Cultural anarchism: the consequences of privileging languages in Nepal

Abstract

Nepali, the official language of administration of Nepal, has been privileged through systematic political manoeuvres throughout its history. English also enjoys special status and privileges, and despite the fact that it is officially only a ‘foreign’ language, in practice it is one of the most dominant languages in educational and economic domains. Both Nepali and English have become status symbols and tools in the hands of the ruling elites who use them to create linguistic hegemony. Speakers of other languages, on the other hand, are confused about their languages, their ethnic identity and their place in the community. To become a part of the mainstream life, they learn and use Nepali and English at the expense of their own languages. While Nepali and English contribute significantly to the development and modernisation processes, the people have paid a heavy price for them. In this article, I describe strategies adopted by the ruling elites to impose linguistic, as well as cultural dominance. I also demonstrate how the dominance of Nepali and English has led to a situation in which the people abandon their language and culture to adopt those of someone else.

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