Sarad Pradhan
Date: May 25, 1924
Location: Nripendra Narayan Bengali Hindu Hall (NNBHH), Darjeeling — established in 1883.
Agenda: Establishment of the Nepali Sahitya Sammelan .
On May 25, 1924, a historic meeting was held in Darjeeling under the chairmanship of senior lawyer and literary enthusiast Rai Saheb Hariprasad Pradhan. During the event, a young writer and journalist at the time, Parasmani Pradhan, remarked:
“Others gain education in their mother tongue, but Nepalis have not had that opportunity. Therefore, what takes others a certain amount of time to learn takes Nepalis twice as long. Though universities allow Nepali studies, only a handful of Nepalis are enrolled. Thus, we must have access to mother tongue education from the primary level. This will promote knowledge and uplift the Nepali language. Without the advancement of language and literature, the progress of a community is impossible.”
On May 26, 1924, a constitution was passed for the Sammelan with objectives such as promoting Nepali literature, publishing original and translated texts and newspapers in Nepali, and exploring ancient Nepali literature for linguistic development.
Rai Saheb Hariprasad Pradhan (later the first Chief Justice of Nepal) was elected as the first President. Dharanidhar Koirala became the Vice President, and the secretaries were Suryabikram Gyawali (later Chancellor of Nepal Academy) and Parasmani Pradhan.
Exactly 101 years later, a two-day centenary event of the Nepali Sahitya Sammelan was held on May 24–25, 2025, in Darjeeling. Attending from Nepal, upon invitation by Nepali Sahitya Sammelan were senior journalist and writer Rochak Ghimire, senior literary figures Dr. Tulsi Bhattarai, Dr. Govindraj Bhattarai, Sharatchandra Wasti, Dr. Kumar Prasad Koirala, and the author. They arrived on May 23, a day before the event.
Currently, the President of Nepali Sahitya Sammelan is Dr. Chandrakumar Rai, Vice Presidents are Meghmani Dahal and Dr. Geeta Chhetri, and the General Secretary is Mahendra Pradhan. Former Presidents Dr. Jivan Namdung and Prem Pradhan were present as mentors.
While the inaugural event in 1924 took place in a borrowed venue, this time it was proudly hosted in the Nepali Sahitya Sammelan’s own building, situated just 100 meters from the original NNBHH location.
The event drew a strong presence of Nepali and non-Nepali literary figures from across India and Nepal. It resembled a literary “Kumbh Mela” in its magnitude.
The inaugural session on the first day saw the opening of Nepali Sahitya Sammelan’s newly expanded building by Anit Thapa, Chief Executive of the GTA, with the presence of other dignitaries including GTA Advisor Amar Lama and Darjeeling Municipality Chairperson Dipen Thakuri.
In the second session chaired by Dr. Chandrakumar Rai, speakers included Prof. N.B. Rai (General Secretary, Nepali Sahitya Parishad, Shillong), Dr. Tulsi Bhattarai, Dr. Kumar Prasad Koirala, and senior Hindi writer Brajendra Tripathi (former Deputy Secretary, Sahitya Akademi, Delhi). Former Nepali Sahitya Sammelan President Dr. Jivan Namdung, while reflecting on the history of various literary institutions, highlighted Nepali Sahitya Sammelan’s glorious century-long contributions to Indian Nepali literature, suggesting that it should continue to act as a guardian institution. He also recalled the organization’s 51-year-long relationship with the Sahitya Akademi.
Dr. Tulsi Prasad Bhattarai, a prominent literary figure and former Member Secretary of Nepal Academy, remarked,
“Nepali Sahitya Sammelan has endured a hundred years and is now organizing an extensive international language and literature conference. It is perhaps the only such institution in the Nepali world with such continuity. Since its inception, it has led linguistic movements and played a catalytic role in integrating language, literature, arts, and culture. Its contributions have elevated the pride of Nepalis not only in India but globally. Diyalo, published by the Sammelan, has become a standard Nepali-language journal. The Sammelan and ‘Diyalo’ are interdependent. Long live the Sammelan!”
Renowned critic Prof. Dr. Kumar Koirala emphasized,
“Reformed spelling has degraded the written Nepali language. It goes against Eastern linguistic philosophy, the nature of the Devanagari script, phonetic principles, and linguistic theory. Nepal’s Supreme Court has ruled that no person, institution, or government has the right to alter the spelling system. Therefore, the traditional practice should continue. ‘Diyalo’ has adhered to this norm, and it should be regarded as the standard globally”
During the event, the centenary special edition of Diyalo (Volume 60, Issue 155), edited by Dr. Jivan Namdung, was launched. Also released was a book based on a 1985 doctoral dissertation by Dr. Jagat Chhetri on the Nepali Sahitya Sammelan. Articles previously published in Diyalo were categorized and compiled into many volumes.
The centenary edition of Diyalo featured these contributions from Nepal:
1. Darjeeling and Nepal in the Struggle to Save Language — Rojak Ghimire
2. A Brief Analysis of Tatsam Words — Dr. Tulsi Bhattarai
3. Language as the Light That Guides Each Ethnic Group to Civilization — Dr. Govindraj Bhattarai
4. The Spelling Debate and ‘NEKSULE-2069’ — Sharatchandra Wasti
5. The Story of the Greater Nepali Dictionary — Chudamani Gautam
6. Nepali Sahitya Sammelan: A Symbol of Indo-Nepal Literary Friendship — Sarad Pradhan
7. Problems in Written Nepali and Their Solutions — Dr. Kumar Prasad Koirala
On the second day, the first session was inaugurated by Hon. MP Raju Bista, with C.P. Sharma (Chairman, Pari Prakashan, Sikkim) representing the Sikkim Government.
In the second session, Rochak Ghimire, editor and founder of Rachana literary journal, said,
“My heartfelt reverence to this sacred land of Darjeeling, the source of golden mornings for Nepali language and literature. Thank you to the organizers for the honor of participating in the centenary of this prestigious institution. Darjeeling has long been ahead in honoring great creators and advancing the glory of Nepali language and literature—so much so that our great writer of plays Bal Krishna Sama once said: ‘What Darjeeling thinks today, Nepal thinks tomorrow.’ This realization of collective institutional effort for language and cultural upliftment dawned in Darjeeling a hundred years ago. The Sammelan helped bring ethnic awakening and led efforts to rebrand what was once called Gorkha language and literature into Nepali language and literature.”
Prof. Dr. Govindraj Bhattarai, a prominent postmodern Nepali literary figure, remarked:
“A century ago, while Nepal was still in darkness under a repressive regime, the British in India were spreading the light of education. Nepalis in places like Darjeeling and Sikkim understood the importance of language and education and established Nepali Sahitya Sammelan. It was an independent institution planted by aware Nepali minds, spreading light that many great talents brought to Nepal. While Nepal only gained freedom 25 years later, the Sammelan has become a symbol of independence, unity, self-pride, and cultural reverence. Being part of this centenary celebration is a blessing. Though efforts to destroy literary stability in Nepal persist, we stand here in solidarity. Long live the Nepali language!”
I (the author) also briefly spoke about the Indian Nepali Literature Special Edition of Hamro Purushartha, a magazine published from Gulmi, Nepal.
Highlighting past assaults on the language, linguist Sharatchandra Wasti said:
“Attacks on spelling are attacks on the very foundation of a language. In Nepal, such attacks have narrowed Nepali and pushed it toward becoming a dialect. However, even those who initiated this anarchy have since repented, calling it a crime against language. Nepal’s Constitution and Supreme Court both reject such alterations. Neither the Nepal Academy, Tribhuvan University, nor the Education Ministry has the legal right to change Nepali’s traditional spelling or grammar. This is a crime against the language itself. Do not fall into the trap of anarchic spelling changes — they will destroy the dignity and glory of the Nepali language.”
Nepal’s former ambassador Naval Kishor Rai also addressed the gathering.
Among Nepal’s literary delegates were Chandra Bhandari, Bishnu Neupane, and Deepak Subedi from Jhapa, and poet Bimal Vaidya from Ilam.
The centenary celebration of the Nepali Sahitya Sammelan marked a milestone in the history of Nepali literature. It has helped revitalize and immortalize the Nepali language and literature. Despite past attempts to rename it as the Gorkha Sahitya Sammelan through financial and political coercion, the Sammelan stayed true to its mission. On behalf of the Nepali delegation, we extend heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the Nepali Sahitya Sammelan’s President and all officials for their unwavering dedication. We also wish for the continued progress of the Nepali Sahitya Sammelan.
