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Opinion
Arguments for including
Bhoti Language in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution
by Stanzin Dawa
 The right of language is a basic cultural right of the people and linked
with their economy, culture, social system and political right. UNESCO
recognizes the concept of language equality among all languages,
irrespective of whether they have a script or not. Irrespective of their
power and specific ranking in the world systems of states (Laponce 1987;
De Swaan 1993,2001), the language best able to survive the competition
are likely to be those that have the support of a government.
Unfortunately the Bhoti language has no official support as it is not
included in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
A nation marked by acute socio-cultural and linguistic diversity must
lay down structures and processes that safeguard its unity and
integrity. Do we have adequate processes and structures? Keeping people
out, denying them the basic human rights because of their region and
language is unjustifiable and inhumane. Insisting that they adopt the
dominant language and culture is an equally unjust way of denying it.
Non inclusion of Bhoti language in the 8th Schedule of the Indian
Constitution and the Australian Aborigines whose children where forcibly
taken away by the state, brought up in missionary orphanages and never
returned to their families so that they lost all identity are two
extreme examples of enforced uniformity and compulsory assimilation.
The Constitution of India is not rigid and it has no fixed number of
languages to be included in the 8th Schedule. Many languages have been
included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution after India's
independence . Many languages were found neither numerically stronger
nor more grammatically richer than Bhoti. Assamese, Sindhi, Nepali,
Konkani, Manipuri, Kashmiri, Sanskrit (1991 census) have lesser
population than Bhoti speaking population but Bhoti has unfortunately
not been included in the 8th Schedule. Again, BUT WHY…? Bhoti is a
language of the masses, language of the people who have struggled for
centuries, language of the Himalayans that blessed and bestowed the
world with wisdom and prosperity, language of the saints and poets,
language of the hills and valleys which treasured the beauties of the
nature, language which unites people by heart and mind, language of
peace and compassion. Today this language is struggling for its identity
in a country which is being considered to be the world's largest
democracy and proclaims the "Unity in Diversity" its backbone.
After India's independence the destiny of the people living in the
Himalaya was decided by the people who were mostly alien and ignorant
about the realities and condition of the Himalaya. Time and again plains
friendly developmental policies and programs were imported and imposed
in the Himalaya, such policies and programs have broken down the
indigenous system of economy, culture, ecology, employment and
languages. The inappropriate and irrelevant intervention have not only
made them confused and frustrated but also developed an inferiority
complex to their own culture, identity and language. They have been
displaced from their own lands and villages. Family values and
cooperative social system has broken down. Narrow outlook and prejudiced
attitude of the outsider policy makers coupled with difficult
accessibility have resulted in consistent marginalization of the region
by the Governments, Media and Donor agencies. Not including Bhoti
language in the 8th schedule of the constitution is a clear evidence of
Government's discrimination against 3 million people of the Himalaya,
who live day and night with this language. For them it is not a mere
language but a way of life that propel progresses in harmony with the
nature. Non inclusion of the Bhoti language in the 8th Schedule is a
fountain-head of alienation, violence, social discord, intellectual
dependency and cultural degradation. Today the Indian Constitution has
recognized 22 languages in the 8th Schedule; the recognition of the
language in the 8th schedule seems to be completely arbitrary and
political.
Today, unfortunately, Bhoti language has been ignored and marginalized
by the mainstream politics. The framers of the Indian constitution have
not included this language in the 8th Schedule of the Indian
constitution. Bhoti is speaking in the Himalayan region of India from
Ladakh to Tawang spreading through Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh,
Uttaranchal, West Bengal, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. The glory and
grace of this language is not only confining to the Himalayan region of
India but also in Bhutan, Nepal, Tibet, China, Mongolia and Pakistan.
This language is a symbol of "Unity in Diversity". People from different
religions, regions, cultures and countries are using this language. The
Bhoti script was developed by Thomi Sambhota in the 7th century by
modifying the four vowels and thirty consonants of the Devnagri script
and grammar which was derived from the Sanskrit. It has a rich
literature in different fields; such as Medicine, Architecture,
Astrology, Music, Arts, Dance, Drama, Yoga, Philosophy, Tantric and
Grammar. The collection of Buddha's teachings "Tripitaka" that comprises
of 108 volumes and Tantras is also available in the Bhoti language. How
many languages in the eighth schedule have such a rich literary work? In
fact very few of them have such enriching literature.
Five states including Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, West Bengal, Himachal
Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh have recognized the Bhoti language.
Different schools, colleges and universities throughout the world are
imparting education in and education for this language. All India Radio
Leh, Shimla, Gangtok, Karshang Darjeeling, Tawang and Delhi broadcast
their news in the Bhoti language. More than ten newspapers and magazines
are available in the Bhoti language and nearly 7000 monasteries of the
Himalayan region follow this language in their practices and operations.
Oh my dear Government of India and the representatives of the people,
please may we know what more evidences are you looking for? Why are you
treating us as an aliens and foreigners in our land and country? What
are your interest for not giving due recognition to our language? Are we
not Indians? Do we not have the right to protect our own language? Will
you accommodate our language in the 8th Schedule of the constitution?
Will you allow the winds of the Constitution to blow in the hills and
valleys of Himalaya to imbibe the music and nectar of our language and
culture based on cooperation and peace? In the eyes of civil and
criminal law of the land (with the exception of personal laws) all
citizens are equal. I don't think all are equal in the real sense; non
inclusion of Bhoti language is another form of punishment without being
committed any crime for the whole community. The Article 29 of the
Indian Constitution deals with the "Protection of interests of
minorities" It states that "Any section of the Citizens residing in the
territory of India or any part there of having a distinct language,
script or culture of its own shall have the right to conserve the same."
I think not giving due recognition to the Bhoti language is a violation
of the minority rights; there fore it has killed the spirit of the
Article 29 of the Constitution. Being minority and different seems to be
a crime and insecure because you get deprived from certain fundamental
rights which is constitutionally mentioned.
In the era of globalization and liberalization, the Himalayan region is
more vulnerable and fragile to the economic, political, ecological and
cultural forces of the outside harsh and aggressive world. Language is
an important agent of connecting people and continuity of culture. With
the advancement of modern harsh and hostile civilization and prejudiced
policy of the Government, the language and culture of the Himalayan
region is disappearing, declining and degenerating very fast. The
language and culture of the Himalayas was developed over the centuries.
It reflects traditional wisdom and technology to live in harmony with
the nature. The modern civilization is preaching these peace loving
people to conquer the nature, which is bringing irreparable destructions
and calamities. It is a shame for a country like India which claims to
be the world's largest democracy and the Preamble of the Constitution
proclaims that India is a secular, socialist, sovereign, republic and
democratic nation. What democracy are we talking about, when our
language is not recognized by our own government in our own
Constitution? What socialism are we talking about when the Government is
not socialist enough to give due recognition to the Bhoti language? Do I
need to question the secular fabric? The Article-15 of Indian
Constitution states deals with "Prohibition of discrimination on grounds
of religion, race, sex or place of birth." It states that the State
shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion,
race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them. The majority of the
people who are using this language practice Buddhism although it's a
secular language. Is it not a strategic discrimination against any
particular religion minority? Non inclusion of the Bhoti language kills
the spirit of the Article 15 of the Indian Constitution, as it
discriminates mainly a particular religion which practices this language
in their religious affairs besides social, political and economic. I
think we have miles to go to live with the spirit of the constitution. A
dynamic, united, progressive, secular and democratic India is only
possible when we practice what we preach. Many scholars are of the
opinion that it is a strategic policy of the Government of India to
create inferiority complex and dependency among the Himalayan people
over other languages and culture. Is this what we are getting for our
loyalty and sacrifice made for the country during all the crisis
situations (wars)?
Unity in diversity can only be possible if you are giving equal respect
and recognition to small, poor, weak and minorities. I think India and
Indians have to work day and night to protect its identity of "Unity in
Diversity". Are we not deceiving ourselves as we are preaching something
and practicing something differently? How long and how far can we live
and be governed by the duality? We cannot afford to lose our dear
language and culture. Language is not only a medium of communication,
but it also reflects the history, culture, people, relationship, system
of governance, ecology, religion, politics etc. Bhoti is a systematic,
scientific, culturally and intellectually rich language. In a country
like India the richness of the language hardly matters, because the
protection and preservation of the sanctity of the language is a more of
an arbitrary or number game.
The low representation of Himalayan region in the Indian parliament is a
major constraint for strongly advocating for bringing reforms in policy.
Even the handfuls of representatives from this region were mostly
scattered and unorganized in different directions. The Himalayan people
are not only geographically scattered but also politically unorganized.
On 12th December 2005 the Trans Himalayan Parliamentary Forum has
submitted a memorandum to the Home Minister of Government of India for
the inclusion of the Bhoti language in the eighth schedule. The
memorandum was signed by 8 parliamentarians from the Trans Himalayan
Region. On 25th September 2003, Himalayan Buddhist Cultural Association
has submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India for the
inclusion of Bhoti language in the eighth schedule of the Constitution.
On 21st February 1995, 81 parliamentarians from different political
parties made a formal request to the Prime Minister to introduce a bill
in the parliament to include Bhoti language in the eighth schedule of
constitution. On 22nd May 1995 approximately 49 members of parliament
belonging to different political parties have submitted a memorandum to
Shri P V Narasimha Rao, then Prime Minister of India. Shri Virbhadra
Singh, Chief Minister Himachal Pradesh Government, Dr Karan Singh, T K
Lochen Rinpoche, former Member of the Minority Commission, Lama Chosphel
Zotpa, Member of the Minority Commission and many concerned individuals
and institutions are consistently engaged in this movement for the
inclusion of Bhoti language in the 8th Schedule.
It is difficult to wake up a giant elephant which is intentionally
pretending to be sleeping. All these efforts are of no use, when the
Government of India is neither concerned nor interested in the promotion
and development of language and culture of the Himalayas. The continued
negligence and alienation of the Himalayan people in the mainstream may
compel them to demand for greater political autonomy in the form of
Statehoods and Union Territories. If the Government of India sincerely
and honestly wants to unite and strengthen the whole country, including
the peace loving and vulnerable communities of the Himalayan region, it
should not hesitate to include the Bhoti language in the 8th Schedule of
the Indian constitution, so that the people in the Himalayas can also be
proud of their own language; our students can also appear in the Civil
Service Examination with their mother tongue as an optional paper, our
members of Parliament can also represent us in a more effective way by
addressing our problems and aspirations in our own mother tongue; more
research and development work can be feasible, with adequate
government's support and the benefits are many more if it included in
8th Schedule.
In the era of globalization and vastly more efficient communication
networks, languages die more frequently than they are born. The stronger
language eliminate the weaker ones, sometime violently but more often
peacefully as a result of people shifting to a language with a greater
purchasing power, whether the purchase is of economic, political or
cultural goods (Bourdieu 1991; Krauss 1992; Grin 1994; Breton 1999;
Nettle and Romaine 2000; Crystal 2000). The prediction that most of the
existing 7,000 odd languages spoken today in the world will disappear
and that relatively few will be born (7,000 are upper estimate given by
Fergusen 1064 and Grimes 1998). India as a state is an assimilators and
protectors of languages. It tend to weaken if not destroy the languages
of the minority internally while protecting their own dominant languages
on the national and international scene. Globalization may well weaken
the state in the economic field, but if that weakening increases the
sense of insecurity of a language community, globalization will then,
very likely, strengthen the state in its role of protector of language
and culture.
Keeping this into consideration I must request to all individuals and
institutions concerned for Humanity, Human Rights, Democracy, Peace and
above all who believe in Unity in Diversity to write letters to the
Honorable President, the Prime Minister, Home Minister, Chief Ministers,
Members of the Parliament and media to include Bhoti language in the 8th
schedule. I must request all non Bhoti speaking people and communities
to help us to protect and preserve the sanctity of our language. As we
know that Government of India is appealing to the world power to include
India in the Security Council of the UN, similarly with folded hands we
are appealing to the Government of India for the inclusion of Bhoti
language in the 8th Schedule for the security and promotion of our
language, culture, identity and dignity. Buddha says, "There is nothing
permanent in this world except the change itself". As a trustee of
change, I am showing my concern for a better change and I am very much
optimistic… Are you?
September 17,
2006
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Opinion
The Week of September 17, 2006
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The Last "J" that Broke Bush's Back by Gaurang
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Are China's Rulers Illegal? by William R.
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Empires and Dust: Travels in Modern India II by
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Dating the Dunes at Sam a Photo
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The World is One Family by TA Ramesh
Arguments for including Bhoti Language
in the 8th Schedule of the
Indian Constitution by Stanzin Dawa
Understanding Mahabharata: A Woman's Fury, Soft
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And, the Clock Stopped ! by VK Joshi
Ustad Bismillah Khan: The Shehnai Maestro by
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Search Engines: Technology Behind Searching
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In Feline Company by Bijoyeta Das
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The Night of Ten – La Noche del 10 by Dibyendu
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The Dark Side of Media Hype by Anuja Agrawal
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Struggling to Make It: A Mother's Dilemma by
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Arun Kumar Das: A Beam of Hope by Amarendra
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Pune: Down Memory Lane by Vikram Karve
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