Dr. Yogesh Khati
Rev. Ganga Prasad Pradhan is a personality rooted like dubo grass in the collective consciousness of the Indian Nepali-speaking community. Like dubo, his name has sprouted and persevered, able to assert itself even through those moments that time and circumstance tried to forget. He is a figure who cannot be obscured by diverse social thoughts or practices, nor can he be bypassed or ignored- he remains remembered at every turning point in history.
In today’s context of existence and identity, he is a living document- someone whom all Nepali-speaking communities across the world must safeguard. The celebration of his 174th birth anniversary today is a meaningful act for our Indian Nepali-speaking community. It is an ethnic celebration that deserves continuity today and for the days to come. This short article does not aim to say everything about him but attempts to reflect, even briefly, on the status and significance of the Indian Nepali community and Rev. Ganga Prasad Pradhan.
Among the many events prior to India’s independence, the arrival of the railway in Darjeeling is a significant moment. While rail service in Darjeeling may have been a convenience for the ruling class, for the Indian Nepali community, it could be seen as a foundation for mutual coordination. The socio-political conditions of then-Darjeeling and neighbouring Nepal were deeply interconnected. These dynamics travelled seamlessly across political borders, from Nepal to Banaras, and from Banaras to Darjeeling, carrying with them educational, literary, and social elements on the metaphorical tracks of the Darjeeling railway.
In this context, historian Kumar Pradhan considered the railway connectivity of Darjeeling to the rest of the country by the 1880s as an important development. From the time of Ganga Prasad Pradhan, long before many others, notable scholars such as Surya Bikram Gyawali and Dharanidhar Koirala came to Darjeeling not directly from Nepal, but from Banaras. Although they were Nepali citizens, their route through Banaras has significant relevance to the present concerns of the Indian Nepali community. Since this was also the era of Rev. Ganga Prasad Pradhan, the purpose of this study remains incomplete without his inclusion.
Professor Sisir Kumar Das, a scholar of Indian literary history and compiler of encyclopaedic volumes, has also made substantial references to Nepali literature and its contemporary developments in his writings. Among his many books on the history of Indian literature, one volume covers developments from 1800 to 1919. In its eleventh chapter under the title The Literary Panorama, in a section titled Activities in Nepali, we find this statement:
‘Another literature which was passing through a phase similar to both Maithili and Rajasthani was Nepali. The difference in their situations was however obvious, as the majority of the Nepali speaking people were outside India. Nevertheless, it was not Kathmandu but Banaras which was the main centre of Nepali literary activities for a long time.’
At that time, Banaras had become a hub where groups of literary and intellectual youths from Nepal were gathering for ideological exchange and opportunity, thereby paving a way for the Nepali language and literature. Meanwhile, in India, a liberationist ideology was being cultivated to free the country from British rule. During this period, Rev. Ganga Prasad Pradhan was actively working in Darjeeling as a forerunner of the Nepali language. Das elaborates on the literary geography in the same book:
‘It is interesting to note that there was a gentle rivalry between the Nepali scholars based at Banaras and those at Darjeeling, which was slowly emerging as another important centre of Nepali literary activity. Ganga Prasad Pradhan, an Indian Christian who translated the Bible into Nepali in 1876 and several stories for children, established his own press at Darjeeling and started a monthly journal Gorkhe Khabar Kagat (1901–1932), the first ever Nepali periodical, older by a few months than even Gorkha Patra, published from Kathmandu.’
Certain perspectives regarding Rev. Ganga Prasad Pradhan have emerged that are prejudiced- highlighting his background and linguistic origins in order to diminish his contributions. On this matter, historian Kumar Pradhan also offers his view:
‘Much ignored by the historians of Nepali literature, Rev. Ganga Prasad Pradhan (1853–1932) made a contribution of no lesser value. His pioneering works laid foundation for later achievements in Darjeeling…. Beginning his education at a primary school opened by the Scottish Missionary Macfarlane, Ganga Prasad Pradhan became a Christian and started imparting education to children at Darjeeling through Nepali. He taught Nepali to a number of European missionaries and one of them, A. Turnbull, brought out his Nepali Grammar and English-Nepali, Nepali-English Vocabulary in 1887, the revised edition of which came out in 1904.’
Between 1857 and 1885, several crucial events shaped the history of Indian literature. While referring to the northeastern state of Assam, one finds that in 1836, the Assamese language was replaced by Bengali in all schools and courts. Influenced by Bengali intellectuals and administrators, the British made this policy change. But it triggered resistance. Intellectuals stepped forward to protect the Assamese linguistic identity. American missionaries like Dr. Miles Bronson, Dr. Nathan Brown, and a Hindu convert to Christianity named Nidhi Levi Farewell led the movement. A respected Assamese writer of the time, Ananda ram Dhekial Phukan, prepared and published a sharply reasoned English document titled A Few Remarks on the Assamese Language and on Vernacular Education in Assam (1855), which worked to awaken the community’s consciousness. Although his essay didn’t have an immediate effect—he died in 1859—the government was compelled in 1873 to reinstate Assamese as the official language in place of Bengali.
This episode is worth highlighting because, even to this day, linguistic fissures persist between the two communities in Assam. One might ask- why is this story relevant here? The situation of the Indian Nepali-speaking community at that time was similarly precarious. After the publication era of Gorkhe Khabar Kagat, awareness about the declining status of the Nepali language began to take root within the community. This concern is exemplified by the founding of the Gorkha Jana Pustakalaya in Kurseong in 1913. With its establishment, a new space opened for public dialogue and reflection. These community meetings and exchanges enabled society to observe its social, political, educational, economic, and literary conditions more closely.
As a result, the launch of the journal Chandrika in 1919 became a landmark event. At the pan-Indian level, in response to post-independence political anxieties within the Indian Nepali-speaking community, a political party- the All India Gorkha League- was formed in 1943. The creation of this party represented the transitional realities of the time. As Dr. Kumar Pradhan writes:
‘As the country prepared to gain independence and stared into an uncertain future, the socially awakened and politically conscious Nepalis- who had already been building institutions with a touch of political colour- formed their own political organization, the Gorkha League, based on ethnic sentiment.’
With the formation of this party, a clearer path opened for democratic consciousness to develop alongside literary creativity and political thought. The League began publishing Gorkha Patrika, its official mouthpiece, which supported the expression of democratic values through literary creation. Poetry in particular became a popular medium. This journal contributed a fifty-year-long literary journey in favour of the Indian Nepali-speaking community. Over time, the Gorkha Patrika established itself not only as the mouthpiece of a political party, but also as a formidable voice of both pre- and post-independence Indian Nepali expression.
From Gorkhe Khabar Kagaj to the Formation of the All India Gorkha League: Foundations of Democratic Consciousness
Reaching the period that extends from the publication of Gorkhe Khabar Kagaj to the establishment of the All India Gorkha League, it becomes necessary to mention several other important institutions, literary activities, and publications that arose during this time. Poets such as Dharanidhar Sharma, Surya Bikram Gyawali, and Parasmani Pradhan stood as representatives of their era. The organizations, associations, growing linguistic awareness, dedication to the community, formation of political parties, and efforts to spread social consciousness—all these aspects together appear to have contributed to the construction of a democratic foundation.
The literary gatherings held during this period, the exchange of ideas, the influence of indigenous authority, and predictions about the harm that could arise from such power structures—all these matters gain greater importance in the present when we discuss the role of pioneering social leadership.
If we are to discuss the foundation of democratic consciousness within the Indian Nepali community by referencing three major events preceding Indian independence, they would be:
(a) The establishment of The Gorkha Press in 1901, and during the same period, the publication of Gorkhe Khabar Kagaj.
(b) The founding of the Gorkha Jana Pustakalaya in Kurseong in 1913—marking the establishment of the first such institution at an all-India level.
(c) The formation of the All India Gorkha League, a political party, in 1943.
In tracing the roots of democratic consciousness within the Indian Nepali community, we must arrive at the figure of Rev. Ganga Prasad Pradhan—the owner of The Gorkha Press and editor of Gorkhe Khabar Kagaj during 1901. At the time, Indian society was still under colonial rule. Although the British Empire’s intent was primarily administrative, religious, and social in nature, it is found that Rev. Ganga Prasad Pradhan had composed an original hymn in the local language. In fact, it is noted that this composition, originally prepared in 1890, was later included in a hymn collection. It is also recorded that the lyrics of the hymn were edited in accordance with colonial ideology.
For example:
O Lord, please hear our plea,
Open the gate through which Gorkhalis may find deliverance!
To the east, west, and south, stand the brave British commanders,
To the north lies Tibet, and nestled within it—Nepal, homeland of the Gorkhalis.
Rise, brothers, we must go forth, enduring shame and slander,
Renounce wealth, people, comfort, and pleasure, and fulfill the duty of faith.
This composition gestures toward the Gorkhali people during the colonial era, presenting a hymn of supplication to the divine. Alongside the worship of God, it voices concern for the Gorkhali people—pointing to all four directions in an appeal of humility and devotion. This hymn can be regarded as a fundamental milestone in pre-independence Indian Nepali poetry, forming the basis of democratic consciousness.
Rev. Ganga Prasad Pradhan and the Indian Nepali community are inscribed together in history. Some have voiced the opinion that the honorific ‘Rev.’ should not precede his name. However, Indianness itself is synonymous with plurality. We should feel no discomfort acknowledging that the foundational phases of Indian Nepali language and literature were led by a Christian. To an extent, British rule did not merely impose its influence for religious purposes. It also engaged in cultivating social consciousness and uplifting the underprivileged.
When Assam was previously discussed in this conversation, it was pointed out that the linguistic preservation efforts there were also led by another non-Indian, a Christian. Historically, even the establishment of the pan-Indian Nepali institution- the Gorkha Jana Pustakalaya in 1913- was spearheaded by a Christian named Jombe Paul. Their names remain recorded in history.
Thus, using the prefix ‘Rev.’ before Ganga Prasad Pradhan’s name is no misstep- instead, it should be seen as an important marker of the historical and symbolic relationship between the Indian Nepali community and Ganga Prasad Pradhan. In conclusion, the truth remains that Rev. Ganga Prasad Pradhan and the Indian Nepali community progressed in tandem. Their entwined social, religious, literary, and political endeavours form a living historical archive.
(Dr. Yogesh Khati is an Associate Professor in the Postgraduate Department of Nepali at Kurseong College, Darjeeling. He can be contacted at [email protected].)
