(TibetanReview.net, Dec02’24) –The Lt Governor of Ladakh has assured former Indian parliament member (MP) Mr Jamyang Tsering Namgyal that efforts were being made to make Bhoti, along with Urdu and two other languages, the official languages of the Union Territory.
Bhoti is the term used for the Tibetan language spoken in various local dialects throughout the Himalayan belt of India.
The assurance from Lt Governor Brig (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd) came when the former BJP Lok Sabha member met him at his official residence and submitted a memorandum to push the former for Bhoti to be declared Ladakh’s official language, reported the sudarshannews.in Dec 1.
The report said the former MP stressed the important of Bhoti for preserving Ladakh’s legacy and passing it to future generations. He has urged the government to act quickly, calling it necessary for preserving Ladakh’s identity and adding to India’s linguistic diversity.
“Making Bhoti the official language is necessary to protect Ladakh’s unique culture,” he was quoted as saying.
He has noted that while neighbouring Union Territory Jammu and Kashmir already have their official languages, Ladakh was yet to make a similar progress.
Jamyang Tsering Namgyal has pointed out that Bhoti connects societies across the Himalayas, including Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and Mongolia. It has a rich history and has contributed to fields like treatment, architecture, philosophy, and art, he has said.
In 2022, he introduced a Private Member’s Bill in Parliament, calling for Bhoti to be included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution, which would make it an official language of India. It was stated to be the first time such a proposal was made.
He also worked to promote Bhoti in schools. He confirmed 292 teaching positions for Bhoti under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan (an integrated central government scheme for school education extending support to States from pre-school to senior secondary level) and supported the inclusion of Bhoti in the CBSE syllabus in 2023, aligning with the National Education Policy.
Jamyang Tsering Namgyal was stated to have been fighting for Bhoti’s recognition since his student days, attending seminars and writing articles to raise awareness about the importance of the language.
He has vowed to continue his campaign until Bhoti gets its rightful place as Ladakh’s official language and it is included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.