali community,” crediting Sikkim for the success.

After recognition, however, interactions between Sikkim and Darjeeling dwindled, surviving mainly through the annual August 20 commemoration. Dr. Sinha says even people in Darjeeling acknowledge that the recognition “was given to them by Sikkim.”

“What Sikkim does today, Darjeeling thinks tomorrow,” he remarks, noting that Darjeeling launched its own Bhasha Manyata activities only this year, and even its vernacular press emerged later than Sikkim’s.

He believes Sikkim alone can secure recognition for the eleven endangered hill languages and play a national role in language preservation. On education, he criticises modern “scientific” teaching models in Nepali, arguing for a more traditional approach, similar to how English is often memorised.

In the UPSC exams, Nepali remains a rare choice among candidates, which he says could necessitate simplifying the language. While acknowledging the necessity of English, Dr. Sinha is optimistic.

“We hope Sikkim will continue to uplift Nepali and preserve its endangered languages, with blessings from the Central Government.”