The Higher Secondary Education Board’s (HSEB) decision to banish Nepali from the grade 11 curriculum has caused chaos in the country. Earlier, the Nepali language was compulsory for non-science students in grade 11 and science groups in grade 12. Following the hasty recommendation by the HSEB’s task force committee to remove Nepali from grade 11 and retain it in class 12, the students and teachers have taken to the streets. Most of the colleges in Kathmandu, especially the ones under the TU and the HSEB, closed down as part of the strike called by the Nepali Language Protection Struggle Committee (NLPSC) to protest the lathi-charge by policemen on some strikers on July 5. Meanwhile, Prof Dr Mana Prasad Wagley, a member in the committee, resigned Wednesday on “moral grounds.” Now the HSEB is considering to “revoke” its decision owing to pressure from academicians and students alike. It would be better if the HSEB does not delay the action to stop the strikes from turning violent.

Illogical that the decision may sound to many, it could prove harmful to the country in the long run. While it would make it extremely difficult for the students to cope with the subject in grade 12, discontinuity also means the neglect of the lingua franca. This is bad news for the lovers of Nepali language and literature. As it is, due to the increasing popularity of foreign languages like English, the youth today is barely interested in Nepali subjects. It is said that the majority of the students score minimum marks in Nepali in SLC examinations and feel it pulls their percentage down. But this is precisely the reason why Nepali should not be neglected. Besides giving continuity to this subject, the authorities concerned sho-uld encourage the usage of the mother tongue and ensure that all schools and colleges run Nepali

classes regularly. Dedication and love for one’s national language breeds a sense of belonging

since language is a unifying force for every country. At a time when countries like China and India too are actively promoting their respective mother tongues, Nepal has no reason whatsoever to disrespect its own. All Ne-palis should be proud of their rich literature and great writers like Bhanu Bhatka Acharya and Laxmi Prasad Devkota, who through their painstaking works enriched Nepal with a genuine solidarity factor.