Friday, August 12, 2011

Indian Parliament considers constitutional nod to Bhoti - an Indo-Tibetan language



Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Tarun Vijay Friday introduced a private members bill in the Rajya Sabha seeking amendment to the constitution for inclusion of Bhoti language, spoken in the Himalayan region of many states, in the Eighth Schedule.

Introducing the bill, Vijay said that Bhoti is spoken in the Himalayan regions of the country from Ladakh to Tawang across states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

He said the language is also spoken in Bhutan, Nepal, Tibet, China, Mongolia and Pakistan.

“People from different religions, regions cultures and countries are using this language which clearly shows that it is a symbol of ‘Unity in Diversity’,” he said.

He said a language was not only a medium of communication but it also reflects aspects such as history, culture, people, system of governance, ecology, religion and politics.

He said Bhoti language should be included in the Eighth Schedule to eliminate feelings of alienation from the minds of people of Himalayan region and added that the move will strengthen national integration.

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