Sikkim University student taken into custody over ‘insult’ to Nepali language

Raj Shekar Yadav, a first-semester Master of Commerce student at Sikkim University from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly insulting the Nepali language. The student is accused of posting on August 15 in a department WhatsApp group that Nepali is a “foreign language” and those who speak it “should go to Nepal.” Following complaints from local students, police detained him from the university premises and later placed him in preventive custody under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Sections 196(1) and 353(2).

The Sikkim University Students’ Association (SUSA), led by president Anup Regmi, reported the incident to university authorities and police. In a statement, SUSA condemned Yadav’s remarks as “divisive and harmful to peace and harmony within the university,” stressing that Nepali is widely spoken in Sikkim and recognised under the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Regmi demanded the student’s permanent expulsion from the university, saying, “Our demand is very clear - the student should be permanently terminated from the university. He has hurt the sentiments of Nepali-speaking people across the state, the country, and even globally.”

Yadav later issued a video apology, asking for forgiveness for his statement. The university administration has formed a committee to investigate the allegations. Registrar In-Charge Laxuman Sharma said, “Once we get the report, we will take a decision. We will also sensitise all students. This incident is unfortunate.” The committee is expected to submit its findings soon, which will guide further action.

The case comes amid wider concerns over linguistic identity in India. A separate incident in Darjeeling saw judicial magistrate Alakananda Sarkar criticised for saying Nepali is “a language of Nepal, not of India.” Bar associations from Darjeeling, Mungpoo, and Kurseong protested her remarks by boycotting court proceedings. GTA chief Anit Thapa called the statement “unconstitutional and deeply hurtful to community sentiments” and informed state labour minister Moloy Ghatak, who wrote to the Chief Justice and registrar general of Calcutta High Court for intervention.

Nepali is recognised in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution and serves as an official language in Sikkim and the three Hill subdivisions of Darjeeling under the Official Language Act, 1961. Authorities in both incidents highlighted that remarks undermining its status have triggered protests and strong reactions from political, student, and legal groups, reflecting the sensitivity surrounding language and cultural identity in academic and administrative settings.